This caused more damage than a blaze four years earlier and it was originally feared the building designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh would be lost for good.
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Following completion of the police investigation phase one of the rebuild began. This included a “stone by stone, brick by brick” evaluation of what could be saved and what needed to be removed.
At the same time a Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) was carried out to determine the direction of the rebuild.
The SOBC said “faithful reinstatement” of the building was preferable, which has been agreed and will guide phase 2 of the project.
Above: Debris in the building May 2019. Below: Reconstruction in progress, September 2022 (Images: McAteer)
Director of the Glasgow School of Art (GSA), professor Penny Macbeth, said: “Partnership will be at the heart of the rebuild, and we will continue to collaborate with a wide range of people as we work to bring back this remarkable and inspirational building for our students and staff and a major resource for our community and for the city.”
Work to clear material from the library tower is almost finished after eight months, undertaken by contractor Reigart. The tower was rebuilt as part of a 2014 restoration.
Once this has been completed the size of the external scaffolding can be reduced.
Internal structure work
Work will soon begin to reinstate the internal structure, which will allow the building to become self-supporting, and the construction of a temporary roof.
The plan for the rebuild even immediately after the fire was that it should be brought back as a working art school.
Macbeth said the building will be home for GSA postgraduate students and researchers from across the globe to make “world-leading, innovative” work.
Key spaces such as the drawing studios will be returned to their original use timetabled for all students, as drawing is a “distinctive and defining attribute” of GSA graduates.
GSA director of estates Eleanor Magennis said: “We are committed to reinstating the building through retention of as much of the original fabric as possible.
“The last year has seen us progress the huge task of assessing every part of the building whilst starting the key work streams for the faithful reinstatement.”
The January/February 2026 issue of Construction Management magazine is now available to read in digital format.
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