Hunterian Art Gallery and Mackintosh House proposed for listing at category A

We have launched a public consultation on proposals to list the Hunterian Art Gallery and Mackintosh House, designed by Sir William Whitfield for the University of Glasgow, at Category A.

The Hunterian Art Gallery and Mackintosh House is a large, concrete and cement-rendered art gallery in the modern Brutalist style. It was built in the 1970s and opened in 1980-81. The building houses the University’s art collection and the partially reassembled interiors from Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh’s former home at 78 Southpark Avenue, which was demolished in 1963. Mackintosh and Macdonald were wedded on 22 August 1900 and would have celebrated their 126th wedding anniversary last Saturday.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh were both well-known in their respective fields of architecture and artistry, but they also became known internationally for their interior design after images of their previous flat were published. The Mackintosh-Macdonald home at Southpark Avenue, which they substantially remodelled, was a bold artistic statement about the possibilities for a new domestic environment. The reassembled interiors of Mackintosh House are both authentic and meticulously reconstructed, allowing visitors to experience the couple's home much as it would have appeared a century ago.

The Hunterian is Scotland’s oldest public museum, opened in 1807 and relocated to the University of Glasgow’s Gilmorehill Campus in 1870. Later, other dedicated museum spaces were opened as the campus expanded.  The Hunterian Art Gallery is a rare example of a purpose-built public gallery and university museum built during the economic downturn of the 1970s. Bespoke museum commissions after the Second World War are rare, and the Hunterian Art Gallery and Mackintosh House is one of the finest examples in Scotland.

Dara Parsons, Head of Designations at HES, said:

“The Hunterian Art Gallery and Mackintosh House is outstanding for its innovative and monumental design, which reflects both Brutalist trends of the 1970s and emerging postmodern ideas and for the association with Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald.

Professor Steph Scholten, Director of The Hunterian, said:

"We welcome Historic Environment Scotland's proposal to list the Hunterian Art Gallery and Mackintosh House at Category A. The building is a remarkable part of the University of Glasgow campus and an important Scottish cultural landmark. Designed by Sir William Whitfield, it is home to world-class collections and provides a unique setting in which visitors can experience the partially reassembled interiors of the Glasgow home of artists Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh.

“For more than four decades, the Hunterian Art Gallery and Mackintosh House have supported teaching, research and public engagement, welcoming visitors from around the world. This proposed designation recognises not only the building's outstanding architectural significance, but also its enduring contribution to Scotland's cultural life."

The consultation, including our detailed report, can be found here:

Designating the Hunterian Art Gallery and Mackintosh House, Glasgow

We're the lead body for Scotland’s historic environment, a charity dedicated to the advancement of heritage, culture, education and environmental protection. We are at the forefront of researching and understanding the historic environment and addressing the impacts of climate change on its future. Across Scotland, we investigate and record architectural and archaeological sites and landscapes and care for more than 300 properties of national importance. HES is also working with sector partners to deliver Scotland's strategy for the historic environment, Our Past, Our Future.

Historic Scotland, trove.scot, The National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP), The Engine Shed, Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle and Stòr are sub-brands of HES.

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