THE Lighthouse in Mitchell Lane has special significance to those of us who work for the Glasgow Times and its sister newspaper The Herald.

Built in 1895 as a warehouse, it was the back of the printing office for our newspapers.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh, then a young draughtsman in the architectural practice of Honeyman and Keppie, designed the prominent tower, originally to contain an 8000 gallon water tank to protect the building and its contents from the risk of fire.

It was Mackintosh’s first public commission.

After the newspapers moved into its new offices on Albion Street in the 1980s, the building lay empty and unused for 15 years.

In 1999, it was renovated and launched as The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Architecture, Design and the City, as part of a project suggested by the 1999 UK City of Architecture and Design bid committee.

Now, the building and its striking tower with its fabulous interior staircase spiralling up to the top, are home to a stunning visitor attraction and venue which attracts people from all over the world.

Designed as a ‘beacon’ for the creative industries, it has become a much-respected hub for artists and designers from all over Scotland.