{"id":772667,"date":"2025-01-30T10:02:27","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T10:02:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=772667"},"modified":"2025-01-30T14:26:51","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T14:26:51","slug":"rias-warns-of-tragedy-over-tech-hub-plans-for-mackintoshs-lighthouse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/rias-warns-of-tragedy-over-tech-hub-plans-for-mackintoshs-lighthouse","title":{"rendered":"RIAS warns of \u2018tragedy\u2019 over tech hub plans for Mackintosh\u2019s Lighthouse"},"content":{"rendered":"

The centre in Mitchell Lane, which opened in 1999 and is run by Glasgow City Council (GCC), shut its doors during the pandemic and has only been open to the public on a handful of occasions since.<\/p>\n

Now, a possible operator has emerged to take over the running of the former Glasgow Herald building (1895), designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and refurbished by Page\\Park<\/a> 26 years ago.<\/p>\n

However, the new plans, which have been put to Glasgow City Council\u2019s Contracts and Property Committee, do not include the retention of the National Architecture Centre within the building.<\/p>\n

Under the proposals, Scottish start-up Sustainable Ventures would lease the Lighthouse from the local authority to create a \u2018Net Zero Innovation Hub\u2019 to support local SMEs, council papers said. That would see public access restored \u2018for education focusing on the renewable energy sector\u2019.<\/p>\n

RIAS president Karen Anderson said that, while she welcomed the plans to give \u2018this important historical building [a] long-term future\u2019, the loss of the dedicated centre for architecture, urban design, and regeneration would be \u2018a tragedy\u2019 for Scotland.<\/p>\n

Anderson continued: \u2018In these hugely challenging times for Scotland\u2019s cities and towns, and in the face of the climate emergency and economic turbulence, such spaces are important in bringing the public and professionals together to address the challenges of regenerating cities and historic buildings.<\/p>\n

\u2018The lessons from the ambitious, but ultimately abandoned, Lighthouse project should be learned by the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council alike, as part of efforts to refresh architecture, planning, and regeneration policy in Scotland. As ever the RIAS stands ready to assist those endeavours.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Advertising

Advertising the Lighthouse on Glasgow\u2019s Buchanan Street<\/p>\n\t

<\/p><\/p><\/div>\n

Reports of the potential reopening of the Lighthouse first emerged earlier this month. The council told the AJ at the time that it could not confirm during these confidential discussions whether the architecture centre would be kept.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month a council spokesperson confirmed that the Lighthouse currently remained closed to the public because the local authority\u2019s budget \u2018did not enable the building to be staffed to accommodate members of the public\u2019.<\/p>\n

However, they added that there were still some commercial tenants in the building who had access as part of their lease agreements.<\/p>\n

Paul Sweeney, Labour Glasgow MSP, argued that the Lighthouse\u2019s \u2018introverted and esoteric curation as a centre for architecture and design, rather than the use itself\u2019, had been barrier to its use over time, saying: \u2018<\/span>Often its exhibits only really appealed to a professional audience, so it failed to attract significant visitor numbers.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

He added:<\/span> \u2018The Lighthouse is one of Glasgow\u2019s most iconic buildings with unrivalled views of the city centre [but] It has been deeply disappointing that Glasgow City Council hasn’t reopened the much-loved building since the pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u2018With the Glasgow School of Art restoration still in limbo and the Martyrs\u2019 School in Townhead now up for sale [both by Mackintosh], it’s hard not to wonder if Glasgow risks squandering its greatest architectural legacy. It would be my preference to see the council seek a long-term lease rather than sell the Lighthouse.\u2019<\/p>\n

Glasgow City Council will vote on the future use of the Lighthouse on 6 February.<\/p>\n

The council has been contacted for comment.<\/p>\n

\"Gareth

Gareth Hoskins Architects: People and Place exhibition, pictured here at The Lighthouse, Glasgow in 2008<\/p>\n\t

