Archinect - News

Scottish government won’t investigate Mackintosh Building fire over high costs

2024-06-16T05:48:00-04:00

The Scottish government has rejected calls for a public inquiry into the two blazes that devastated the Mackintosh building at the Glasgow School of Art, which was ravaged by fire in 2014 and again in 2018.

As we previously reported, it took the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) 172 days to come up with its answer that the cause of the 2018 fire was “undetermined.” Restoration work is currently in Phase 2 in Glasgow. Scotland's culture minister, Angus Robertson, told reporters: “Given the current financial landscape, it is difficult to identify a way that this could [be] funded, or justified, given the protections already given to historic buildings in fire safety and construction legislation, and the progress already made since the 2018 fire.”

Rowan Moore pleas to end the time-wasting for Glasgow’s lost Mackintosh library rebuild

2024-05-15T12:05:00-04:00

Much though the school’s director Penny Macbeth insists that “our commitment is not diminished in any way shape or form”, an implication of their current approach is that the building’s renewal has to be justified in terms of regeneration and tourism. It seems to reopen the question whether the rebuild should happen at all. Lacking here is a conviction that the building must be brought back, whether or not it’s good for business on Sauchiehall Street.

Moore also claims “the responsibility to bring back a national treasure should not be theirs alone” (meaning the school’s) in support of his view that setting up an SPV for development would be, for now, the best way to go in order to meet the original promises issued in 2018.

Next Saturday (May 25th) marks the tenth anniversary of the first devastating 2014 fire. A new insurance dispute is further delaying the process even after The Glasgow School of Art announced a second tender for the proposed restoration project could come by the end of next month.

Glasgow School of Art enters Phase 2 of its Mackintosh Building restoration

2023-01-27T16:49:00-05:00

The first phase of preparation work for the rebuild of the Glasgow School of Art Mackintosh Building has been completed. More than 5,500 tons of fire-damaged material was removed from the site, and a thorough evaluation of the building was undertaken.

Shortly following a devastating fire that caused widespread damage to the historic structure in June of 2018, work began to dismantle parts of the building that were at risk of sudden collapse. At the time of the blaze, the Mackintosh Building had been undergoing extensive restoration due to an earlier fire that damaged the site in 2014.

Previously on Archinect: Work to dismantle the dangerous parts of the Mackintosh Building is underway

Following the completion of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s investigation into the cause of the fire, which was deemed undetermined, the Glasgow School of Art was able to focus on identifying what could be retained and disposed of in the structure. This was done in parallel with undertaking a St...

Cause of 2018 fire that destroyed Mackintosh Building is "undetermined" according to new report

2022-01-25T17:10:00-05:00

The fire that ripped through Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh building in 2018 was so fierce and all-consuming that the cause can never be known conclusively, according to a long-awaited report.

The report by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), which involved more than 172 weeks of excavation and examination of hundreds of tons of debris, along with analysis of witness testimonies, CCTV, and photographic evidence, deemed the cause of the fire as “undetermined”. This was the most complex and resource-intensive investigation ever undertaken by the service. However, as noted by The Guardian, the report lists arson and electrical failure as potential culprits.

Previously on Archinect: Work to dismantle the dangerous parts of the Mackintosh Building is underway

The report notes that much of the physical evidence that could have provided clues, such as the Fire Warning System control panel and the CCTV hard drive, was so badly damaged that they couldn’t provide any information. The SFRS attributes the length of the investigation to the engineering procedures that were required to stabilize the remaining structure before people could access the site.

Mackintosh Building will be rebuilt, Glasgow School of Art's Chairwoman confirms

2018-09-17T13:29:00-04:00

Glasgow's Mackintosh building will definitely be rebuilt, according to Muriel Gray, chairwoman of the Glasgow School of Art's board. The building was gutted by fire in June, following another blaze in 2014. The future of the GSA has faced speculation that it could be demolished or turned into a museum. But Ms Gray, a former student at the school, told BBC Scotland it would be rebuilt as a working art school, saying that was "non-negotiable".

