The Glasgow School of Art and Last Year's Fire

Aside from learning as much as we can about Scotland, the real reason we are in Glasgow is because I am a Fulbright Scholar at the Mackintosh School of Architecture, attached to the Urban Lab, a research entity that works with both the School and City of Glasgow. When I was notified of my award last year I was so excited that I would be able to spend time in Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s best work - the Glasgow School of Art.  Built from 1897-1909 in his signature Arts & Crafts style, British architects voted it as the best building from the last 175 years. Mackintosh’s works and influences will require several later entries in this blog.

However, last May 23, a true tragedy struck. As students prepped for their annual Degree Show, a student’s project caught fire and the fire raced up several floors on one end of the school. The library and several studios were destroyed, but fortunately 90% of the building was left relatively unharmed. Presently the building is unoccupied. The fire-damaged wing is under protective wraps as the school decides how to rebuild/reconstruct the library. Five firms have been shortlisted to tackle the project, but the reconstruction will likely take three years or more and undoubtedly will generate a lot of public debate. The fire and its aftermath, while disappointing to me, has been devastating to the students and staff of the school - I believe more so than people let on. However, the making of art and architecture wholeheartedly and resiliently continues. It will be quite interesting to see how such a cataclysm will influence the work.