REMEMBERING : Glasgow School of Art devastated by huge fire in famed Mackintosh Building / Rebuilding the Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh building as a “faithful reinstatement” of the one destroyed by fire three years ago is the preferred option for its future, art school chiefs have said.

Glasgow School of Art's Mackintosh rebuild chosen as preferred option, but work may take six years to start

Rebuilding the Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh building as a “faithful reinstatement” of the one destroyed by fire three years ago is the preferred option for its future, art school chiefs have said.

 

By Lucinda Cameron

Friday, 22nd October 2021, 2:27 pm

https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/glasgow-school-of-arts-mackintosh-rebuild-chosen-as-preferred-option-but-work-may-take-six-years-to-start-3429627

 

The world-renowned building, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, was extensively damaged when a fire broke out late on June 15, 2018 as it neared the end of a £35 million restoration project following a previous fire in May 2014.

 

A strategic outline business case (SOBC) for the Mackintosh Project, which involved a rigorous analysis of the options for the building, was carried out and narrowed down to create a short list of deliverable ones – faithful reinstatement, hybrid and new build – which were further tested against a “do minimum” option.

 

2018 fire

A large fire broke out in the Mackintosh Building on 15 June 2018, causing extensive damage. The fire also caused severe damage to the nearby O2 ABC music venue.[25] Emergency services received the first call at 11:19 pm BST, and 120 firefighters and 20 fire engines were dispatched to the fire. No casualties were reported. As of January 2022 the cause of the fire was not known.

 

Alan Dunlop, visiting professor of architecture at Robert Gordon University who studied at the Mackintosh School of Architecture, was contacted by the press immediately after the fire and stated: "I can’t see any restoration possible for the building itself. It looks totally destroyed." This point of view was not supported by the early external building surveys, which appeared to indicate that much of the exterior had survived, though extensively damaged. Drone footage enabled a clearer assessment of the extent of the interior damage, and a programme of partial dismantling was established to stabilise the portions of the facade at risk of collapse, notably the south elevation.

A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: "There is a consensus emerging that the intention of the building control people, HES (Historic Environment Scotland) people and the art school is to save the building... Right now, people are operating on the understanding it will be saveable." It was also noted by Roger Billcliffe that "It has been voted Britain’s most important building several times over, and we have all of the information needed to recreate every detail, following extensive laser surveys after the first fire."

 

The first opportunity for the school administration to visit the site happened on 19 June 2018. Muriel Gray, chair of the Board of Governors, stated: "This was the first opportunity for the expert team to see the building and begin what will be a long and complex process of determining the future of the Mack, but we remain optimistic. There is a huge desire to see Mackintosh’s masterpiece rise again, one which we all share. We have incredibly detailed information on the building collated over the last 4 years, and have worked with teams of talented craftspeople who were doing a tremendous job on the restoration." In a subsequent statement to the BBC, Professor Tom Inns, director of the school, affirmed that "This building is not beyond saving. It will be saved in some form." He continued to support his firm belief that the building should continue in its function as a working art school, rather than a museum.

 

On 28 June 2018 it was announced that work was being planned to take down parts of the building that were in danger of collapse. Compensation for local residents and businesses was to be made available by the Scottish Government.

 

The same day, Glasgow School of Art terminated its £25 million restoration contract with Kier Group following the fire.

 

In November 2018, the then Director, Tom Inns wrote to the Scottish Parliament Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee suggesting that if the Mackintosh Building was to be rebuilt then an independent Mackintosh Building Trust should be established to oversee what will be one of Scotland's biggest heritage projects over the next 5–7 years, costing in excess of £100 million. Tom Inns suggested this would allow the GSA Board of Governors and Executive team to focus on the task of running one of the world's top art schools.

 

At the time of the fire, sprinklers had yet to be installed in the building. Components for the fire suppression system had been delivered the day before, but were weeks away from assembly and testing.

 

In August 2020, Glasgow School of Art took legal action against Page\Park Architects, the Glasgow-based architectural practice responsible for the Mackintosh Building restoration work.

 

Between August 2018 and July 2020 over £12 million had been spent on Mackintosh Building debris clearance and stabilisation work.

