Glasgow School of Art cannot afford to restore Mackintosh building after settling dispute with insurers
The Glasgow School of Art has admitted it cannot afford to fully reinstate the fire-damaged Mackintosh Building without major financial support from outside the institution.
An updated business case estimates that a faithful reinstatement would cost around £265 million. That is equivalent to five times the art school’s annual turnover and would place its financial future at risk, the GSA said.
The Art School reached a confidential settlement with its insurers following the devastating fire in June 2018. However, the money received will not cover the cost of rebuilding Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s architectural masterpiece.
The GSA described the settlement as “positive” but said a significant funding gap remained, partly because of rising construction costs. It also concluded that a project of this size would be beyond the school’s existing capacity and expertise.
The announcement does not formally abandon the ambition of a faithful reinstatement. Instead, the art school will seek support from governments, Glasgow City Council, cultural organisations and potential private investors.
Their announcement today states: “The financial clarity provided by the recent settlement of the insurance claim for the 2018 fire, the Board of Governors has determined that the School cannot take forward the faithful reinstatement of the Mackintosh Building on its own.
“As the custodian of this important heritage asset, the GSA remains committed to exploring every opportunity for it to be faithfully reinstated, and the Board has agreed to invest in a significant enabling project, funded by the insurance settlement, that will provide a platform for future rebuilding.
“A key part of the phase of work being announced today is the removal of the leased external scaffold, which has been in place since the 2018 fire, which will be replaced by an internal retention system. This will reveal the external elevations of the building and provide a more secure structure for future works, all in line with the recently completed Conservation Management Plan.”
Ann Priest, Chair of the Board of Governors of The Glasgow School of Art, said: “We very much want to see this exceptional and globally important building rebuilt, but we cannot put the financial sustainability of the GSA at risk in doing so.
“The Glasgow School of Art is recognised internationally for the quality of its education, research, and impact. We make a substantial educational, cultural, social and economic contribution to Glasgow and beyond and it is important that we continue to do this now and in the future.
“As Governors, we are legally bound to act in the best interests of the School and have a duty to current and future students and staff to keep the School in good financial health, focused on its core educational purpose.
“In the 12 years since the first fire, and against the backdrop of a changing higher education landscape, the GSA has consistently demonstrated that its ability to operate – and indeed thrive – is not dependent on the Mackintosh Building.
“However, we believe that the Mackintosh Building – loved and cared for by so many people connected to the school, both in the past and since 2018 – can have a new purpose and become a catalyst for innovation, regeneration and economic growth in and around Glasgow.
“Glasgow is home to more than a third of all the creative and cultural sector businesses in Scotland.
Many of the institutions that define and drive Glasgow and Scotland’s creative sector are based within a mile of the School.
“The Board believes that the reinstatement of the Mackintosh Building can and should be part of a heritage-led economic regeneration project, building on the existing creative and cultural production assets within this part of the city, to strengthen Glasgow’s creative eco-system and its position as one of the UK’s leading creative economies.
“The Mack will always have a special place at the heart of The Glasgow School of Art’s history, and we have further plans within the next phase of work to create museum standard interpretations of the building that will exist alongside its retained architectural elements and help tell the story of this remarkable place and the people who have worked and studied there for years to come.”
Katerina Brown, Chief Executive of Historic Environment Scotland (HES), said: “This announcement marks a key milestone in securing the long-term future of the Mackintosh Building.
“We welcome this significant investment in a building of global importance and are already engaging with Glasgow School of Art on the next stages of the project.
“We look forward to continuing that relationship and to seeing the Mackintosh Building once again become a catalyst for heritage-led regeneration, learning, creativity and innovation in Glasgow and beyond.”
Historic Environment Scotland welcomed the announcement. Chief executive Katerina Brown described it as an important milestone in securing the building’s long-term future.
The Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society called on the UK and Scottish governments, as well as Glasgow City Council, to work together to secure the money needed for a complete reinstatement.
The Category A-listed building was badly damaged by fire in May 2014. A second and more destructive blaze tore through the structure in June 2018, as a £35 million restoration project was nearing completion. More than 5,500 tonnes of debris had been removed from the site by the end of 2022.
The GSA had previously committed itself to a faithful reinstatement in its 2021 business case. Its latest announcement makes clear that this can now happen only if substantial new public or private investment is secured.
