Summary of my Proposal

Rachel and Clare asked us to describe our proposal and intentions for the project. This was a very simple idea but I had never considered actually sitting down and thinking about all the ideas and feelings that are running about my head and putting them into words. The following statement is what I came up with, I think of it as my hypothesis for the project:

"The Mackintosh Building has cared for and served it occupants for long enough- its time for it to regain its own identity and be able to grow for itself."

Did that building just wink at me?

http://tlltworld.blogspot.com/2007/05/do-buildings-frown.html

This is obviously just a funny coincidence but it does raise the issue again of buildings being humanised. Maybe as a human, I just WANT to see every object in this world as something I can relate too.

Directors Quarters

A couple of us were lucky to be in the right place at the right time and managed to talk to Prof. Seona Reid (Director). Here is a brief descrition of our visit.

When you walk into the Directors office, it feels very feminine and homely. This has been one of the most pleasing and calm rooms to be in for me so far. A round table, some cabinets, tables and desks fill the spacious room. Some of the furniture is original to the room, but all of it seems right (apart from the 'catalogue' desk and computer hidden in the corner). The office is very bright as its front wall has a fantastically huge window overseeing the other side of the street, even Where the Monkey Sleeps! The window has access to a balcony where works have been exhibited in the past, including a boy 'peeing' and a string quartet.

A strange boxed-in structure in the corner of the room, caught my eye and Seona was able to tell us that this was how the Director would of usually sent messages down to the front desk. It has a tiny pulley system which I'm sure was used A LOT in its day, now its the telephones turn to take the brunt of the work.

Up a quaint staircase took us to the Private studio space which would have been actively used by the headmasters of the past. Sadly Seona does not have use for it but it is housing several pieces of furniture which are awaiting restoration at the moment. Once again this room has access to a small balcony space at the front of the building which is accessed through a tiny door midway up the staircase. (anyone wanting to try to get out that door had best take their WD40, cause its stiff, believe me, we tried.)

It would be impossible to get any works of art down the staircase if they were bigger than a postage stamp, so a hoist is in the room which can transport the painting down into the room below where it can be removed easier. This once again points out this buildings amazing attention to detail.

Official Mackintosh Tour

Its really hard to walk, listen and write and the same time but I tried!

• Between finishing the first half of the building and starting the second half, Mackintosh redesigned the west section of building as his ideals had changed.


• Originally the Gallery was used as a drawing room.


• Even though this was one of the first buildings to have electricity, natural light was still very much needed, as seen in the massive windows in the Gallery.


• The Gallery space and the main staircase shows Mackintosh's Japanese influences in the pillars and the cage like structures.


• The corridors were made wide enough to be used at studio spaces too so to accommodate more students.


• Mackintosh never wrote about his work which means he has left many puzzles that will never be solved. This gives the Building a mysterious feel.


• Alcoves at either side of the studio doors were made to house a glass vase with a single red rose. this was to inspire students when they arrive but understandably it was very expensive and was almost immediately stopped.


• Mackintosh used the most expensive technique of staining glass to decorate the windows in the studio doors which meant he had to use the cheapest building materials for the rest of the building. this has later caused problems as they are starting to be damaged.


• The staircase walls are finished with highly polished cement.


• Tile Motifs are inlaid at each landing on the staircases, no two tile patterns are exactly the same.


• Mackintosh turned the building on its head by making the building darker as you go up the building. On the Loggia it was originally very dark and crypt like (once again making a space that's high up in the building look like it belongs in the basement) However in the 60's someone painted its bare brick work white in order to make it 'a more pleasant working environment'.


• At the top of the East staircase a font is seen. This was not originally placed by Mackintosh but was a piece of work made by a student in the 60's. The font was made in such a heavy material and was made on site that no one can move it! N.B. Either this person felt silly or they had just worked out the most amazing way to get a piece of worked displayed indefinitely!


• It was unusual for a greenhouse to be structurally built into an art school, but Mackintosh believed that all artists must first learn from the beauty of nature before they too can make works of art.


• Students were asked to leave one piece of their work when they had graduated and they were kept in the Store Room. This meant that the room would be holding a lot of weight, so this room was suspended by iron stirrups from the buildings structural H-Beams.


• The Library was meant to feel like a forest. The four elements of the world were represented in this room in the spars on the railings- white-air, blue- water, green- earth, red- fire.

Nicholas Oddy Talk 14/01/08

We did not have any questions prepared, just curious to see what Nicholas would say without being prompted. To find out true feelings.

KEY POINTS

• walk around the network in the sub-basement, could take you for miles- very interesting.
• The Mackintosh room was the original Board Room but the Director ordered there to be a new 'more manly' Board Room built when the second half was completed. The Mackintosh room was seen to be too feminine as it was painted white which was traditionally seen as the colour of Drawing Rooms which were used by women.
• The Art School was run on a Pyramidal Hierarchy, with the Director having final say on every matter, no matter what anyone else thinks. To this day the School is still run like this.
• At Board Meetings the Board members were made to feel small as the table was much taller that the chairs so they felt like children with infantile ideas. The Chairman, however, was sitting on a dais so he was taller and more important than the rest.
• There has been paintings which superbly show this. (anyone help with the names of these please?)
• General construction of Mackintosh furniture was poor. It depended on who the clients were, what standard of workmanship they received. The Art School didn't care as long as it served its purpose so very few original pieces of furniture still exist in working order. N.B.this is especially seen in the library where only half a dozen of the originally spindle chairs exists- they were quickly replaced by chairs from one of the old tea rooms.
• What is now Registry, used to be Luncheon Rooms, one side was for females the other for men. N.B. Seemingly if you go into the offices you can still see their potential as tearooms.
• The Directors office has its own private Studio space and Painting Hoist.
• Alex (welkie???) , who was in the Ceramics department, seemingly left the Kiln on when going for a refreshment and burnt a hole through the floor!

7 till 5: A Pattern of the Day's Doings

Norman McLaren Video Tape 1243

7am - Coal on fires

- Down on your honches to clean the floor.

- In the 'IN' door

- Register

- Coats up

Up and Down stairs

9.30am- Start Classes

11am - Eat, Drink

11.30am - Back to work

Up and Down Stairs

1pm - Refectory Menu

- Fill hungry Bellies

2pm - Buy wears

4.45pm - Drop everything

5pm - Lights out

- Jackets gone

Up and Down Stairs

- out the 'OUT' door

Watch out!!! Its around you!!!!

In my explorations of the Mackintosh Building I found and felt there were many human elements to it. Different levels seemed to have different personalities (just like the ID and EGO phenomenon of the human mind). The building is showing signs of wear and tear, it has responded to the challenges and chores it has been put through, such as scooping of the stairs where thousands of feet have worn them away.
(Above: Old Woman Resin by Angela Talbot)



It is like a wise old woman- a mother who has dedicated her life to serving and caring for her children. I am very interested and excited by this element and I have started to look into this.

Nick Grimshaw Buildings as Living Organisms Video Tape 69

"Buildings should be seen as living organisms. If they are to last at all, or to be of any use in the future, they have got to be able to grow and adapt and change and react to the changes and forces that are on them, both from the inside and the outside."

N.B. This point of view was applied to humans by Kenny Hunter in his talk. So when I heard this applied to buildings I felt more secure in my thoughts about brings the Mackintosh Building to life- whether literally or not i don't know, but I'm on the case!