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.

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 Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) to determine the next steps for the rebuild. 

The second phase of the project, which includes faithfully restoring the building, is now underway.

Currently, work is nearing completion on the taking down of the library tower. This aims to make it possible to reduce the size of the external scaffolding on Scott Street. This project has been eight months of precise and complex operations, led by contractor Reigart. The volume of the space that the library tower left behind can fit a four-story tenement block with room to walk around it.

In the coming months, work to reinstate the internal structure so that the building can become self-supporting will begin. This will also include the construction of a temporary roof. 

“Over the last two years we have been working in parallel on clearing and assessing the building and undertaking important preparation work for the rebuild including commissioning a Strategic Outline Business Case which identified Faithful Reinstatement as the most appropriate way forward for the building, and commencing the procurement of the three key teams, who will work with us on the rebuild,” said Professor Penny Macbeth, Director of The Glasgow School of Art. 

“Our vision for the Mackintosh Building is that it will be home for a GSA Graduate School bringing together our postgraduate students with researchers from across the globe who are making world-leading, innovative work,” Macbeth adds. “We will also bring back to their original use key spaces such as the drawing studios, which will be timetabled for all students, recognising that drawing is already a distinctive and defining attribute of the GSA graduate.”