The Glasgow School of Art has admitted it cannot afford to fully reinstate the fire-damaged Mackintosh Building without major financial support from outside the institution.
An updated business case estimates that a faithful reinstatement would cost around £265 million. That is equivalent to five times the art school’s annual turnover and would place its financial future at risk, the GSA said.
The Art School reached a confidential settlement with its insurers following the devastating fire in June 2018. However, the money received will not cover the cost of rebuilding Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s architectural masterpiece.
The GSA described the settlement as “positive” but said a significant funding gap remained, partly because of rising construction costs. It also concluded that a project of this size would be beyond the school’s existing capacity and expertise.
The announcement does not formally abandon the ambition of a faithful reinstatement. Instead, the art school will seek support from governments, Glasgow City Council, cultural organisations and potential private investors.
Their announcement today states: “The financial clarity provided by the recent settlement of the insurance claim for the 2018 fire, the Board of Governors has determined that the School cannot take forward the faithful reinstatement of the Mackintosh Building on its own.
“As the custodian of this important heritage asset, the GSA remains committed to exploring every opportunity for it to be faithfully reinstated, and the Board has agreed to invest in a significant enabling project, funded by the insurance settlement, that will provide a platform for future rebuilding.
“A key part of the phase of work being announced today is the removal of the leased external scaffold, which has been in place since the 2018 fire, which will be replaced by an internal retention system. This will reveal the external elevations of the building and provide a more secure structure for future works, all in line with the recently completed Conservation Management Plan.”
Ann Priest, Chair of the Board of Governors of The Glasgow School of Art, said: “We very much want to see this exceptional and globally important building rebuilt, but we cannot put the financial sustainability of the GSA at risk in doing so.
“The Glasgow School of Art is recognised internationally for the quality of its education, research, and impact. We make a substantial educational, cultural, social and economic contribution to Glasgow and beyond and it is important that we continue to do this now and in the future.
“As Governors, we are legally bound to act in the best interests of the School and have a duty to current and future students and staff to keep the School in good financial health, focused on its core educational purpose.
“In the 12 years since the first fire, and against the backdrop of a changing higher education landscape, the GSA has consistently demonstrated that its ability to operate – and indeed thrive – is not dependent on the Mackintosh Building.
“However, we believe that the Mackintosh Building – loved and cared for by so many people connected to the school, both in the past and since 2018 – can have a new purpose and become a catalyst for innovation, regeneration and economic growth in and around Glasgow.
“Glasgow is home to more than a third of all the creative and cultural sector businesses in Scotland.
Many of the institutions that define and drive Glasgow and Scotland’s creative sector are based within a mile of the School.
“The Board believes that the reinstatement of the Mackintosh Building can and should be part of a heritage-led economic regeneration project, building on the existing creative and cultural production assets within this part of the city, to strengthen Glasgow’s creative eco-system and its position as one of the UK’s leading creative economies.
“The Mack will always have a special place at the heart of The Glasgow School of Art’s history, and we have further plans within the next phase of work to create museum standard interpretations of the building that will exist alongside its retained architectural elements and help tell the story of this remarkable place and the people who have worked and studied there for years to come.”
Katerina Brown, Chief Executive of Historic Environment Scotland (HES), said: “This announcement marks a key milestone in securing the long-term future of the Mackintosh Building.
“We welcome this significant investment in a building of global importance and are already engaging with Glasgow School of Art on the next stages of the project.
“We look forward to continuing that relationship and to seeing the Mackintosh Building once again become a catalyst for heritage-led regeneration, learning, creativity and innovation in Glasgow and beyond.”
Historic Environment Scotland welcomed the announcement. Chief executive Katerina Brown described it as an important milestone in securing the building’s long-term future.
The Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society called on the UK and Scottish governments, as well as Glasgow City Council, to work together to secure the money needed for a complete reinstatement.
The Category A-listed building was badly damaged by fire in May 2014. A second and more destructive blaze tore through the structure in June 2018, as a £35 million restoration project was nearing completion. More than 5,500 tonnes of debris had been removed from the site by the end of 2022.
The GSA had previously committed itself to a faithful reinstatement in its 2021 business case. Its latest announcement makes clear that this can now happen only if substantial new public or private investment is secured.