The chairwoman of the Glasgow School of Art's board, Muriel Gray, estimates that the rebuilding efforts of the historically significant structure may take four to seven years.

Previously:

Work to dismantle the dangerous parts of the Mackintosh Building is underway

2018-07-19T14:52:00-04:00

Following a devastating fire that broke out last month, the Glasgow School of Art has begun dismantling parts of the celebrated Mackintosh building that were comprised by the damage caused by the flames and at risk of sudden collapse.

In a statement on the progress of the disassembly, the school issued an update on the following work:

Work began on the central section of the South façade, above Sauchiehall Street, on Tuesday afternoon (11 July) and this section has now been lowered to the bottom of the parapet.

Over the weekend of 14-15 July the South East staircase, which was one of the most fragile areas of the building, was taken down safely. The dismantling of this section is almost to first floor level. Work on the East end of the South façade is expected to continue for at least another two weeks.

Simultaneously work has begun to lower the East gable. All of the coping stones on the top of the gable had suffered severe fracturing caused by the metal cramps which hold them exp...

Glasgow School of Art Director: "We're going to rebuild the Mackintosh building"

2018-07-10T14:00:00-04:00

Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh building, which was gutted by fire last month, will be rebuilt, the school’s director has told the Guardian. The commitment by Tom Inns ends weeks of speculation about the fate of the 110-year-old building, after many experts raised fears that the scale of the blaze would make it impossible to rescue and rebuild it.

"We’re going to rebuild the Mackintosh building," GSoA director Tom Inns told The Guardian in his first interview since the June 16 fire. "There’s been a huge amount of speculation about what should happen with the site and quite rightly so, but from our point of view and that of the city of Glasgow, it is critically important that the building comes back as the Mackintosh building."

Previously:

Due to damage caused by fire, parts of the beloved Mackintosh Building will be dismantled

2018-06-29T15:46:00-04:00

Earlier this month, a devastating blaze ripped through the celebrated Mackintosh building, threatening one of the world's finest examples of art nouveau design. The library, which was the crown jewel of Mackintosh’s vision for GSA, was currently undergoing an extensive restoration following another fire that damaged the building back in 2014.

Unfortunately, the fire two weeks ago was more widespread, engulfing the entire building as well as the neighboring 02 ABC music venue. The damage is so extensive that the Glasgow City Council announced yesterday that the building is in danger of a sudden collapse, and will require an immediate dismantling of the south facade, with other reductions likely to follow.

Both the GCC and GSA are maintaining a commitment to resurrecting the building, stating they will do everything they reasonably can to ensure its future. However, Kier Construction Limited, the company leading the restoration of the Mackintosh Building, will no longer be able to ca...

Glasgow School of Art engulfed by fire, again!

2018-06-16T16:00:00-04:00

Flames ripped through the celebrated Mackintosh building after it caught fire at about 23:20 on Friday. The blaze spread to nearby buildings, including the Campus nightclub and O2 ABC music venue, which suffered "extensive damage". The renovated Mackintosh library had been due to reopen next year.

A look back at the iconic Mackintosh style and its radical origins

2018-06-08T15:35:00-04:00

What most caught [German critic Hermann Muthesius's] eye was the work of a young couple, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, who were quietly making wildly original furniture, buildings and interiors. These struck him as utterly “divergent from everything that is familiar”. Fusing the sinuous forms of art nouveau with rugged Scots baronial motifs and exotic Japanese touches, their designs were a startling sight – too much for many British critics to stomach.

Couple Charles Rennie and Margaret Macdonald built their Mackintosh name into the art deco icon it represents today, yet the duo's designs were far ahead of their time. The Mackintosh art nouveau style, originating in Glasgow, would go on to be recognized internationally. Take a deeper look into the history behind these radical designs as the city celebrates the 150th anniversary of Charles Rennie's birth.

