T O A H O U S E

 

 Since winning a colouring competition in his honour when I was ten, I’ve always had a bit of a thing for old Rabbie Burns, so I was delighted to finally visit the new Birthplace Museum with the volunteers from the Georgian House, on what turned out to be a real dreich October day! Replacing the 1906 visitor centre, the new museum was designed by Edinburgh’s Simpson & Brown for the National Trust for Scotland, and is home to the biggest Burns collection in the world. The new building - clad in Moray timber and crowned with a sweeping grass roof - forms the centrepiece to several other Alloway hotspots that include the Burns cottage, Auld Kirk and Brig O’ Doon, and represents a meeting of great design with sustainability. 

After arriving in the West Coast, we headed up to Burn’s cottage, a traditional thatched But and Ben where the poet was born in 1759. Comprising of just four rooms, it’s hard to believe that the tiny abode housed Robert, his parents and siblings, the family tutor John Murdoch as well as the family horse, cows and chickens! Inside the byrne, four screens give us a bird’s eye view of each room and what would’ve been going on, from his father rising early to work on the farm, to his mother making butter, or Robert himself having lessons in the evening. Replicas of the original furniture and cleverly placed sound recordings bring the house to life, whilst snippets of poetry on the walls and furniture remind us of the influence his home had on his work.

 

From here we walked down to the new museum, via the new Poet’s Path, a charming walkway that keeps us entertained with decorative wind vanes that tell the story of Tam O’ Shanter, as well as a sculptural ode to a mouse, and a curving footbridge that gives you a taste of the materials used throughout the masterplan. In spite of the rain, the museum building looks very impressive. Flanked by two curved dry stone walls marking the perimeter, the museum is built from head to toe in locally sourced, untreated timber. The T-shaped public zone of entrance court and cafe are bright and airy, and reveal the nature of the undulating roof that crowns the building, feeding light throughout.

  

After lunch we were taken through to the darkened main exhibition space, where the collection is split up into four sections explaining who Robert Burns was, what influenced him, his legacy and of course, the works themselves. Instead of being left to our own devices, our tour guide pointed out a few things of particular interest, such as the only surviving picture of his long suffering wife, Jean Armour as well as the miniature pencil and notebook set that Burns would carry around with him should inspiration strike. Other notable items include a painting illustrating the very first Burns Supper, which took place only a year after Robert died in 1796, and a small segment of the (black!) wedding dress Jean wore to marry her husband. Apparently, white dresses only came into fashion with the Victorians! 

Interestingly, all the wording surrounding the exhibits is in Scots, which is a nice touch and creates more of an affinity with the poet than straightforward English would. Our Charlotte Square neighbour Alex Salmond would be most impressed! Unfortunately, with the weather being so miserable and time being tight I wasn’t able to explore the Auld Kirk and the Brig O’ Doon which complete the Burns experience, but if anything, that gives me an excuse to go back another day and finish the job. All in all, it was a great day, it’s just a pity it was so goddamn cauld!  

A - L I S T E D

Since its heyday as the stomping ground of Glasgow’s aristocracy, this art deco building suffered an untimely fall from grace. Fortunately, Surface ID were on hand to restore it to its former glory.

When it opened its doors in 1913, the Hillhead Picture Salon was one of the first suburban cinemas in the city. Showcasing a full orchestra, handsome furnishings and 'the best pictures the world can supply', it was an extremely popular venue amongst the West End elite. The exposed concrete structure offset with belle èpoque plasterwork was a marvel, and an early example of the ‘Hennebique Ferroconcrete System’ – a method of strengthening concrete with iron and the predecessor of reinforced concrete construction commonplace today. Sadly, the glory days couldn’t last forever and dwindling numbers finally forced the cinema to close its doors for good in 1992.

Fast forward eighteen years, and after several disastrous refurbishments in the noughties that saw the balcony walled up and the ornate ceiling hidden from view, the former cinema building is back to its glorious best. Redesigned by Glasgow based Surface-ID as a restaurant and bar, the renamed Hillhead Book Club reads like a rule book for smart restoration. Entering through the glitzy canopy scattered with tiny fairy lights, and passing by the patio with its assortment of furniture, the Book Club is already looking pretty special. Inside, the magnificent architecture once again takes centre stage, but the crisp, formal whites of years gone past are replaced with softer mushrooms and taupes that echo the faded elegance of the old building. Grungy, pseudo vintage wallpaper is used to soften the elaborate plasterwork, while dark mahogany pews and gently glowing light fittings bring unexpected warmth.

