New chairwoman for The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse Trust, owner of Scotland’s national architecture and design centre The Lighthouse, is appointing a new chairwoman to take over from Janice Kirkpatrick.

Eleanor McAllister, currently managing director of urban regeneration project Clydebank Re-Built, will take over from Kirkpatrick this week.

Kirkpatrick, also a director of Graven Images, has held the post since 2005. She introduced a rule that the chairperson must only hold the position for three years because, she says, ‘I think it’s important that there is a turnover and things are kept fresh’.

McAllister has a long-standing relationship with the centre and has previously sat on its 19-strong board. She takes on the post alongside The Lighthouse’s director Nick Barley, and will preside over quarterly board meetings.

The Lighthouse is due to discuss the appointment of two vice-chairmen from its board today.

As deputy director of the Glasgow 1999, UK City of Architecture and Design festival, McAllister played a key role in the creation of The Lighthouse.

She will now work with Barley and his team as the centre moves towards its tenth anniversary in 2009.

A spokeswoman for The Lighthouse says, ‘Janice has been an inspiration as a designer, and her support in terms of time, energy and generating ideas has been tireless.’

Also joining The Lighthouse’s board will be Peter Inglis, head of research and development at Aircraft Medical and Lucy Richards, creative director at Studio LR.

Lighthouse facts

• The Lighthouse opened in July 1999 and is Scotland’s first dedicated, national centre for architecture and design
• It is housed in the former offices of the Glasgow Herald, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1895, converted at a cost of £13m
• The vision for the centre is to develop the links between design, architecture and the creative industries, seeing these as interconnected social, educational, economic and cultural issues
• The Lighthouse is operated as a charitable trust, its income coming from a combination of public and private funds
• Out of an annual turnover of £2.5m, more than £2m is earned income derived from a range of sources, including substantial Government grants to promote its architecture policy

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