Icon risen from the ashes and then struck down
HISTORY
Uthe NTIL Friday night it had seemed that the fire which ravaged Glasgow School of Art in 2014 would simply become another institution’s illustrious part of history.
In the aftermath of the blaze in May four years ago, fears about the continued existence of the iconic building subsided and it appeared that, by some wondrous miracle, it was salvageable.
Rather than devastation, the remarkable tale of recovery was shaping up to take its place in history. It would take more than fire, smoke and water to break a building which held such passion and history within its walls.
The Mackintosh building cements the place of Charles Rennie Mackintosh into the very fabric of the city. It sits among the buzz of the bustle, both soaking up the Glasgow culture and helping define it.
It is rich in history, having occupied its place in the city landscape since 1899, when the first half of the project was completed. It was designed by Mackintosh, then a junior draughtsman at firm Honeyman and Keppie, which submitted the plans as part of an architectural competition.
The school itself, as an institution, was founded more than 50 years before, and had already gained a substantial reputation in the field.
Before it settled in its new home in Renfrew Street, in the glory of Mackintosh’s design, it had enjoyed stints in the Merchant City’s Ingram Street and the McLellan Galleries.
The prestigious institution went on to hold a number of academic schools: the Mackintosh School of Architecture, the School of Design, the School of Fine Art, the School of Simulation and Visualisation, and the Innovation School.
While maintaining its reputation as a revered place of study and continuing to appeal to international and local students, the School of Art and the Mackintosh building has been popular with tourists as a place of historical and cultural significance.
Its relevance to modern art as well as history is undisputed. The school has been host to numerous winners and nominees of the Turner Prize, such as Richard Wright, Simon Starling and Martin Boyce.
Indeed, it boasts a strong roster of alumni. As well as its most famous son, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the School of Art has also counted artist Peter Howson, Travis singer Fran Healy, author Alasdair Gray, actor Peter Capaldi, former Scots Makar Liz Lochhead and broadcaster Muriel Gray among its students.
While Mackintosh is celebrated in the modern age and has secured his place in the history of art and architecture, he wasn’t always appreciated in his time. Despite his unexpected success with the art school design, he struggled to get other major commissions.
The Glasgow School of Art is the most emphatic physical expression of his contribution to cultural history, and the building therefore represents something bigger for Scotland than just a hub of rich art and cultural nurturing.
The first fire at the School of Art almost became a ray of light after the initial shock and sadness had abated. For once it seemed the city may have caught a small break when it became clear that the school could be saved and restored.
Friday’s devastating fire feels like a knockout punch for a city looking forward to the grand reopening of the Mackintosh building next year. We may now be discussing it as something that exists in the past tense. That is not the chapter of history anyone could have imagined. It is cruel and unfair.
Glasgow will, of course, recover, and the school’s admirable reputation will continue. For now, however, the city needs a moment to mourn. Then, the questions, and anger, will inevitably come.