£4m lottery boost will complete Willow Tea Rooms transformation

A grant of almost £4 million from the National Lottery is set to complete the restoration and preservation of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Willow Tea Rooms Building in Glasgow.The award from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) will ensure the completion of The Willow Tea Rooms Trust’s mission to conserve and restore the building at 217 Sauchiehall Street.The tea rooms and new visitor centre are scheduled to open for the celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of Mackintosh’s birth on June 7 next year.The HLF award will allow The Willow Tea Room Trust to continue their work restoring the original tea rooms and famous Salon de Luxe. The Trust also plans to incorporate an interactive visitor centre, education and learning suite, conference facilities and shop to ensure that the project is sustainable for future generations to enjoy. It will operate as a genuine social enterprise delivering a range of exciting activities far beyond its original function as a tea room.