Student flats plan blast over impact on School of Art
PLANS for student flats adjoining Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s world-renowned Glasgow School of Art are under attack with the institution claiming the A-listed masterpiece would be “very adversely affected” by the scheme.
The GSA, heritage and conservation groups have been joined by politicians and members of the public in submitting objections to the major proposal for the city’s down-at-heel Sauchiehall Street.
The institution’s director Tom Inns has urged the city council to reject the plans, claiming “the unique setting and architectural character of this building would be very adversely affected”, while the Charles Rennie Mackintosh (CRM) Society said a second bid for World Heritage Site Status would be damaged by the plans.
Urging the developers to resubmit a design that “has empathy with an A-listed building of such importance”, CRM Society director Stuart Robertson said: “His (Mackintosh’s) legacy of work clearly contributes to a much wider social and economic role in Glasgow and across Scotland as a whole and for these reasons this proposed plan must not happen.”
The application, if approved, would see the creation of a 185bed student housing development, including roof gardens, study rooms, common areas and a cinema room. At street level it is proposed to reinstate the retail and leisure units, as well as providing improvements to the public realm along Dalhousie Street.
But in his objection and in a letter also sent to culture minister Fiona Hyslop and the statutory heritage body Historic Environment Scotland, Professor Inns described the plans as an “over-development”.
Describing Mackintosh building as a “masterwork” and “one of the first modern buildings in history”, Professor Inns also described claims by the developer that GSA was closely involved in the pre-application as “misleading”, adding the plans were contrary to Scottish Planning Policy.
Architectural heritage group the New Glasgow Society said: “This is a proposal that compromises the character of Sauchiehall Street, regardless of its impact on the Art School, and the present 02 ABC building – both structures of obvious historical and aesthetic importance. We deserve better.”
The firm declined to comment on the objections.