Queen's Cross Church
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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.
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[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 Garcube Road and Maryhill Road in Glasgow's Maryhill area.
[edit] Mackintosh Design
[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
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 vault 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.
[edit] Home of Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society
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. (closed for major refurbishment from 1 March until autumn 2006)
The adjoining church halls house many artifacts and includes replicas of his chairs, designed for the Willow Tearooms.
The Church is used by North Woodside United Free Church of Scotland, who hold Sunday Worship at 10:30am.
