Built in Helensburgh in 1902, The Hill House is considered to be Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s domestic masterpiece. Mackintosh was a revolutionary architect and designer, using cutting-edge materials and techniques which haven’t withstood a century of harsh, wet Scottish weather. As part of a major restoration project, the architects Carmody Groarke took a radical approach to active conservation by designing a huge chainmail ‘box’ over The Hill House. This delicate enclosure provides shelter whilst conservation work takes place and allows uninterrupted views of the surrounding landscape.
We were commissioned to design a publication to document and celebrate the original house as well as Carmody Groarke’s ‘box’ intervention. Mackintosh’s work is recognisable for its restrained colour, symbolism, geometric patterns, and emphasis on the rectilinear. Our design for the book brings out these threads – utilising a paired-back sans-serif typeface that reflects the architecture, and layouts where each element is underpinned by Mackintosh’s grid.