In classic Surface ID style, a few bold choices help to launch the interior into the contemporary. The most obvious is the double height, wood panel partition that splits the room in half, creating quiet, intimate nooks behind it and a focal point for those at the bar in front. Adorning it, in the centre of the hall is the pièce de résistance - an illuminated moose head that pretty much embodies the quirky, off the wall nature of the Book Club. Leaping between eras, medieval banquet tables are clashed with steam punk light fittings, and a gramophone sits proudly at the bar amongst an old-school projector and shabby suitcases. The result is a haphazard jigsaw puzzle of eras and ages, that collectively form a pretty picture, an apt tribute if ever there was one. (Pictures: Surface ID)

H I G H L A N D B L I N G

With its weathered appearance and classic narrow plan, Rural Design’s proposal for a family home on the Isle of Skye has all the hallmarks of traditional Highland architecture.

The Longhouse is probably described best in the words of the architect himself, as a lesson in ‘complicated simplicity’. It adheres to Highland practice of being small and contour hugging, and with its muted palette of greys and browns, it still fits in with the local vernacular. What prevents this home from becoming a simple Skye cottage however, is in the manner in which it seamlessly combines tradition and high tech, creating a new typology. Cumbersome materials like stone and thatch are discarded, and replaced with a quick to assemble timber frame, super insulated walls and locally sourced cladding.  Solar gain is maximised, and utilised alongside an air source heat pump, heat recovery and ventilation system which give the house enviable eco credentials. It is a format that Skye architects Rural Design have become masters of in recent years. 

For the most part, the house reflects the classic open-plan layout of a Scottish longhouse. A vast living, dining, and kitchen area dominates the front of the house, with a central fire forming the heart of the home. Two bedrooms, bathrooms and a small study complete the modest program.  What sets it apart from tradition are the contemporary touches, that include the optimistically named sun room to the rear, and the sizeable mezzanine level that overlooks the living area. Another highlight is the projecting window which punctuates the front of the house, breaking the classical form and extending the living area considerably. The panoramic views of the surrounding countryside are not to be sniffed at either!  

 Externally, the house is clad with weathered larch, which reflects the colours of both the sea and sky. Already fading to a silvery grey, the wood is testament to the stormy conditions the house has to withstand. A corrugated metal roof and a modern take on a lean to are clever touches, and help to create a dialogue between the house and the farm buildings and sheds native to the area. Openings in the building’s shell are perfectly in tune with the surroundings, and connect the house with magnificent views of Loch Dunvegan, the Western Isles and the jagged outline of the Cuillin mountain range. If we need a reminder about keeping it simple, this is most definitely it.  (Pictures: Rural Design)

A G L A S G O W S M I L E

A non-violent one, that is!

As some of you may recall, I've wanted to go and visit the new Transport Museum - or Riverside Museum, as it has be renamed - for a while now. Last weekend I finally went and I must say I was pretty impressed, by both the building and it's content. Old Zaha has done it again. Architecturally, the zinc clad shell of the museum nods to Glasgow's shipbuilding heritage, whilst the lofty interior spaces are perfect for hosting original and replica trams, motorbikes, caravans, classic cars and even the infamous 'Clockwork Orange'  Glasgow subway. Not being particularly interested in much of the transport, the highlight for me was the cobbled, recreated 'street' which you could walk through and enter old Victorian hang outs that were once native to Glasgow. This included the local ice cream shop, pub, photography studio, blacksmith and dressmaker, which really set the scene and gave a real sense of context for the transport. It's free too so if anyone is in Glasgow you should check it out - maybe not at the weekend though as it was rammed!

A R C H A D E 0 1

Being a novice blogger, I’m still dithering over the style / content /direction of this thing. I started it because I’d love to work in architectural journalism, and I thought I could do with having a space where I could record everything and write for other people rather than just myself. And if I write regularly, I’m more likely to keep on top of what’s going on in the design world, rather than just dipping my toe in every few weeks then panicking when I get an interview for something! I can’t seem to find any other blogs similar to mine (if there are please show yourself!) so either that mean it’s wonderfully innovative or there isn’t really a market for stuff like this. Either way, I will just keep blogging away, I don’t mind too much if it’s just me! Having looked at other blogs, I thought it might be a good idea to give my blog some structure, with some different articles to the usual isn’t-this-a-pretty-building pieces. My first one is this, and will be an arcade of architecture that is local to me (Scottish), that I would like to visit in the near future. Other ones could be defined by the country, use or architect etc. I hope you enjoy! 

