22/07/2026
I received the following this morning
The Glasgow School of Art
Update on the Future of the Mackintosh Building
Today marks an important milestone as later this morning the GSA will share information on the next steps for the Mackintosh Building. I wanted to share this in full with you in advance.
In July 2024, work began on the addendum to the 2021 Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) - a detailed and up-to-date analysis of options for the future of the Mackintosh Building. Published today, this comprehensive analysis and the financial clarity provided by the recent settlement of our insurance claim for the 2018 fire, have allowed the Board of Governors to determine the next steps for the Mackintosh Building and conclude that the School cannot take forward the faithful reinstatement on its own.
However, as the custodian of this important and much cherished heritage asset, the GSA remains committed to exploring opportunities 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. This will be replaced by an internal retention system and reveal the external elevations of the building for the first time since 2018. It will provide a more secure structure for future works, all in line with the recently completed Conservation Management Plan, and include the development of museum-level assets that will give academics, students and the wider public digital access to the building’s interiors, history and the people who studied, worked and produced work within the studio spaces.
We will now move at pace to finalise the project design for this work and secure the necessary permissions. We anticipate starting work on site next summer for completion in the spring/summer of 2029.
Importantly, the Strategic Outline Business Case Addendum (SOBCA) recognised the potential for the Mackintosh Building to become an anchor project in a heritage-led economic regeneration of this part of the city. Drawing partners across the public, private, creative and cultural sectors, the study has identified a significant concentration of activity, which if harnessed and developed, could become a creative and cultural production innovation district attracting investment, driving the growth of the city’s creative economy, supporting new businesses and employment opportunities.
In this way, we firmly believe that the Mackintosh Building – loved and cared for by so many people connected to the School, can have a new purpose and become a catalyst for innovation, regeneration and economic growth in and around Glasgow. Discussions will begin immediately with the city, Scottish and UK Governments, stakeholders and potential partners to explore whether this ambition can be collectively delivered.
To read the SOBCA including the economic case and Conservation Management Plan, please visit the GSA Mackintosh Website
With best wishes,
Professor Penny Macbeth
Director and Principal
