The Hill House in Helensburgh has won a prestigious architectural prize for the ‘box’ which has been built to protect the Charles Rennie Mackintosh masterpiece.
The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) presented its Client of the Year Award tonight to the project designed by Carmody Groarke.
The Hill House Box is the world’s largest chainmail structure, and is intended to give the National Trust for Scotland the time and space to address decades of water damage and avoid irreversible destruction.
The trust says it has been a notable success, reducing the moisture in the walls and allowing repairs without closing the building, while it has also created extra space for a café and shop – while increasing visitor numbers.
Culture Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “The Scottish Government sponsors the RIAS client of the year award in recognition of the key role the client plays in securing the wider benefits of good design and architecture.
“I’m delighted to see the National Trust for Scotland win the award in 2021 for the unique and innovative Hill House Box project in Helensburgh, which has allowed essential and extensive repair work to be carried out whilst maintaining public access to Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s masterpiece.”
RIAS president Christina Gaiger said: “Not so long ago it looked as if the future was bleak for the Hill House.
“It would have been unthinkable to lose Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s masterpiece, and it’s thanks to the bravery of the National Trust for Scotland and the imagination of Carmody Groarke that its future is now secure.
“Together, their imaginative and radical approach has ensured vital conservation work can happen while bringing the public up close to this fascinating process.
“The Hill House Box is one of the most unusual projects to have won a RIAS Award, and I am delighted to see the project also earn the RIAS/Scottish Government client of the year award for the National Trust for Scotland.”
Hi I read on here of a gorgeous house in Helensburgh that I used to live in now in the hands of the military of defence I mean where do those people come from they buy these lovely buildings and leave them derelict it’s part of our Scottish history for instance Shandon house which used to be St. Andrews school just across from faslane for what I remember it was a beautiful place to be now it’s a ghost place now , I find it terrible now I’ve heard part of the roof has caved in I mean what on Earth is happening here it’s a crime I think the council have to step in and do more to stop this and save these beautiful buildings now before it’s to late .