The Mackintosh building at The Glasgow School of Art is set to reopen as a graduate school in 2030. There have been criticisms regarding the transparency around the funding and cost of the rebuild, especially after the iconic grade A-listed building was destroyed in a fire in June 2018. The restoration was almost complete following an earlier blaze in May 2014, with a budget of £35m. However, questions have been raised about the speed and ambition of the restoration, especially when compared to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris which is set to reopen next year.
Eleanor Magennis, the director of estates at the art school, has emphasized that the initial clearance process was time-consuming and is now completed, allowing media access to the burned out interior of the building for the first time since the fire. She also pointed out that the next stage involves adding floors and roofs, which would give the building back its structural integrity and allow for refurbishing work to begin.
Magennis stated that over 2,400 tonnes of fire-damaged material were evaluated by hand, with 1,200 tonnes of it being recycled for the rebuild. The construction costs are estimated to be around £60m with an overall cost in the three figures. Magennis added that a high level of contingency was available for the early stages of the project. The initial work is being funded by a combination of ringfenced funding, legacy insurance, and fundraising moneys. However, there was only interim payment available from the second fire due to ongoing complex insurance claims.
The art school director, Penny Macbeth, stated that they had the support of Scottish government ministers and emphasized the importance of the partnership with the local community in the rebuild. However, Paul Sweeney, Scottish Labour MSP for Glasgow and board member of the Glasgow City Heritage Trust, raised concerns over the restoration programme, the lack of clarity over timescales and the disinterest from Scottish government ministers.
Magennis stated that an architect for the rebuild was expected to be appointed this spring, with the main contractor being appointed next year.
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