<\/p><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Comment:<\/h2>\n

Paul Sweeney, Labour MSP<\/h3>\n

One of the main problems with the Lighthouse was ultimately its rather introverted and esoteric curation as a centre for architecture and design, rather than the use itself. Often its exhibits only really appealed to a professional audience so it failed to attract significant visitor numbers. <\/span><\/p>\n

Similar centres have been better curated and appealed to a wider audience I think a more popularly curated space focusing on Glasgow\u2019s architectural history as well as being a public forum to immersively view the city model (The 3D model of Glasgow which can be used to plot major developments, identify flood risk and respond to incidents \u2013 Glasgow Live) and engage with current planning applications could be a more useful way to maintain the public space, even if part of the building is to be let out for commercial purpose. Glasgow\u2019s version of the London Centre could be a great success.<\/span><\/p>\n

I also hope that the wonderfully playful signage by Javier Mariscal is maintained: see Light touch for the Lighthouse <\/em>in Design Week.<\/a><\/p>\n

My ultimate dream for the building is to turn it into Glasgow\u2019s version of Hamburg\u2019s Miniatur Wunderland by inviting all the country\u2019s model rail enthusiasts to build a permanent exhibition space on its floorplates.<\/p>\n

Malcom Fraser, Fraser\/Livingstone Architects<\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Scotland\u2019s Policy on Architecture has long been to booster a glam, publicly-supported and insular\u00a0aren\u2019t we wonderful<\/i>\u00a0exceptionalism while actively undermining the conditions that allow good architecture to flourish \u2013 PPP and its derivatives, Procurement Hell and \u201caffordable\u201d housing now led by Mass Housebuilders. Most telling is how the formal adoption of the proudly-proclaimed \u201cWorld\u2019s First National Policy on Architecture\u201d around the turn of the century almost exactly coincided with the near-strangulation of the emergence of vigorous new Scottish practices \u2013 a few wonderful ones have appeared but they are swimming against the tide.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Lighthouse was, at its worst, a displacement activity: our built environment input is severely curtailed, but here\u2019s a nice exhibition to sink all our love and care, time and effort into. Its loss is a simple reflection of the huge disconnect between boosterism and reality. For me, a commercial tech hub is a fine use of this physically introverted site \u2013 Paul Sweeny is right, what Glasgow needs is a much simpler, public-facing shop window for a big 3d model; and what Scotland needs is policy that allows architects to be at the table, to tackle the carbon, housing and public building crises we face.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The centre in Mitchell Lane, which opened in 1999 and is run by Glasgow City Council (GCC), shut its doors during the pandemic and has only been open to the public on a handful of occasions since. Now, a possible operator has emerged to take over the running of the former Glasgow Herald building (1895), …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131789,"featured_media":772673,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[681],"tags":[3293,1436,3892,1201],"yoast_head":"\nRIAS warns of \u2018tragedy\u2019 over tech hub plans for Mackintosh\u2019s Lighthouse<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Scotland\u2019s shuttered architecture and design centre at the Lighthouse, Glasgow, could be replaced by a tech hub in a move the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) has warned would be a \u2018tragedy\u2019\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/rias-warns-of-tragedy-over-tech-hub-plans-for-mackintoshs-lighthouse\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"RIAS warns of \u2018tragedy\u2019 over tech hub plans for Mackintosh\u2019s Lighthouse\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Scotland\u2019s shuttered architecture and design centre at the Lighthouse, Glasgow, could be replaced by a tech hub in a move the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) has warned would be a \u2018tragedy\u2019\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/rias-warns-of-tragedy-over-tech-hub-plans-for-mackintoshs-lighthouse\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Architects\u2019 Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-30T10:02:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-01-30T14:26:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn.rt.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/01\/29160256\/shutterstock_1558992260-1024x683.