The Hill House, Helensburgh (C) Lairich Rig

NS3083 : The Hill House, Helensburgh

taken 8 years ago, near to Helensburgh, Argyll And Bute, Great Britain

This is 1 of 6 images, with title The Hill House, Helensburgh in this square

The Hill House, Helensburgh

The building is a well-known example, both inside and out, of the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who designed it for the publisher Walter Blackie. His wife, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, also made important contributions to the interior of the house.

This was one of Mackintosh's two major domestic commissions, the other being Windyhill in Kilmacolm (it is shown at NS3669 : Windy Hill, and was built for the art collector and businessman William Davidson).

Walter Blackie chose the site for his future home. Regarding his choice of architect, he wrote that "our approach to Mackintosh was on the advice of the late Talwin Morris, at that time Art Manager for Blackie & Son Limited" (see also NS4075 : The gravestone of Talwin Morris).

See many of the other photos in this grid square for further details. The present view was taken from alongside NS2983 : Upper Colquhoun Street, Helensburgh.

The Hill House by David P Howard

(From information on site)

Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928) was commissioned to design The Hill House for Glasgow publisher Walter Blackie (1860-1953) and his family in 1902.

The house represents the architectural masterpiece of Mackintosh's domestic commissions and ranks internationally amongst the milestones in twentieth-century architecture.

The house was designed to provide a practical and comfortable home for its owners and combines traditional features with a boldly modern approach.
The harled exterior draws on older Scottish sources while displaying a modern, almost sculptural handling of form.
Contrasting with the austere exterior is a rich interior, in which every design element has been carefully considered to fit into the overall scheme.

The gardens have been restored to their former state as far as possible, following the broad outlines and some features originally designed by Mackintosh. However, the Blackies took a keen interest in the garden, and oversaw much of the development themselves.

The Hill House is a National Trust For Scotland property. Link

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Grid Square: NS3083, 76 images (more nearby )
Photographer: Lairich Rig (find more nearby)
Date Taken: Monday, 2 May, 2011 (more nearby)
Submitted: Friday, 13 May, 2011
Geographical Context: Historic sites and artefacts Housing, Dwellings
Period (from Tags): 20th Century
Place (from Tags): Helensburgh
Person (from Tags): Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh Walter Blackie
Architect (from Tags): Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Subject Location: OSGB36: NS 3004 8382 [10m precision]
WGS84: 56:1.0243N 4:43.6926W
Camera Location: OSGB36: NS 3001 8380
View Direction: East-northeast (about 67 degrees)