 

In November 2020, Glasgow School of Art announced that work to clear debris from the Mackintosh Building would not be completed until 2021 and that work to repair fire damaged glazing and cladding on the Reid Building would not be completed until 2022.

 

In March 2021, the Board of Glasgow School of Art announced that a Project Development Board had been established for the restoration of the Mackintosh Building. This is chaired by the Director of the Art School who has assumed the role of project sponsor, is leading the works and is directly responsible for delivery. A Strategic Outline Business Case for the restoration was due to be drafted by late spring 2021 and completed by summer 2021. This would determine the programme to complete the works.

 

On the 25th of January 2022, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service published the results of their three and a half year investigation in to the cause of the fire. No cause could be determined.

 

 

This article was published in September 2017 referring to the restoration after the fire of 2014 and before the total destruction with the fire of 2018

 

How do you recreate a masterpiece like the Mackintosh Library?

By Steven Brocklehurst

BBC Scotland news website

Published 8 September 2017

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-41205642

 

The Mackintosh library at Glasgow School of Art, one of the world's finest examples of art nouveau design, was almost entirely destroyed by fire in May 2014 but efforts began almost immediately to bring it back to life.

 

The Category A-listed Glasgow School of Art (GSA), considered to be Charles Rennie Mackintosh's masterpiece building, was devastated when a fire engulfed its west wing three years ago.

 

Undated handout photo of a full-size model of a section of the fire-gutted Mackintosh Library, which has been unveiled as work continues to restore the building to its original 1910 design.

 

The library, which housed original furniture and fittings designed by Mackintosh as well as valuable archives, was reduced to blackened rubble.

 

But those running the famous art school pledged the library would be recreated exactly as the genius architect and designer had handed it over in 1910.

 

Professor Tom Inns, director of The GSA, said: "From the outset we said that we would restore the building and restore it well."

 

In order to do that they have gone to great lengths to recreate every detail of the original library.

 

They have now produced a full-size prototype of a section of the library.

 

It is just one section and is about one-twelfth of the actual size of the library but its makers says it is correct in every detail.

 

Natalia Burakowska, of Page Park architects, is an expert in the restoration of cultural heritage.

 

She has carried two years of painstaking research to prepare the ground for the prototype.

 

"We spent endless amounts of hours in the building measuring the burnt bits," she says.

 

"This has been really important to us because even if you have amazing technology in place it is still the personal contact with the remains of the library that has been an amazing, valuable and important experience for us."

 

Ms Burakowska also studied the original Mackintosh plans and the enormous GSA archive, as well as photos from students and graduates.

 

She says the details are faithful to Mackintosh's original library right down to using the same nails as him.

 

They were originally made in Glasgow but that firm closed down and sold the machinery to the United States.

 

So the nails have been brought from the US.

 

"A lot of people ask us why would you not just screw all of the timbers together?" Ms Burakowska says.

 

"What is important is for this room to age in exactly the same manner as it would age from 1910 onwards. That is really important."

Specialist woodworkers Laurence McIntosh were responsible for building the prototype.

 

Managing director David Macdonald said using the same nails as the original added to the "authenticity" of the recreation.

 

He said: "Every section has been detailed to show precisely the angle of the nails, how far the nail head is punched in, how it is filled, the exact length of the nail, so it is really important how the structure is held together.

 

"There is no glue. There are very few screws used in the construction. It is all nails that are holding it together and traditional hand-made dowels. It's all completely authentic."

 

Mr Macdonald said it was very unusual to make a full size prototype but it had helped identify the pitfalls before the library is recreated for real on-site at the famous Glasgow School of Art building next year.

 

He said: "The critical brief was to reconstruct the library as it was handed over in 1910.

 

"So everything has to match precisely what was done by the Mackintosh tradesmen, in every aspect from the timber used, the fixings, the nails, the finish, the carvings and the paint effects on the spindles. It has all had to be precisely replicated."

 

Although the library prototype has been created with great care and accuracy, comparison between it and pictures of the Mackintosh before it burnt down reveal they are completely different colours.

 

Ms Burakowska says this is because the wood in the library aged and became darker as it was used over 100 years.

 

"It is much lighter than everyone remembers but this is how Mackintosh would see it in 1910," she says.

