Glasgow School of Art cannot afford to restore fire-hit Mackintosh building
The Glasgow School of Art has stated it cannot afford the full restoration of the fire-damaged Mackintosh Building without significant external funding. The institution is now seeking visionary investors to bridge a £265m funding gap.
Why it matters
The potential loss of a historic architectural landmark highlights the economic difficulties of preserving cultural heritage in the face of rising construction costs.
Image source, PA Media Image caption, Glasgow School of Art's Mackintosh Building was wrecked by two fires in 2014 and 2018
Glasgow School of Art says it cannot fully restore the city's iconic Mackintosh Building to its former state without additional financial support.
The art school previously insisted it was committed to a faithful reinstatement of the building, which was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh but wrecked by two fires in 2014 and 2018.
However it now says "financial clarity", provided by an insurance settlement regarding the 2018 blaze, has shown it "cannot take forward the faithful reinstatement on its own."
Instead it suggests the building has potential to be an anchor for a "creative and cultural production innovation district".
But this claim that has attracted scorn from figures in the art world.
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