On October 15, 2005, the winner of the United Kingdom's prestigious Stirling Prize was announced. This year the honor went to the new Scottish Parliament, which has been hailed as one of the most innovative designs in Britain today. It is a vastly ambitious and complex building, and to visit it is a hugely rewarding experience: there is so much to take in, so many architectural and metaphorical references, so many technical challenges surmounted. — Published 2005.1019
Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh is famous for his tea rooms, and he deserves to be. The Willow Tea Rooms in Sauchiehall Street were among his most original buildings and the most complete in their scheme of decoration and furniture. In the Salon de Luxe, the inner sanctum of the Willow, the waitresses even wore chokers and dresses designed by Mackintosh. — Published 2002.0109
