Hill House Chair by Charles Rennie Mackintosh through Cassina

144th birthdays aren’t occasions all celebrate; however, because Charles Rennie Mackintosh ties in so nicely with so many of the themes we’ve covered in the past weeks it seems like an occasion we can’t ignore.

Born in Glasgow on June 7th 1868 Charles Rennie Mackintosh trained as an architect with John Hutchinson before moving to the larger company Honeyman & Keppie following his qualification in 1889.

In 1890 Mackintosh was given his first solo project, designing an extension for the back of the Glasgow Herald newspaper offices on Buchanan Street, a project that was quickly followed by contributions to the Martyrs’ Public School and Queen Margaret’s Medical College.

In 1896 Honeyman & Keppie were awarded the commission to build the new Glasgow School of Art: with a design largely developed by Mackintosh. Construction began in 1898 and a year later the doors opened on a building that remains not only one of the most genuinely interesting buildings in Glasgow, but one of the most instantly recognisable and finest examples of Mackintosh’s architectural work.

1898 was also a significant year for Charles Rennie Mackintosh as it saw him complete his first commission for the soon to be legendary, Miss Cranston. At that time it was only a series of wall stencils, but over the next dozen years or so Mackintosh was to create interiors for all four of Miss Cranston’s Glasgow tea rooms. A contract that not only saw him work as one of the first genuine interior designers, but also produced a range of furniture whose form and aesthetics continue to attract and bewitch. The Willow Chair and Argyle Chair being perhaps two of the best known examples.

It also created in the case of the Willow Tea Room a future tourist attraction that would provide American visitors with somewhere to shelter from the ubiquitous Glasgow rain before getting on the train back to Edinburgh.

In addition to tea rooms and art schools Charles Rennie Mackintosh was also responsible for various private houses, most famously Hill House in Helensburgh, where he not only created the fortress-esque building but was also responsible for the fixtures, fittings and decoration. The Hill House Chair remaining one of furniture designs most iconic pieces, while projects such as Hill House made Mackintosh one of the influences for the short-lived historical revival of 1950s UK design.

Argyle Chair by Charles Rennie Mackintosh through Cassina

Beyond to his talents for architecture and design Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a prolific and skilled painter, and his later years were largely taken up with artistic endeavours.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh died in London in 1928.

While highly regarded and respected in the UK, as one of the leading lights in the Arts and Crafts movement Charles Rennie Mackintosh was also to have an influence that extended far outwith his native shores.

In 1903 one Hermann Muthesius, at the time Cultural Attaché at the German Embassy in London, published several articles in leading Germanophone newspapers of the day praising Mackintosh and the beauty of his work, in particular his tea rooms. Such praise obviously not going unnoticed by the burgeoning Jugendstil movement.

Following his return to Germany in 1904 Hermann Muthesius remained in close contact with Mackintosh, and as co-founder and later chairman of the Deutscher Werkbund movement had ample opportunity to further disseminate Mackintosh’s ideas on the continent.

On a side note, Hermann Muthesius’ continual arguments with Henry van de Velde and Walter Gropius more or less forced the split in the Werkbund that led to the establishment of Bauhaus. “No Mackintosh, No Bauhaus” is historically inaccurate. But an intriguing line of thought nonetheless.

The Dutch were also looking at what was happening on the other side of the German Ocean at the turn of the century and many elements of Mackintosh’s work can be found in objects created by members of de Stijl movement. Indeed some of the precursor pieces leading up to Gerrit Rietveld’s Rood blauwe stoel contain a form language and construction technique that demonstrate uncanny parallels to what Miss Cranston’s guests were sitting on as they enjoyed their tea and scones.

Mies van der Rohe allegedly once said that Charles Rennie Mackintosh “tidied up architecture”. That may be, what is unquestionable is that through his development of an approach that reduced objects down to a minimum, without losing sight of decorative elements, Charles Rennie Mackintosh helped accelerate the move away from Historicism and so created an environment receptive to Modernism.

Which is in our humble opinion is a decent contribution to contemporary architecture and design.

Happy Birthday Charles Rennie Mackintosh!

Willow Chair by Charles Rennie Mackintosh through Cassina

For Charles Rennie Mackintosh the 2010 (smow) designer furniture World Cup may have been over; but matches against England always have their own incentive.

With Tom Dixon replacing Jasper Morrison, the English took an early lead with the Dixon Bronze Copper Shade and moved further ahead with a beautifully worked Off Cut stool.

In the second half Charles Rennie Mackintosh narrowed the gap with his Hill House chair; however Tom Dixon responded with a quick Wingback Chair and Spin candelabra combination for a deserved 4:1 victory.

The Group C table and all Group C results can be found here.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh was greatly influenced by Japanese design and this encounter against Isamu Noguchi quickly developed into a masterclass of subtle, self-confident, organic design.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh took an instant lead with his complete interior ensemble for the Willow Tea Rooms. In particular the Willow Chair seemed to distract Noguchi through its familar, yet foreign narrative.
Isamu Noguchi recovered however and drew level with his Freeform Sofa and Ottoman before moving ahead with his Coffee Table.
2:1 for Japan

The Group C table and all Group C results can be found here.

Although stylistically worlds apart both Ron Arad and Charles Rennie Mackintosh are united by their individual and uncompromising style and approach to design. As expected it was Charles Rennie Mackintosh who made the stronger start, taking a  1:0 lead with his Argyle Chair – a brave break form contemporary convention and a deserved lead. Ron Arad’s attempts at stemming Mackintosh’s dominance largely lacked the required precision and all landed wide of their intended target. Late in the second half however Ron Arad did manage to level proceedings with his ingenious and genre redefining Bookworm bookcase for Kartell.

An intriguing and just 1:1

The Group C table and all Group C results can be found here.

Cassina

Italian design is, if we all close our eyes for a minute or two and be brutally honest, a lot like English football or French cooking – it’s continued association with a particular quality and geniality is largely due to the number of non-Italians(English/French) who have continually contributed to the tradition and so kept it modern, kept it fresh and kept it exciting.

Danish design is Danish because only Danes are allowed to do it – Italian design is universal because any one can do it: Assuming the Italians invite them that is.

And so it comes that we all enjoy going to Milan in April and paying more for one night in a dingy room than we pay per year for our own flats; because it’s Milan and Milan is design.

In 1927 a decisive step towards the establishment of “Italian design” was taken when the brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina established their new furniture production company in Meda, Lombardy (half way between Milan and Lake Como – for all of you on the search for a dream “half-way house”)

LC 1 by Le Corbusier, Jeanneret and Perriand through Cassina

After initially building up a reputation for their high-quality outfitting of ships, hotels and casinos, in 1967 Cassina launched their ‘CASSINA I MAESTRI’ range with the acquisition to the license for four Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand products: LC1, LC2, LC3 and LC4. In Cassina’s own words the aim was  – and indeed is “… the diffusion of universally accredited cultural values through the re-proposal -  today – of “reconstructed” furniture.” Using original sketches and studio notes as the basis for their models Cassina went on to acquire the rights to not only further Le Corbusier works but also to important works by designers as diverse as Gerrit T.Rietveld, Charles Renne Mackintosh and Frank Lloyd Wright.

In the 19070s, and with the security achieve dthrough the CASSINA I MAESTRI range, Cassina did the “Italian thing” of embracing new materials and new technologies and via the works of designers such as Mario Bellini or Vico Magistretti established themselves as an important and truly forward-thinking player in the international designer furniture scene. A trend which they have continued through co-operations with designers such as Konstantin Grcic, Patrick Jouin or Philippe Starck.

Zig-Zag chair by Gerrit T.Rietveld through Cassina

And so today just as the mix of domestic and foreign players have helped Manchester United or Liverpool achieve global success, so has the combination of Italian and international design talent helped Cassina to become one of the leading designer furniture houses.

And since late 2009 the Cassina CASSINA I MAESTRI range is also available through smow.com, a range that features design classics such as the Zig-Zag chair by Rietveld or the Argyle Chair by Mackintosh.

And if you’d prefer something more modern smow.com can supply the complete Cassina range.

Full details can be found at the smow.com Cassina page

(and yes, for all you observant readers out there, google failed to provide us with a list of 3 Star Paris restaurants run by foreigners :( )