Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
life in the fifteenth century aren't particularly arresting unless you've an interest in
period furniture. As a reminder of the manse's earthier history, the upper floor contains
pictures of assorted low-life characters such as the notorious drunkards and prostitutes
of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Glasgow.
Behind the Provand's Lordship lies the small
Garden of St Nicholas
, a herb garden
contrasting medieval and Renaissance aesthetics and approaches to medicine.
5
Sauchiehall Street and around
Glasgow's most famous street,
Sauchiehall Street
, runs in a straight line west from the
northern end of Buchanan Street, past some unexciting shopping malls to a few of the
city's most interesting sights, including Mackintosh's reconstructed
Willow Tea Rooms
and perhaps his masterpiece, the
Glasgow School of Art
,
where you can take student-led
tours. he touching
Tenement House
, nearby, is well worth a visit.
Willow Tea Rooms
217 Sauchiehall St • Mon-Sat 9am-5pm Sun 11am-5pm • Free •
T
0141 332 0521,
W
willowtearooms.co.uk • Cowcaddens underground
Charles Rennie Mackintosh fans should head for the
Willow Tea Rooms
(p.207), not
all that easy to spot at first, above Henderson the Jeweller at 217 Sauchiehall Street.
Impressive if lacking in atmosphere, this is a faithful reconstruction (opened in 1980
after more than 50 years of closure) on the site of the 1904 original, which was
created for Kate Cranston, one of Rennie Mackintosh's few contemporary supporters
in the city. Tea is still served here; ask for a table in the Salon de Lux, where
everything, from the fixtures and fittings right down to the teaspoons and menu cards,
was designed by Mackintosh. Taking inspiration from the word
Sauchiehall
, which
means “avenue of willow”, he chose the willow leaf as a theme to unify the whole
structure, from the tables to the mirrors and the ironwork. he motif is most apparent
in the stylized linear panels of the bow window, which continues into the intimate
dining room as if to surround the sitter, like a willow grove, and is echoed in the
high-backed silver and purple chairs. hese elongated forms were used to enhance the
small space and demonstrate Mackintosh's superb ability to fuse function with
decoration.
Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA)
350 Sauchiehall St • Free •
T
0141 352 4900,
W
cca-glasgow.com • Cowcaddens underground
It's usually worth wandering into the
CCA
at number 350, where eclectic exhibitions of
international and home-grown conceptual art, combined with a stunning atrium bar
and café, consistently make this one of the city's trendier cultural hotspots.
The Glasgow School of Art
167 Renfrew St • Guided tours April-Sept daily on the hour 10am-4pm; Oct-March Mon-Sat 11am, 2pm & 3pm; booking advised • £9.75
•
T
0141 353 4526,
W
www.gsa.ac.uk • Cowcaddens underground
Rising above Sauchiehall Street to the north is one of the city centre's steepest hills,
with Dalhousie and Scott streets veering up to Renfrew Street, where you'll find
Charles Rennie Mackintosh's
Glasgow School of Art
at number 167 - one of the most
prestigious art schools in the UK. Widely considered to be the pinnacle of Mackintosh's
work, the school is a characteristically angular building of warm sandstone that, due to
financial constraints, had to be constructed in two stretches (1897-99 and 1907-09).
here's a clear change in the architect's style from the mock-Baronial east wing to the
softer lines of the western half.
