Tea for Two / Chá para Dois: Architectural Exhibition & Events
Presented by Graeme Nicholls Architects, Tea for Two / Chá para Dois is a new exhibition exploring architectural and cultural connections between Scotland and Portugal.
About Tea for Two / Chá para Dois: Architectural Exhibition & Events
It places Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s original Willow Tearooms in dialogue with Álvaro Siza’s Boa Nova Tea House, offering a reflective look at design, craft, place, and ritual through drawings, models, photography, film, and original artefacts.
From Catherine of Braganza’s introduction of tea to the British court to its reinterpretation by Mackintosh and Siza, the exhibition considers how shared traditions can transcend borders. Set within Mackintosh’s only built church, it provides a fitting space to reflect on architecture as a social and cultural act.
A programme of four public events accompanies the exhibition:
Exhibition Opening Event: Álvaro Siza Film Premiere & Exhibition Preview
Thursday 11 September 2025, 7pm
A special launch evening featuring the premiere of a filmed interview with Álvaro Siza, in which the Pritzker Prize-winning architect reflects on Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s influence, the design of his own Casa de Chá, and his wider architectural practice. The screening will be followed by a first look at the exhibition.
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Talk: Isabel Stilwell – Raise Your Teacup to Catherine of Braganza
Thursday 18 September 2025, 7pm
Portuguese author and journalist Isabel Stilwell discusses her bestselling historical novel ‘Catherine of Braganza – The courage of a Portuguese Infanta who became Queen of England’. Known for her widely read biographies of notable Portuguese women, Stilwell explores the life of the 17th-century princess who became Queen of England, highlighting her cultural legacy and role in popularising tea drinking in Britain.
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Talk: Oliver Braid – Mackintosh at the Willow
Wednesday 24 September 2025, 7pm
Based on the popular public tours, this illustrated talk by Oliver Braid, Creative Learning Manager for Mackintosh at the Willow, will guide guests through the story of the original Willow Tearooms building, now Mackintosh at the Willow, with stories of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Margaret Macdonald, and their patron, the Edwardian entrepreneur Kate Cranston.
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A Final Cup: Conversations Across Cultures
Thursday 2 October 2025, 7pm
A panel discussion on the cultural significance of tea and the tearoom, both in Glasgow and further afield. Chaired by Stuart Robertson of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society, the panel includes architect Graeme Nicholls and Dr Lindsay Middleton, a University of Glasgow food historian specialising in Scottish food culture. The discussion will be followed by a short guided tour offering a final opportunity to view the exhibition, with commentary on selected highlights.
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Presented with support from:
The Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society, Camões Instituto, The Anglo-Portuguese Society, Glasgow Institute of Architects, Friends of Glasgow Museums, Mackintosh at the Willow, National Trust for Scotland, João Morgado Photographer, Lebond Watches, Craft Design Construction, Seventeen House, and the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.
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