 

"It is a reconstruction of the original Mackintosh library so it feels new and there is no way we can change that."

 

There was some debate about the kind of wood that was used by Mackintosh in the library.

 

Ms Burakowska says: "Our first thought was that it would probably be built using Kauri Pine then we found some documents in our archives saying the library could be built in Cypress.

 

"But then scientific analysis of the timber proved that it is actually Tulip wood.

 

"It is one of the softest hard woods and had been imported from the United States."

 

She says she hopes it gains a new layer of patina through use, making it darker in the same way as the old library.

 

The Board Room of the GSA was also built in American Tulip Wood and it has provided a "great example of the kind of finish used in the library".

 

Prof Tom Inns says the creation of the prototype is an "incredibly important day for Glasgow School of Art".

 

He said it was a "moving" reminder of what the library was like before the devastating fire.

 

The GSA hope to begin installing the library on-site next spring.

 

As for the prototype - they hope it can go on public display - to show the craft and effort required to bring a masterwork back to life.

This article is more than 6 years old. It was published in 2015 referring to the restoration after the fire of 2014 and before the total destruction with the fire of 2018

Architecture and design blog

Architecture

 This article is more than 6 years old

Things we found in the fire: Glasgow School of Art’s restoration brings surprises

Glasgow School of Art restoration works

From weird relics to oak columns made of cheap pine, the rebuilding of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s library has unearthed some secrets. But will the replica leave it looking like a cheap kitchen?

 

Oliver Wainwright

@ollywainwright

Mon 20 Apr 2015 14.02 BST

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/architecture-design-blog/2015/apr/20/glasgow-school-of-art-new-library-charles-rennie-mackintosh

 

A Roman sentry stands watch with a look of panic, as fireballs crash down around him and bodies lie strewn among the rubble in the last moments of Pompeii. The scene, depicted in Edward Poynter’s painting, Faithful unto Death, is still legible on a scorched postcard pulled from behind the charred remains of wooden panelling in the Glasgow School of Art last week. It was found clinging for safety with a newspaper cutting from 1909, the year the building opened – and it couldn’t be more apt. Standing in the burned-out wreck of the renowned Mackintosh library, where the symphony of cabinetry has been reduced to blackened brick walls and a few charcoal stumps, it looks as if Vesuvius could easily have erupted.

 

Almost one year after flames engulfed Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s masterpiece, destroying students’ work moments before the degree show and leaving the world’s architectural community speechless, as if they had lost a dear old friend, work has just begun on the problem of how to rebuild it. Half of the building survived unscathed, but the rest will require repair. However, the biggest question hangs over what should become of the hallowed gem of the library, regarded by many as one of the most important interiors of the 20th century – which the school has vowed to rebuild exactly as it was. The eyes of the world are watching: even Brad Pitt has been roped in as a fundraising ambassador, to help reach the £35m target.

 

“It’s like dealing with a precious text,” says David Page of Page\Park architects, the conservation practice charged with the daunting task of reconstruction, as he stands in hard hat and high-vis, a fluorescent sliver of hope in the blackened scene. “This was Mackintosh speaking to the world. Now we need to piece his message back together.”

 

The months since the blaze have seen a healthy and heated debate, staged in public forums and the press, on the right way forward. Some camps see a duty to rebuild an exact replica; others believe such an act to be a Disney-like betrayal of an architect who himself was radically modern.

 

“[Mackintosh] was driven by a lifelong search for new forms in architecture and technology and was never a copyist,” says Alan Dunlop, a Mack alumnus and professor of architecture at Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University. “I have no doubt that he would reject the approach of building a replica.”

 

Julian Harrap, the conservation architect responsible for the acclaimed reconstruction Neues Museum in Berlin with David Chipperfield, which favoured a measured combination of restoration and bold new insertion, also thinks now is the time for bravery.

 

“The Mack really has to be bold because the library was not properly being used in the years running up to the fire,” he said. “The institution needs a vision for how the library can once again become a symbol of Mackintosh and of the city, and I believe that involves avoiding simplicity and avoiding the idea of a replica.”