Not to sound like X Factor, but these are in no particular order...

01 – Ferry Shelter / Tiree / Sutherland & Hussey

02 – The White House / Isle of Coll / WTArchitecture

03 – Ericht Visitor Centre / Blairgowrie / Sutherland &Hussey

04 – Transport Museum / Glasgow /  Zaha Hadid

05 – Culloden Visitor Centre / Inverness-shire / GarethHoskins

T O L O S E F A C E

Robert Adams's Palace Front Facade, the Bedroom and Dining Room

So, as I wrote about Gladstone’s Land yesterday, I thought it was only fair that I did a short piece about the property that I volunteer at – The Georgian House. This year is my second season at the house and I absolutely love it, it beats my actual job hands down! I’m a property assistant so I get to meet and greet everyone, as well as doing a bit of guiding, helping out in the shop and other admin pieces when it’s needed. What I love the most is the stories about these properties, mostly because I’m a total gossip fiend. If I was around in Georgian times I’d definitely be an old fish wife sat at the windowsill or one of the servants selling on the household gossip for a bob or two! 

Back in the 1700s the Old Town had become overcrowded and filthy - so to prevent a mass exodus of the rich to London, a competition was held to design an elite ‘new’ town on the north side of the castle. James Craig won this competition, and his proposals for two squares (Charlotte Square and St Andrews Square) linked by large, linear streets were developed by master architect, Robert Adam, who’s designs for Charlotte Square would set a new standard in the city from then on. The first residents – The Lamont Family - moved in around 1796 and the house is furnished to reflect how they would have lived. Unlike the cramped conditions in the Old Town, this home is spacious, bright and lavished with money – although all is not as it seems. Pine has been painted to look like Mahogany, the ‘silver’ is actually Sheffield Plate, and the Malachite cutlery isn’t Malachite at all, but stained Ivory. It seems that, in keeping up appearances, the Georgians really were tremendous fibbers! They were also extremely innovative, and the very first Cheese Toastie Maker can be seen in the Dining Room.

G A R D E Z L O O

The Painted Room and the Arcaded Entrance

Although I work for the National Trust for Scotland, until yesterday I had never visited Gladstone’s Land, which is the sister property and polar opposite of my gaff (the Georgian House). Situated in the heartland of Edinburgh’s Old Town at the top of the Royal Mile, this wonderful tenement property was once the home of a prosperous merchant in the 17^th century and is furnished to reflect this. Outside, the ground floor arcade is original and is the only surviving element of something that, incredibly, once covered the whole street. Unlike the Georgian House, each room reflects a different era for the merchant, Thomas Gledstane, as he built upwards and outwards to make the most of the property’s tiny footprint. It's quite interesting that the rich and poor used to live alongside each other in houses like this, before the development of the New Town began at the turn of the century.

The highlight of Gladstone's is the Painted Room, which faces onto the street and is home to a beautiful timber ceiling decorated with fruit and flower motifs. We were told this was only discovered when the NTS were restoring the house, as up until then it had been concealed with an artificial ceiling. When I asked why anyone would want to cover up such a work of art, the guide said that it was painted in the style of the Jacobites – the Royal House of Stuarts - who had been in exile since 1689. As bedrooms were often used for entertaining as well as sleeping, it was in the family’s best interests to keep their allegience a secret.

V A V A V O O M

Japanese Practice Kengo Kuma and Associates have unanimously won the highly-contested battle to design the new V&A Museum in Dundee. Beating off competition from an impressive six-strong shortlist, the landmark building is at the forefront of the city’s Waterfront regeneration project and is hoping to replicate Bilbao’s ‘Guggenheim effect’ in Scotland. The stone building takes its elegantly splayed form from the meeting of tourism trade with the city centre, and will seemingly ‘float’ on the banks of the River Tay.  Building will commence in 2012 and the museum is expected to open in 2015.

A B O T T L E A N D A F R I E N D

He may be regarded as Scotland’s most famous son, but the first contemporary museum in honour of famed poet Robert Burns has only just been realised. Spread over 10 acres, the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum encompasses the cottage where Burns was born, several landmarks from his most famous works as well as the rambling Ayrshire countryside from which he found his inspiration. Designed by Simpsonand Brown Architects for the National Trust for Scotland, the building combines locally sourced timber and stone with a curvaceous grass roof, and is a blueprint for sustainable Scottish architecture. I will post more once I've visited!