The Oak Room
Name of Building: Charles Rennie MacKintosh Oak Room Tearoom
Location: V&A Dundee
Listing: Grade A (Oak Room)
Project: Charles Rennie Mackintosh Oak Room is a jewel of Scotland architectural heritage. It shows high quality of craftsmanship and is therefore unique in many respects. Rainbow Glass Studio team has been delighted to get the opportunity to work in close collaboration with Glasgow Life, Charles Taylor Woodwork and with Smith & Garratt Ltd on such a project of national importance.
The Oak Room is one of the largest and most influential Ingram Street tearooms interiors built between 1907-1908 and one of Mackintosh masterpieces. It remained opened until the early 1950s but had been altered over the decades. The Oak Room was almost lost in the early 1970s due to a redevelopment project. The interior was rescued and listed grade B before a small section was exhibited in the Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow from 1996. The remainder had been stored until 2017.
When the tearooms were removed each room was numbered, each wall given a reference, and each piece of paneling coded. Plans and elevations of the rooms were drawn to show how everything fitted together. Between 2004-2005, with the help of this coded information, Glasgow Museums quantified and documented all surviving Oak Room paneling. 2018 was the 150th year anniversary of Mackintosh birth, and also the opening of Dundee’s much anticipated V& A Museum of Design. The availability of grant allocated by Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland allowed full conservation work to be carried. At the head of the project were two major institutions, Glasgow Life and the V&A Dundee. The Oak Room is on display at the V&A Dundee to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Mackintosh’s birth. Visitors are now able to go back in time and experience the tearoom as it was intended by Mackintosh in the early 20th century.
Conservation Approach: The grand scale of this conservation project required the expertise of architects, curators, conservators and craftsmen in order to research and recreate this historic interior. Rainbow Glass Studio was appointed to undertake the conservation work on the glass composing the Oak Room.
The purpose of the conservation procedure was to conserve and retain the original glass and recreate the missing panels. A number of glass items had been broken with in some cases lacunas, some glass teardrops were also missing. Rainbow Glass Studio team listed all items and recorded them carefully. This established a summary of the requirements for each individual item of glass.
Collegial discussion amongst the different stakeholders led to the conclusion that both the paint on the oak panels and the paint layer obscuring the glass had to be removed. This would allow for the full appreciation of the Oak Room and to regain Mackintosh original design.
Before
1.Obvious condensation on outer glazing, window viewed from the outside.
1.Obvious condensation on outer glazing, window viewed from the outside.
1.Obvious condensation on outer glazing, window viewed from the outside.
1.Obvious condensation on outer glazing, window viewed from the outside.
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
Curved Panels
During
1.Obvious condensation on outer glazing, window viewed from the outside.
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
1.Obvious condensation on outer glazing, window viewed from the outside.
1.Obvious condensation on outer glazing, window viewed from the outside.
Leaded Panels
1.Obvious condensation on outer glazing, window viewed from the outside.
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
1.Obvious condensation on outer glazing, window viewed from the outside.
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
1.Obvious condensation on outer glazing, window viewed from the outside.
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
Teardrops
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
Original
Lamps
1.Obvious condensation on outer glazing, window viewed from the outside.
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
Replica
1.Obvious condensation on outer glazing, window viewed from the outside.
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
Installed
1.Obvious condensation on outer glazing, window viewed from the outside.
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
After
1.Obvious condensation on outer glazing, window viewed from the outside.
Obvious condensation on outer glazing, window viewed from the outside.
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside
3. Window and outer glazing view from the outside