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"683\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gino Spocchia\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gino Spocchia\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/rias-warns-of-tragedy-over-tech-hub-plans-for-mackintoshs-lighthouse\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/rias-warns-of-tragedy-over-tech-hub-plans-for-mackintoshs-lighthouse\",\"name\":\"RIAS warns of \u2018tragedy\u2019 over tech hub plans for Mackintosh\u2019s Lighthouse\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-30T10:02:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-30T14:26:51+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/779aa0e54c8c20bf4509b8cce80c65b0\"},\"description\":\"Scotland\u2019s shuttered architecture and design centre at the Lighthouse, Glasgow, could be replaced by a tech hub in a move the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) has warned would be a \u2018tragedy\u2019\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/rias-warns-of-tragedy-over-tech-hub-plans-for-mackintoshs-lighthouse#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/rias-warns-of-tragedy-over-tech-hub-plans-for-mackintoshs-lighthouse\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/rias-warns-of-tragedy-over-tech-hub-plans-for-mackintoshs-lighthouse#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"RIAS warns of \u2018tragedy\u2019 over tech hub plans for Mackintosh\u2019s Lighthouse\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/\",\"name\":\"The Architects\u2019 Journal\",\"description\":\"Architecture News & Buildings\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/779aa0e54c8c20bf4509b8cce80c65b0\",\"name\":\"Gino Spocchia\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/ff22f86c19263bf2f9ca73b4d596096f\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9ace0cb1667a73da3fb8f9f2e77f8b97?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9ace0cb1667a73da3fb8f9f2e77f8b97?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Gino Spocchia\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/author\/gino-spocchia\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"RIAS warns of \u2018tragedy\u2019 over tech hub plans for Mackintosh\u2019s Lighthouse","description":"Scotland\u2019s shuttered architecture and design centre at the Lighthouse, Glasgow, could be replaced by a tech hub in a move the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) has warned would be a \u2018tragedy\u2019","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/rias-warns-of-tragedy-over-tech-hub-plans-for-mackintoshs-lighthouse","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"RIAS warns of \u2018tragedy\u2019 over tech hub plans for Mackintosh\u2019s Lighthouse","og_description":"Scotland\u2019s shuttered architecture and design centre at the Lighthouse, Glasgow, could be replaced by a tech hub in a move the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) has warned would be a \u2018tragedy\u2019","og_url":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/rias-warns-of-tragedy-over-tech-hub-plans-for-mackintoshs-lighthouse","og_site_name":"The Architects\u2019 Journal","article_published_time":"2025-01-30T10:02:27+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-01-30T14:26:51+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":683,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.rt.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/01\/29160256\/shutterstock_1558992260-1024x683.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Gino Spocchia","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gino Spocchia","Estimated reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/rias-warns-of-tragedy-over-tech-hub-plans-for-mackintoshs-lighthouse","url":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/rias-warns-of-tragedy-over-tech-hub-plans-for-mackintoshs-lighthouse","name":"RIAS warns of \u2018tragedy\u2019 over tech hub plans for Mackintosh\u2019s Lighthouse","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-01-30T10:02:27+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-30T14:26:51+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/779aa0e54c8c20bf4509b8cce80c65b0"},"description":"Scotland\u2019s shuttered architecture and design centre at the Lighthouse, Glasgow, could be replaced by a tech hub in a move the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) has warned would be a \u2018tragedy\u2019","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/rias-warns-of-tragedy-over-tech-hub-plans-for-mackintoshs-lighthouse#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/rias-warns-of-tragedy-over-tech-hub-plans-for-mackintoshs-lighthouse"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/rias-warns-of-tragedy-over-tech-hub-plans-for-mackintoshs-lighthouse#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"RIAS warns of \u2018tragedy\u2019 over tech hub plans for Mackintosh\u2019s Lighthouse"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/","name":"The Architects\u2019 Journal","description":"Architecture News & Buildings","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/779aa0e54c8c20bf4509b8cce80c65b0","name":"Gino Spocchia","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/ff22f86c19263bf2f9ca73b4d596096f","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9ace0cb1667a73da3fb8f9f2e77f8b97?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9ace0cb1667a73da3fb8f9f2e77f8b97?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Gino Spocchia"},"url":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/author\/gino-spocchia"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/772667"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131789"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=772667"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/772667\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":772818,"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/772667\/revisions\/772818"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/772673"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=772667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=772667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=772667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}