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Summary

Description

225 Scotland Street Public School was built to the designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh between 1903 and 1907.

Built in red ashlar sandstone, the principal (north) elevation is three-storey, seven-bays with a small central infants' entrance. Flanked by two bold glazed staircase towers over boys and girls entrances, mullioned with small panes, conical slate roofs. Flanking cloakrooms set in receding stages with buttresses. Asymmetrical end elevations with tall chimneystacks. Arch to east boundary wall with bell cupola.

Rear (south) elevation is three-storey, 18-bay austerely detailed, with stylised architrave and swag decoration to end and central bays. Metal framed windows. Slate roof. Interior simply tiled corridor plan.

At the northwest corner of the site is a two-storey janitor's house with oriel, swept roofs and chimney stacks. The boundary wall with its gates and railings, with shallow arched ashlar entrance and outside toilet block, were also part of the original scheme. Closed as a school due to demolition of the surrounding housing, and reopened as a museum of education in November 1990.

Statement of Special Interest

Scotland Street School was one of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's most important commissions. He was appointed by the School Board of Glasgow on 22nd June 1903 to design a new public school on Scotland Street in Tradeston, south of the River Clyde. It opened on 4th August 1906. The unconventional design of the building is remarkable for its reinterpretation of traditional Scottish architectural forms. This is particularly evident in the glazed towers that light the stairs, which are comparable to the towers at Falkland Palace in Fife but are largely constructed in glazed rather than thick stone. The building features elaborately carved decoration in stylised geometric and organic forms typical of Mackintosh.

The boundary wall, gates, railings and the janitor's house were also designed as part of Mackintosh's original scheme and are integral to the composition. The rustic character of janitor's house has the appearance of a lodge to a country estate.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh is named as the architect in official correspondence from the School Board of Glasgow, and in other contemporary sources. Mackintosh (1868-1928) was born in Glasgow and is regarded internationally as one of the leading architects and designers of the 20th century. He became known as a pioneer of Modernism, although his architecture took much inspiration from Scottish Baronial, and Scottish and English vernacular forms and their reinterpretation. The synthesis of modern and traditional forms led to a distinctive form of Scottish arts and crafts design, known as 'The Glasgow Style'. This was developed in collaboration with contemporaries Herbert McNair, and the sisters Francis and Margaret Macdonald (who would become his wife in 1900), who were known as 'The Four'. The Glasgow Style is now synonymous with Mackintosh and the City of Glasgow.

Mackintosh's work is wide-ranging and includes public, educational and religious buildings to private houses, interior decorative schemes and sculptures. He is associated with over 150 design projects, ranging from being the principal designer, to projects he was involved with as part of the firm of John Honeyman & Keppie (Honeyman, Keppie & Mackintosh from 1901). The most important work during this partnership was the Glasgow School of Art (LB33105), which was built in two phases from 1897 and culminated in the outstanding library of 1907.

Other key works include the Willow Tea Rooms (LB33173), the Glasgow Herald Building (now The Lighthouse) (LB33087) and Hill House (LB34761), which display the modern principles of the German concept of 'Gesamtkunstwerk', meaning the 'synthesis of the arts'. This is something that Mackintosh applied completely to all of his work, from the exterior to the internal decorative scheme and the furniture and fittings.

Mackintosh left Glasgow in 1914, setting up practice in London the following year. Later he and Margaret moved to France, where until his death, his artistic output largely turned to textile design and watercolours.

Listed building record revised in 2019.

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