Queen's Cross Church, Glasgow

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The Church of Scotland parish church Glasgow: Queen's Cross, also known as The Mackintosh Church, is the only church designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

The church tower seen from the road junction.
The church tower seen from the road junction.

Contents

[edit] History

Queen's Cross Church was started in 1896 by the Free Church of Scotland as St Mathew's Church. It was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who was at that time working as an employee of Honeyman & Keppie. It opened for worship on 10 September 1899.

Although he designed an Anglican Cathedral for Liverpool, as part of a competition, it was never built, so St Mathew's was the only Mackintosh church to be completed. Building started shortly after Mackintosh finished his competition design for the Glasgow School of Art. It is built at Queen's Cross, at the junction of Garscube Road and Maryhill Road in Glasgow's Maryhill area.

[edit] Mackintosh Design

View from south-east.
View from south-east.

[edit] Exterior

Unlike many churches in Glasgow, Mackintosh's church doesn't have a huge towering spire, and is rather squat and more like a Norman Castle, called 'Modern gothic' by other architects. The main south-west tower was modelled on one at Merriot in Somerset which Mackintosh visited in 1895.

[edit] Interior

The west window and balcony over the south aisle, seen from the main balcony.
The west window and balcony over the south aisle, seen from the main balcony.

Although the stained glass windows are not 'spectacular' compared to other churches and cathedrals, they are distinctly Mackintosh in design. The style is still used on many Mackintosh-style windows and stained glass souveniors available today.

The roof is made up by the most striking timber-lined barrel-vaulted roof, which spans the entire forty feet of the nave.

The pulpit is carved in Mackintosh designs - it is repeated five times around the curved front. It has been suggested that it represents the wings of a bird protecting young shoots - sown on fertile ground.

The design contains gothic influences, such as the magnificent stained glass blue-heart window, and pre-Reformation style elements, such as the replica of the original rood beam, which is unique in Scotland. It is even possible to find Japanese influences in the double beams and pendants inside the church.[1]

[edit] Home of Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society

Church hall.
Church hall.

After the church was decommissioned, unlike many churches which were converted to theatres, apartments or demolished and because of the popularity of Mackintosh's work, the church became to home of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society, which owns and operates the church as a tourist attraction.

The adjoining church hall provides tearoom facilities, and there is a display area under the balcony with many artifacts including replicas of the chairs he designed for the Willow Tearooms.

The Church is used by North Woodside United Free Church of Scotland, who hold Sunday Worship at 10:30am.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Video interview at Queen's Cross Church with Stuart Robertson, Director of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society (February, 2008)

[edit] External links

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west window

west window

pulpit

east window over main balcony

south aisle and west window

south aisle and balcony

south aisle

west stair

east stair

hall roof

keyboard in hall

hall detail