Isabel and Clara Garriga

Architects @ Holmes Miller, Glasgow

Isabel and Clara have created A_Cross: a reference to the Anniesland Cross Housing by Jack Holmes & Partners built in 1969, the only category A listed tower block in Scotland, one of the many unsung brutalist heroes in Glasgow. 

Frame: 30×30 – Model/Miniature | Starting price: 200,00

A_cross. Homage to one of the unsung heroes of Scottish brutalist architecture, one that has become a beloved landmark for architects and local residents alike. Our piece takes a familiar icon of the Glasgow skyline and abstracts it in three dimensional form.

A for Anniesland Court.

A for Grade A listed building. There must be a reason why this is the only grade A listed tower in Scotland?

A for Architecture. Cutting edge architecture.

A for A recognisable local fizzy drink

_cross . Anniesland cross. Prominent junction between Great Western Road and Crow Road so familiar to many Glaswegians.

_cross . Natural meeting point, converge of people, ideas…

_cross. A tower that crosses the threshold between the ground and sky

_cross. Anniesland Cross Housing completed in 1970.  Designed  in the 1960’s by Jack Holmes, founding partner of Jack Holmes and Partners, as consultant architect to the then Corporation of Glasgow and City Architect Archibald Jury.

The Artists

Isabel and Clara are sisters currently working together both at Holmes Miller architects and in private collaborating on numerous design competition and creative hobbies.

Testament of this fructiferous collaboration are numerous projects such as the GIA Queen’s Park Arena entry in 2010, the winning design for the RIAS Xmas Decoration Competition, the Venice Biennale pavilion entry for the Lighthouse in 2008, the regional winners of the Bega Nightheist competition, a Bauhaus inspired prototype of a dollhouse, the redesign of a Ludo board game, the refurbishment and interior design of a Madrid’s apartment in 2010, 3rd price in the RIAS medal competition, or the recent competition entry for the Springburn Winter Gardens.

Isabel Garriga

Isabel Garriga is a Mackintosh School of Architecture graduate and has extensive working experience practicing in Spain and the UK. Her eight years experience as a key design architect at Gordon Murray + Alan Dunlop Architects had her involved in a wide variety of projects ranging from the award winning Sentinel Office development to the acclaimed Scottish Crime Campus. Since joining Holmes Miller in 2011, Isabel has expanded her portfolio to include works in other sectors such large scale master planning schemes in China or custodial projects such as HMP & YOI Grampian.

In addition to the above Isabel is an active participant on the architecture scene in Scotland. She is a Studio Design Tutor (1st & 2nd year) at the Mackintosh School of Architecture since 2007, a Glasgow Institute of Architects Council member since 2012 and currently Convener of the Architecture People and Places and the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design Committees since this April. Isabel is also a key member of the Urban Design Panel for Glasgow City Council.

Furthermore, she has participated and organised architectural exhibitions & competitions throughout Scotland and abroad: ([not] b&w @The Lighthouse, 6000+ @The Lighthouse & @Rotterdam biennale, RIAS Xmas Decoration Competition (3rd price), GIA Kilcreggan (3rd place) and Prospect’s LEGO villa challenge (1st prize).

Clara Garriga

Clara graduated from the Mackintosh School of Architecture in 2003 and completed in 2008 the prestigious Master Degree in architecture design and theory – MDA – at Navarra’s University. At the moment Clara combines her academic interests with working in practice as well as being an active Council member of the Glasgow Institute of Architects.

In practice, Clara’s experience at the studio of Andres Perea in Madrid varied from national and international competitions of public interest such as the completed Council Offices for the Granada Region, Vitoria’s town hall, Administrative Health Department building in Santiago de Compostela, and the new Urban Master Plan for Taipei amongst others.

Currently she is an Assistant Director at Holmes Miller architects having joined the practice as a Part 2 graduate in 2003. Clara has delivered a vast number of projects ranging from the award winning Heathfield Primary School that was branded as Scotland’s best school by the AJ in 2012, the vibrant rural Kirkmichael Primary School or the recently winning bid for York Community Stadium.