Charles Rennie Mackintosh

1868-1928

A Scottish pioneer of modern architecture and design.

The chronological context of Mackintoshs architecture

Chronological context in Architecture - Modernism to Postmodernism 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s

First generation modernists

The pioneers of modernism. They each treated form, space, structure, materials and ornament in novel ways. Peter Behrens Auguste Perret Berlin Paris

Second generation modernists

These were the architects of high modernism- the universal International Style- as well as the fashionable Art Deco period. Walter Gropius Le Corbusier Mies van der Rohe Gerrit Reitveld William Van Allen Napier Art Deco architects

Third generation modernists

These were the architects of Postmodernism. They reacted against the orthodoxy of high modernism. Frank Gehry Philip Johnson Charles Moore I. M. Pei Michael Greaves Louis Kahn Robert Venturi

C. R. Mackintosh - Glasgow Otto Wagner Adolf Loos Louis Sullivan Vienna Vienna Chicago

Frank Lloyd Wright - Chicago and mid-western states of USA

The context of his architecture

Geographical context:

All his buildings are located in and around the greater Glasgow area of Scotland.

Glasgow

He visited Vienna, Austria, several times and while there submitted interior designs for competitions.

Context continued
Historical context:

He was a pioneer of the modern movement, his buildings dating from 1898 to 1916, when he gave up his architectural practice due to disillusionment and lack of clients.
He is associated with the British Arts and Crafts tradition of the late nineteenth century and the Art Nouveau movement of the 1890s. He was a first generation modernist who sought to rid architecture of its revivalist tendencies. He rejected the foreign historical styles that his fellow late Victorian- and Edwardian-age architects imitated. He believed these styles had no relation to modern life; how absurd it is to see modern churches, theatres, banks

made in imitation of Greek temples. There are many such buildings in Glasgow, but to me they are as cold and lifeless as the cheek of a dead Chinaman, he said. They were envelopes without contents.

Context continued
Social context:

He built only a handful of buildings as he struggled to attract clients that would accept his austere and sparse new style.

His wife Margaret McDonald was herself an accomplished designer and worked with him.
He was very influential with the Secessionists (Art Nouveau designers) in Vienna who recognised the significance of his work more than his fellow countrymen. He did not seek a new modernist style for its own sake, but rather an artistic, honest and practical architecture that was relevant to the modern age and that drew strength from Scottish traditions. He utilised modern ideas and technology to enhance the functional aspects of his buildings; steel, plate glass, concrete, air conditioning and heating systems, electricity; he wanted to build around the needs of individuals living in a machine-age society. All great and living architecture has been the direct expression of the needs and beliefs of man at the time of its creation, he stated.

Significant buildings
The Glasgow School of Art, 1898-1909

The Hill House, 1902-4

The Willow Tea Rooms, 1903

The Mackintosh House, 1906-14

Mackintoshs designs broke with the prevailing Glaswegian taste for buildings in a classical style. In 1907 the commission for the Mitchell Library, one of the largest reference libraries in Europe, was won by W.B. Whitie in a Neo-Baroque style.

Stylistic context

W.B. Whitie, Mitchell Library, Glasgow, 1907-11

C.R. Mackintosh, Glasgow School of Art 1898-1909 vs. vs. vs. vs. Vernacular, asymmetrical, sculptural, playful restrained Art Nouveau ornamentation Stone, rough cast, plate glass, iron, steel, concrete Abstract, cubist composition

Classical, symmetrical, formal, dignified Classical ornamentation Stone, bronze and glass Regular, rhythmic composition

Stylistic context continued

Mackintoshs interiors were strikingly different to the typical late Victorian rooms of his day.

Late Victorian drawing room

The Mackintosh House drawing room vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. Sparce, serene, spacious appearance White furniture, delicate and refined white wall surfaces, curtains and carpets A few, carefully chosen ornaments Simple curtain to enhance and soften light One single, unified stylistic environment simplicity, natural materials, restraint, economy

Busy, cluttered appearance Dark, heavy upholstery Patterned wallpaper, rugs, carpets Heavily ornamented to display wealth Layers of curtains to keep the light out Variety of period styles Elaboration, artiface, accumulation

Stylistic features and influences

The influence of Japanese art and design.

Structure is clearly expressed Clean lines and abstract geometric design Simplicity, spaciousness and serenity Use of screens to articulate space Space given equal importance to structure

Stylistic features and influences

The influence of the Arts and Crafts movement of the late Victorian era:

Heavy stonework or roughcast finish Tall slim windows, turret-like forms Asymmetrical planning and massing Construction materials are clearly expressed Severe, sober, austere appearance Design for practicality rather than artifice Inspired by vernacular forms rather than foreign styles Symbolist handcrafted ornamentation

Stylistic features and influences

The influence of Art Nouveau in the 1890s

Ornamentation based on abstracted natural motifs with curved and flowing lines Exposed, ornamental stone and iron work Unified design of all elements of the building

The Glasgow School of Art

Features of this building that show a development toward a modern style are:

The arrangement of rooms of different sizes and heights and at different levels within the building. Stairs, corridors and rooms are modeled as if from a continuous volume of space, not a separated entities. The exterior composition is partly dictated by the arrangement of interior spaces (and hence the buildings function) rather than vice versa. The main faade features large, unadorned, steel-framed windows that flood the studios with light.

The inspiration for the building came from regional farm buildings and baronial halls. This interest in the structural honesty, unadorned simplicity and functionality of local building traditions is a precursor of modernity. The restrained use of ornament, in the form of abstracted motifs in the ironwork of the railings, fence and cleaning brackets on the main faade, is also a move toward modernism. The effect of the library with its structural clarity, stripped rectangular forms, open spatial effect and the independence of the verticality of the library windows that unify multiple levels of space are central to the modern movement.

- The Mackintosh House Click here to view the official website of this house and to find answers to the following questions about this buildings context and style:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. How did Mackintosh increase the spaciousness of the entrance hallway? State TWO Japanese influences present in the dining room. From where did the dining room chairs originate? For what reason did Mackintosh design his dining chairs with such high backs? Identify TWO rooms where Mackintosh opened up space by removing walls. The bedroom is completely white except for touches of what three colours? Identify THREE elements of Art Nouveau style evident in the bedroom. State THREE words to describe the mood or feeling of the drawing room (living room). Contrast THREE aspects of this drawing room with typical late Victorian drawing rooms of the time. Identify FOUR different furnishings or fixtures that the Mackintoshs brought with them into this house from their earlier residence at 120 Mains Street.

10.