 

Anyone who visited the building as a tourist might have felt uneasy as the sacred library was opened up for the tour, then swiftly locked shut after they left. Indeed, even students were only allowed into the holy of holies for half-a-day a week. This sense of preciousness has already infected the new studio building across the street, where students have been told not to affix anything to the gleaming white walls, in order to keep architect’s “driven void” light-wells sacrosanct. They’ve retorted with a bold poster campaign: “Steven Holl’s perpetually blank canvas: who are we preserving this space for?”

 

However the famous library is rebuilt, will it ever be more than a shrine to the ghost of Mackintosh? Tom Inns, the school’s director, is unclear of its future role. “It had gone beyond a library,” he says. “We now have a functioning library elsewhere, so the space will be used as a vessel for creativity – for students, but also for the many other public audiences the art school caters to.” And will the door still be locked? “The key was lost in the fire,” he says, “and we might not put it back.”

 

He is adamant that they are determined to rebuild the structure as faithfully as possible to the original. It is the right thing to do – particularly because, remarkably, all the information required to do so exists. Luckily for the architects, the library was one of the most documented spaces in history, with original construction drawings, a complete set of measured drawings taken in the early 1990s and countless photographs, including the Guardian’s own 360-degree interactive panorama. But despite the thorough records, the fire revealed a number of surprises.

 

“With Mackintosh, you expect it to be amazing craftsmanship,” says Page. “We had always assumed, for example, that the great timber columns holding up the mezzanine, which really defined the room, were carved from single pieces of oak. But the fire has shown them to be nailed together from a few lengths of pine, then covered with a thin facing plate.”

 

“It’s basically like a shop fit-out,” says Ranald McInnes, head of heritage management at Historic Scotland, picking at the charred nails that now protrude from these black stumps. The Kauri pine, from which the columns were built, was a cheap ballast material, he says, brought back in boats from New Zealand and readily available at the Glasgow shipyards. It has since become a protected species, so there are now questions over what to use instead. Wouldn’t Mack’s joiners just head to the nearest builders’ merchants and see what was going cheap?

 

It’s not quite so simple. The genius of the School of Art, and many of Mackintosh’s other works, is the combination of off-the-peg materials with things that have been exquisitely crafted. On the one hand, he specified timber “from the saw” and plaster “from the float”, while on the other he was constantly on site, breathing down his workers’ necks, insisting that the ends of steel beams be carefully stripped and twisted into impossibly elaborate decorative curls. As project manager Liz Davidson puts it: “He was a magician. He created magic out of base materials.”

 

So can the magic be restored? In their entry to the competition, Page\Park undertook a forensic deconstruction of a single bay of the library, examining every joint and unpicking the tricks of structure and ornament that Mackintosh deployed. They’re confident they can remake it all. But there are questions about the finish. Photographs from 1909 show a much lighter tint to the wood than the dark treacly stain most will remember. If it’s rebuilt anew, it could have all the atmosphere of a freshly fitted MFI kitchen.

 

“It will feel new, but the patina will come with use,” insists Page. “We have to build up from the base blocks – strip it back and then allow the clutter to develop. We shouldn’t force it into the image that we remember.”

 

And what we remember isn’t necessarily what Mackintosh intended. The great vertical windows, for example, which run up the western elevation like a trio of crystal chimneys, were replaced in 1947. Mackintosh had designed horizontal casements with a more Japanese feel – so which is the more “truthful” to restore? Similarly, his vision for the whole school was never completed. There are a couple of empty niches in the entrance, where others are filled with decorative mosaic; is now the time to fill them in? Such questions remain to be answered.

 

The inferno, for all its horrendous destruction, has also provided an opportunity. The fire suppression system – which was tragically almost complete before the blaze, but delayed by the discovery of asbestos – will be finished, along with services threaded through newly exposed ducts and voids. The notoriously leaky north-light studio windows, ravaged by the flames, will be replaced with versions that hopefully keep out the drips.

 

But above all, the school should have the confidence to reinvigorate the building as what it was always meant to be: a working art school. Muriel Gray, chair of the board of governors (who has vowed that her first act will be to re-carve the naughty graffiti she engraved into the library woodwork as a student) has stated that the school of art “will die if it becomes a museum”. And Liz Davidson is frank. “We’re going to rebuild it all with extreme care,” she says, “then hand it over to the students to treat with extreme irreverence.”