From the Historic Massachusetts Cotton Mill, yellow pine timber gets a second life at the Mackintosh Building in Glasgow

2017-08-04T16:37:00-04:00

In May 2014, as students prepared their final-year degree show, the Mackintosh Building that houses The Glasgow School of Art was engulfed by flames and severely damaged. The building, built between 1897-1909, is one of the Scottish city's most famous structures. It is considered the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh's ultimate masterwork and in 2009, was awarded RIBA's "Sterling of Sterlings prize" when chosen, through a nationwide poll, as the best British-designed building of the past 175 years. About 90% of the historic building was spared by the fire but the library, one of the finest examples of art nouveau design, as well as the Japanese-inspired Studio 58 were almost entirely destroyed.

The Mackintosh Library (pre-fire). © McAteer Photograph

Studio 58 (after the fire) © McAteer Photograph

Soon after, a careful restoration plan began headed by the Glasgow-based firm, Page\Park architects. Work on the building has been in constant progress since the summer of 2014, beginning w...

Society of Architectural Historians to Host 70th Annual International Conference in Glasgow

2017-01-11T13:55:00-05:00

It’s a privilege to be welcoming some 600 international professionals from the Society of Architectural Historians to Glasgow this summer. It’s also a milestone meeting as it marks the first time the SAH has held its annual congress outside North America in more than 40 years and it comes during our national Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology—so it’s altogether fitting that it has chosen Glasgow for its first-ever visit to Scotland.

The Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) will hold its 70th Annual International Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, from June 7–11, 2017, marking the first time SAH has met outside North America since 1973. An estimated 600 historians, architects, preservationists, and museum professionals from around the world will convene to present new research on the history of the built environment at the University of Strathclyde’s Technology & Innovation Centre. The conference program will feature paper sessions, keynote talks, roundtables, social receptions, and public events including architecture tours in and around Glasgow and a seminar on heritage and sustainability.

Aileen Crawford, Head of Conventions at Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: “It’s a privilege to be welcoming some 600 international professionals from the Society of Architectural Historians to Glasgow this summer. It’s also a milestone meeting as it marks the first time the SAH has held its annual congress outside Nort...

Shortlist for Mackintosh Building restoration contractors announced (plus, cool renderings of the fire damage!)

2016-03-17T13:53:00-04:00

Restoring the fire-damaged Mackintosh Building at the Glasgow School of Art isn't just about sourcing the appropriate physical materials, but introducing a spirit of rejuvenation to the younger set, too.

“We want to make sure that the restoration of The Mackintosh Building can deliver increased
levels of traditional skills training in Glasgow and the surrounding area,” Liz Davidson, Senior Project Manager, Mackintosh Restoration said in a press release. “We will expect our Main Contractor to commit to an extensive programme of recruiting and training new apprentices which will both support the local economy in Glasgow and ensure that the skills required to restore historic buildings such as the Mack do not die out.”

The winner of the shortlist of contractors, which includes Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Ltd, BAM Construction Ltd, John Graham Construction Ltd, Kier Construction and Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd., will be tasked with restoring one of architecture's most treasured spaces. T...

A helping hand: Glasgow School of Art receives detailed Mackintosh Building sketches from Ph.D. alumnus, as restoration plan progresses

2015-09-08T18:40:00-04:00

Prospects look promising right now for the Glasgow School of Art as their plan to restore the historic Mackintosh Building from a devastating fire last May pieces itself together. After months of debate about whether to restore or replace the Mackintosh, locally based Page\Park Architects won the competition to work with the school in restoring the structure this past March.

Most recently, the GSA received a gift of 22 architectural drawings of the Mackintosh Building, meticulously drawn and donated by Professor George Cairns from the QUT Business School in Brisbane. They're considered to be the most comprehensive drawings of the building in existence.

George Cairns' drawing of the East Wing Staircase.

Perhaps this was a stroke of luck for the school. Cairns first created the drawings while working toward his Ph.D. at GSA's Mackintosh School of Architecture during the early 1990s. The A1-size drawings, which are mostly drawn at a 1:100 scale, depict the Mackintosh as it was completed i...

Mackintosh Library: restore or create anew?

