Hill House Box shortlisted for EU contemporary architecture prize

The shortlist of 40 sites across the EU includes contemporary buildings from 18 different countries with two in London and one in Helensburgh.

The Hill House Box is a protective enclosure for Charles Rennie Mackintosh's residential masterpiece to enable restoration efforts due to almost 120 years of weathering and decay.

The "box" also allows visitors to continue visiting the site throughout the process and experience the radical and unique conservation work in action.

The Mies van der Rohe Award is given out every two years to works completed within the previous two years.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Hill House was completed in 1904

The Hill House was completed in 1904 and is seen as a seminal part of early 20th century European architecture.

Mackintosh's composition of architectural styles was made possible with cement render and daring detailing, which has eventually succumbed to the elements as it is built on an exposed site.

The big box is able to halt further decay as conservation work to retain this historic piece of Scottish architecture is able to halt further decay and buy time to repair the house.

The building is seen as Mackintosh's domestic masterpiece and was designed on commission from Glasgow book publisher Walter Blackie.

Mackintosh and his wife Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh created almost everything seen in the home from the building to the furniture and the textiles.

The vast roof of the box prevents any further rain from reaching the house, whilst the stainless-steel chain mail perimeter creates a unique drying-room enclosure containing the restoration activities.

The temporary museum enclosure includes visitor facilities such as a timber entrance building and walkways for visitors to explore the structure up-and-over the house.

With the restoration of the house expected to take up to 15 years, a decision was taken by National Trust for Scotland (NTS) not to prevent the public from seeing it over that time.

NTS took this opportunity to attract new types of visitors to have an architectural experience of the Hill House.

Access to the historic interiors is maintained during the restoration, whilst high-level walkways threaded through the box’s structure allow new, unseen perspectives that are fully accessible for all.

Following completion of the conservation works, the "box" and visitor centre will be removed and reused elsewhere.

The Hill House Box provides unique new perspectives of the historic site during conservation work

EU commissioner Mariya Gabriel said: “Rethinking the way we are building is a must. High-quality architecture is a cornerstone of the European Commission’s approach to sustainability. In redefining European architects’ role as caregivers, architecture contributes to the European Green deal and its cultural component: the “New European Bauhaus”.

"The EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture - the Mies van der Rohe Award - highlights the contribution of architecture to sustainable development. We need young people, architects, artists, education and cultural professionals, innovators, entrepreneurs and regional authorities from all over Europe to actively engage and benefit from this initiative.”

The principal objectives of the Mies Award are to achieve a thorough understanding of the transformation of the built environment; to recognise and commend excellence and innovation in the field of architecture, and to draw attention to the important contribution of architects in the development of new ideas with the undeniable support of clients and the involvement of those who will become the inhabitants and users of these places.

A total of 532 works were nominated for the 2022 award and the expert Jury drew up a shortlist of 40 for the next phase of the prize.

A group of five finalists for the award will be announced on Wednesday, February 16 with the awards ceremony to take place in May at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona.