Tea for Two/ Chá Para Dois

Tea for Two/ Chá Para Dois is an exhibition that presents a new creative comparison between Álvaro Siza’s Casa de Chá da Boa Nova and Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Willow Tea Rooms on Sauchiehall Street. Held in Mackintosh Queen’s Cross Church, the exhibition presents a new architectural and cultural dialogue between two key architects, projects and places. The project was initiated in 2023 after a meeting between Graeme Nicholls and world-renowned Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza at his studio in Porto, where he revealed an unexpected admiration for the city of Glasgow and in particular the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

The exhibition was designed within an existing historic space, the hall of Mackintosh’s only built church. The installation consisted of newly created architectural drawings and text, presented alongside artefacts such as models and reproduction furniture from both the Casa de Chá and the Willow Tea Rooms. This was arranged to highlight the existing character of the surrounding context while providing an engaging comparison of the presented works. Included within the project programme was a series of evening events, publications and prints. As a part of the project, a documentary film was produced. Filmed on location at Siza’s studio in Porto, it documents a conversation between Graeme Nicholls and Álvaro Siza, in which the architects reflect on the influence and legacy of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, forming a significant historical record.

The project was curated, designed and delivered by Graeme Nicholls Architects, with the exhibition running from 12 September- 2 October 2025.

  • Location: Mackintosh Queen’s Cross Church, Glasgow

  • Status: Exhibition held 11 September – 2 October 2025

  • Team: Graeme Nicholls Architects in collaboration with Álvaro Siza and support from The Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society, The Anglo-Portuguese Society, Camões — Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua, Mackintosh at the Willow, National Trust for Scotland, The Glasgow Institute of Architects, Friends of Glasgow Museums, João Morgado (Photographer), Lebond Watches, Craft Design Construction, Seventeen House, The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, Casa de Arquitectura, Casa de Chá da Boa Nova