Glasgow’s iconic Finnieston Crane has been re-framed as a spectacular new artwork rose above the city to celebrate the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.   

Created by Glasgow artist Emer Tumilty in collaboration with internationally renowned creative studio NEWSUBSTANCE, the landmark commission brings together the city's industrial and artistic heritage in a single, unforgettable image.   

Commissioned for the Glasgow 2026 Festival, The Glasgow Rose is a monumental new artwork, inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh's celebrated roses.   

As the Games got underway, Glaswegians watched as the Glasgow Rose bloomed on the banks of the River Clyde, offering a first glimpse of one of the largest public artworks ever created for a Commonwealth Games.   

The Mackintosh Rose blooms on the River Clyde

Photography Northern Visuals

Now, as the city looks ahead to the first full week of sport competition, the rose has risen in the sky, taking its place on the city’s iconic Finnieston Crane. Events are taking place in all four iconic sporting venues from Monday morning.   

Uniting the engineering legacy of the Finnieston Crane with the enduring artistry of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, the commission creates a powerful new symbol of a city that has never stopped making, creating and welcoming the world. 

For generations, the Finnieston Crane has stood as a symbol of the engineering brilliance, shipbuilding and innovation that made Glasgow famous across the world. The Mackintosh rose has become an equally powerful emblem of the city's creative imagination and influence on global art and design. Now for the first time, the two enduring symbols meet.  

Suspended from one of Scotland's most recognisable landmarks, The Glasgow Rose creates a bold new addition to Glasgow's skyline and a striking welcome for athletes and visitors arriving for the Commonwealth Games.  

Phil Batty, Chief Executive of Glasgow 2026, said: "This is far more than a spectacular artwork. It is the coming together of two of Glasgow's greatest icons. 

"Together they create a powerful symbol of the Glasgow we are welcoming people to today - creative, confident, bold and proudly looking to the future.  

"It feels entirely fitting that this has been created not only in honour of one of Glasgow's greatest artistic legacies, but by one of Glasgow's exciting new artistic voices. That's exactly what these Games are about, celebrating where we've come from while championing the talent shaping where we're going." 

Glasgow Rose artist, Emer Tumilty

Photography Glasgow 2026

Emer Tumilty said: "As someone who came to Glasgow to study at The Glasgow School of Art before making the city my home, this has been an extraordinary commission to create.  

"The Mackintosh rose is recognised around the world, and to see it reimagined at this scale, suspended from the Finnieston Crane, has been incredibly special. I hope people see a work that celebrates Glasgow's creativity, optimism and character, and feel the affection for the city that inspired every part of it." 

Patrick O'Mahony, Founder and Creative Director of NEWSUBSTANCE, said: "Projects like this only happen when art, engineering and creative ambition come together. The Glasgow Rose is as much an engineering achievement as it is an artistic one.  

"To transform one of Glasgow's most iconic structures into a canvas at this scale has been an extraordinary challenge and a privilege. The result is something that belongs uniquely to Glasgow."  

Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life and City Convener for Culture, Sport and International Relations said: “Glasgow has a world leading reputation for hosting ground-breaking international major events that seamlessly blend sport and culture and this contemporary rendering of Mackintosh’s iconic rose is a perfect example of this. Not only will The Glasgow Rose stand as a powerful symbol of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, it is a significant way marker as we approach the centenary of the death of Charles Rennie Mackintosh which will be commemorated in 2028.”  

Matthew Williams, Director of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society has said: “Charles Rennie Mackintosh has been at the heart of Scottish culture for over 150 years so it's exciting to see an interpretation of his work included as part of the Commonwealth Games and to showcase the work of emerging Glasgow-based artist Emer Tumilty.”  

Visible across the Clyde throughout the Commonwealth Games, The Glasgow Rose is commissioned as part of Glasgow 2026 Festival, a ten-week celebration of the city's creativity, culture and communities running alongside the Games.  

To find out more about the Glasgow 2026 Festival, visit glasgow2026festival.com