Kier has revealed the stringent measures it put in place to prevent a fire at the Glasgow School of Art’ Mackintosh building, which was extensively damaged in a blaze on Friday night.
The contractor has been working on a £35m restoration project at the site following an earlier fire in 2014.
Yesterday, Kier detailed the measures it had put in place to prevent another fire from occurring.
They included a smoke and heat detection system, regular evacuation tests, and 24-hour, seven-day-a-week security and fire warden patrols by a team of three guards who were originally appointed by the Glasgow School of Art and subsequently by Kier.
Investigations into what caused the fire are still ongoing but fire services have described the damage at the building as “exceptionally significant”.
There were fears that the Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed facade of the building would have to be demolished, although yesterday a council spokesman, quoted in the Guardian, said comparisons between the building’s walls and roof joists with 3D digital models suggested that the building was salvageable, aside from the eastern gable.
Nonetheless, it is not yet known at this stage whether or not the building will be reconstructed to Mackintosh’s original design.
A spokesperson for Kier said: “We continue to work with and support Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and our client as they determine the next steps for the Mackintosh building and site. We have a passionate team of local construction and crafts people, skilled conservators, supply chain and engineering specialists who have worked incredibly hard on this iconic landmark, and together we are all keen to do whatever we can to help moving forward.”
