Glasgow School of Art’s director Tom Inns has confirmed that its famous Mackintosh building will be rebuilt, ending weeks of speculation about the future of the fire-damaged building.
The 110-year old structure went up in flames for a second time last month, following a major fire in 2014, prompting experts to fear it was beyond repair. But it seems there’s a glimmer of hope for the storied structure, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
Speaking to The Guardian, Inns said: ‘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.’
Around a third of the Mackintosh building was damaged in the 2014 fire, including its library. A £35m restoration project was underway when the second blaze broke out, destroying work to date on its revival.
It seems that half of the library’s fixtures and fittings, which had been removed for restoration after the first blaze, were still in storage meaning these fragments can be reinstated when the structure undergoes new work.
Currently, the Mackintosh building’s exterior stone and brickwork is being dismantled and assessed to see how much of it is reusable following stress from extreme heat and rapid cooling.
‘The building is insured and we’re confident that we can rebuild the building based on that,’ added Inns. Estimates for this second restoration are around the £100m mark.
In other Mackintosh news, the V&A Dundee revealed last month that it was reviving a ‘lost’ tearoom designed by Mackintosh as part of his 150th birthday celebrations. It will be rebuilt inside its new Kengo Kuma-designed museum and open to the public in September.
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