2015-03-18T16:07:00-04:00

After almost a year of impassioned debate, the Glasgow School of Art’s Director has announced that its Library will be restored to its original state. [...] In response to Professor Inns' statement, Professor of Architecture Alan Dunlop asserts below that Mackintosh himself sought new forms in architecture and that there are architects capable of designing a new Library to live within his original masterpiece.

Previously: Five firms shortlisted for Mackintosh Library renovation after devastating fire

Mackintosh exhibition emphasizes need for careful selection of architect for Glasgow School of Art restoration

2015-02-16T13:54:00-05:00

As Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s drawings go on display at the RIBA, the search is on for the architect who might best restore the glory of his fire-damaged masterpiece, the Glasgow School of Art. [...] But the list seems to have been compiled too much on the basis of who has been there and done what when it comes to restoring historic buildings, rather than a real desire to find architects with the right sensitivity for the job.

Previously: Five firms shortlisted for Mackintosh Library renovation after devastating fire

UK contributes £10m to Glasgow School of Art, half for Mackintosh restoration

2014-07-22T20:44:00-04:00

"The people of Glasgow and many people far beyond were horrified when a few weeks ago fire ripped through the Art School, gutting its priceless library. The UK government has already made a £5m contribution to the Mackintosh Appeal to help ensure that the building is restored to its former glory. And we are today making an additional £5m contribution to support the School's new Graduate and Research Centre." — UK Chancellor George Osborne

This past May, a fire destroyed much of the historic Mackintosh library at the Glasgow School of Art, a modern masterpiece by Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Now, as part of an increase in the UK's funding of Glasgow's life sciences, business and arts sectors, the School has the resources to restore Mackintosh.

Previous reports about the Mackintosh fire can be found here: UPDATE: Glasgow School of Art fire

Salvage starts at fire-ravaged Glasgow School of Art

2014-05-29T18:01:00-04:00

The GSA said that retrieving the archives and collections from inside the building was its “first priority”. [...] Firefighters were able to save around 70 per cent of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed building’s contents during the blaze. But the famed Mackintosh library, which contained hundreds of rare periodicals and collections, was destroyed, along with countless works of art and the roof of the west wing.

Previously:

UPDATE: Glasgow School of Art fire

2014-05-23T13:23:00-04:00

Today's tragic developing story is the massive fire engulfing the historic Glasgow School of Art building, the masterpiece by Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

News updates and tweets (#gsafire) are pouring in left and right, and we'll try to collect the latest developments in this post.

Tweets about "#gsafire"

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The Glasgow School of Art Media Centre tweets a link to this Statement from Muriel Gray, Chair of Board of Governors on fire at the Mack:

"Today is a really black one for the GSA, but I cannot thank the fire brigade enough for the speed with which they came and their commitment to contain and extinguish the fire.

Fortunately there have been no fatalities or injuries.

I am so proud of the sta...

Glasgow School of Art on fire....

2014-05-23T12:41:00-04:00

"An eyewitness said the fire appeared to have started in the basement of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh building in Renfrew Street just before 12:30. Smoke is billowing from the main windows, which are cracking, and through the attic studios. Smoke is also drifting across the M8. Police have cordoned off Renfrew Street. Four fire appliances are at the scene. Firefighters were seen pouring water on the building from a high ladder as flames blew windows out."

breaking story - hoping it's not as bad as it looks...

Living up to a Charles Rennie Mackintosh classic

2014-04-09T12:00:00-04:00

Designed by US architect Steven Holl, the new £30m building - which is part of a £50m project - replaces a 1970s concrete tower block. It will bring the departments of design together under one roof, along with a new lecture theatre, workshops, canteen and staff offices. Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a 28-year-old junior draughtsman at a Glasgow architecture firm when he drew up the designs for the building that many consider his masterpiece.

Mackintosh’s best friend ...or worst foe?

2011-03-28T23:07:40-04:00

Holl’s relationship with Mackintosh is about to get more intense. Last week, Glasgow City Council granted planning permission for the £50 million GSA building Holl designed to be built across Renfrew Street from the Mackintosh Building.