The Lighthouse building is the former headquarters of the Glasgow Herald newspaper, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. It has now been converted into the Scotland Centre for Architecture, Design and the City, a permanent centre for research into and promotion of architecture and design. It was founded in 1999 and is aimed at professionals and students, as well as the general public. It is a municipal property managed by the Lighthouse Trust.

The building dates back to 1895, when Mackintosh was at his production peak, and is made of stone, with a painstakingly designed façade. Its most representative element is a tall tower that dominates the complex and gives it its name. Modern work on the building provided it with a new rear wing designed by the architects Page and Park, with interior design by Javier Mariscal and Sam Booth. The Lighthouse also contains a permanent Charles Rennie Mackintosh interpretation centre designed by Gareth Hoskins Architects.