Iconic Glasgow School of Art to be dismantled

Just four years after a fire ripped through the Glasgow School of Art in Glasgow, Scotland, and after a series of extensive restorations for its iconic Art Nouveau library, another blaze appears to have ravaged the school beyond repair. Parts of the building will be dismantled in the coming days, after the the Glasgow City Council’s surveys revealed there was more movement in the walls than previously thought and that a collapse was likely, BBC reports.

The south facade, the most badly damaged section, will come down first. “As the process begins, it will be likely that the other walls will also need to be reduced,” said Raymond Barlow, Glasgow City Council’s head of building control. “We do not know what effect this will have on the rest of the building so I have to be clear this site remains dangerous and is becoming more dangerous. “

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The most recent fire occurred on Friday night, June 15. A total of 120 firefighters and 20 fire engines were at the scene, trying to tame the conflagration. Fortunately, no one was injured during the fire. Still, the historic building, which was designed by Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh and completed in 1909, appeared to have been gutted.

A cause has not yet been identified, but assistant chief officer David McGowan said that a “comprehensive and professional” investigation is underway.

The restoration project after the first blaze clocked in at about 35 million British pounds, or $46.3 million, and was expected to be completed this year. According to The Scotsman, Billy Hare, a professor in construction management at Glasgow Caledonian University, estimated that rebuilding the school would cost upward of 100 million British pounds ($132.4 million).

“It is sadly questionable what, if anything, will be left that could be salvaged, restored or recreated after this fire,” Hare said.

Via: Dezeen, BBC, The Scotsman