A unique perspective on Mackintosh as Hill House reopens inside a ‘Box’

Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s domestic masterpiece Hill House has now reopened to the public as The National Trust for Scotland continues its 10-year conservation programme to save the building.

Atelier Ten provided the fire engineering for the protective steel frame ‘Box’ that covers the entire building, protecting it from the rain, allowing it to dry out and for work on the conservation to begin. The semi-permeable mesh material used for the structure will allow the building to remain visible from outside the Box, provide good airflow and allow the garden within to continue to grow. It may take up to 3 years for the building to dry out before conservation work can really begin but this innovative Box solution and several new walkways will give visitors the opportunity to see the conservation work up-close and offers a unique perspective of Mackintosh’s architectural masterpiece and priceless interiors.

Atelier Ten used advanced fire and evacuation modelling to demonstrate that occupants were provided with an opportunity to escape from the walkway levels in the building in the event of a fire.