The Lighthouse, Glasgow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Lighthouse
General information
Address	11 Mitchell Lane
Town or city	Glasgow
Country	Scotland
Coordinates	55°51′35″N 4°15′20″W / 55.8597°N 4.2555°W / 55.8597; -4.2555

The Lighthouse is a special building in Glasgow, Scotland. It's known as Scotland's Centre for Design and Architecture. It first opened its doors in 1999. This was when Glasgow was named the UK City of Architecture and Design.

This building used to be the offices for a newspaper called the Glasgow Herald. It was finished in 1895. A famous architect named Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed it. The Lighthouse helps people understand how design, buildings, and creative jobs are all connected. It shows how these things are important for learning, jobs, and culture.

What is The Lighthouse Today?

The Lighthouse building is owned by Glasgow City Council. It continues to be Scotland's main place for architecture and design. After some changes in 2009, the building now hosts many activities.

It has spaces for meetings and events. There are also places to eat and drink. You can find both temporary and permanent art shows there. Some businesses also have offices inside. There is even a design shop on the ground floor called TOJO. Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS) uses one of the five floors. They run many programs from their space.

Amazing Views of Glasgow

One of the coolest parts of The Lighthouse is the incredible view. You can see all over Glasgow from the Mackintosh Tower. This tower is at the north side of the building. To get there, you walk up a spiral staircase from the third floor.

There is also another modern viewing spot. It's on the sixth floor at the south side of the building. You can only reach this one by using a lift.

Glasgow: A City of Design

In 1999, Glasgow was celebrated as the UK City of Architecture and Design. To mark this, the Clydesdale Bank made a special £20 note. This note showed a picture of The Lighthouse building. It also featured the dome of Thomson's Holmwood House. The other side of the note had a picture of a Glasgow architect named Alexander Thomson.

Exhibitions at The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse often hosts different art and design shows. For example, from June 25 to July 6, 2014, it featured "Young Swiss Public." This exhibition showed works by architects like Raphael Zuber and Pascal Flammer.

See also

• Culture in Glasgow

Images for kids

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  View from the Lighthouse

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  View from the Lighthouse

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  View from the Lighthouse

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  View from the Lighthouse

View of the helical staircase leading up to the viewing platform at the top of the Lighthouse