The Glasgow Rose
The Glasgow Rose — Two icons, reimagined in celebration of Glasgow 2026.
- Project Type: Icon
- CLIENT: Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games
- LOCATION: Glasgow, Scotland
- Year: 2026
Commission
We were commissioned by Glasgow 2026 and Glasgow Life to create a landmark public artwork that would carry the spirit of the Commonwealth Games into the public realm. We collaborated with Glasgow-based artist Emer Tumilty to deliver a sculptural icon that would become a defining presence across the city’s skyline.
Response
Together with Emer, we reinterpreted the iconic Glasgow Rose, born from the creative vision of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, bringing one of Glasgow’s cultural symbols into dialogue with another: the Finnieston Crane. Suspended from the city’s great industrial landmark, The Glasgow Rose transformed the familiar silhouette into a monumental illuminated canvas – bridging Glasgow’s artistic and industrial heritage through a bold contemporary intervention.
From concept through to engineering, fabrication and installation, NEWSUBSTANCE worked alongside Emer to realise the ambitious artwork at an unprecedented scale. Glowing above the city throughout the Games, the installation recast the crane as a beacon of celebration, projecting a renewed symbol of Glasgow’s creativity and the unifying spirit of the Commonwealth Games onto the global stage.
