Tea for Two/ Chá Para Dois

Tea for Two / Chá Para Dois is an architectural exhibition that places Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow alongside Álvaro Siza’s Casa de Chá da Boa Nova in Porto. The project began in September 2023, when Graeme Nicholls travelled to Porto to study Siza’s architecture first-hand. An introduction through a mutual acquaintance led to a meeting at Siza’s studio, where the Pritzker Prize-winning architect spoke warmly of Glasgow and of Mackintosh, recalling a formative visit to the Glasgow School of Art in the 1970s. Their conversation revealed a shared interest in the tearoom as a complete work of design, uniting architecture, furniture, and ritual. This moment of reflection sparked an ongoing dialogue between the two architects and became the basis for the exhibition.

First presented at Mackintosh Queen’s Cross from 11 September to 2 October 2025, the exhibition was curated, designed, and delivered by Graeme Nicholls Architects. The installation was conceived for the historic hall of Mackintosh’s only completed church, now home to the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society. It brought together new architectural drawings and texts with models, reproduction furniture, and archival material from both tearooms, highlighting the spatial qualities of the venue while encouraging direct comparison between the two works.

The wider programme included evening events, and talks as well as an accompanying publication.  A documentary film, shot in Porto, was also produced, capturing a conversation between Nicholls and Siza on Mackintosh’s influence and legacy, creating a lasting historical record.

View the film trailer here:

Tea for Two/ Cha para Dois Trailer

  • Location: Mackintosh Queen’s Cross, 870 Garscube Rd, Glasgow

  • Status: Exhibition held 11 September – 2 October 2025

This exhibition was made possible through the generous support of: Anglo-Portuguese Society, Camões — Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua, Casa de Arquitectura, Casa de Chá da Boa Nova, Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society, Craft Design Construction, Friends of Glasgow Museums, Glasgow Institute of Architects, João Morgado (Photographer), Lebond Watches, Mackintosh at the Willow, National Trust for Scotland, Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, and Seventeen House.