Managing cultural expectations

Professor Christopher Frayling, Rector of the Royal College of Art has remarked that the Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed Glasgow School of Art is “the only art school in the world where the building is worthy of the subject” whilst Sir Terence Conran, the designer and retailer, has stated that the School is “an architecturally inspirational place that has played a unique part in the history of design”. Fine words, but as the School enters the 21st century it faces a complex challenge. It certainly aims to maintain the world famous Mackintosh building as a teaching facility, now at the heart of a very busy campus. Nevertheless, it also recognizes the importance of the building as an architectural monument and wishes to preserve the fabric of this unique structure. It also accepts and understands the wider cultural significance of Mackintosh and role of the arts in Glasgow. With this in mind, summer 2007 saw the start of an ambitious £ 8.7 m conservation and access project that will: Conserve and protect the building's fabric, and restore many of its original features and spaces. Improve the care, exhibition and access to the School's internationally important archives and collections including the provision of new stores and a public study centre. Manage and enhance visitor access to a continually working art school but allow for a predicted growth in numbers to approximately 33,000 visitors per year. Expectations are high but The Glasgow School of Art is confident that its cultural past will continue to play a crucial part in shaping its educational future

The Restoration and Redecoration of the Glasgow School of Art.

The tragic fire that ravaged Glasgow School of Art's iconic Mackintosh Building in May 2014 has focussed minds on the value of its surviving organisational records as an indispensable tool to aid the complex task of reconstructing this world renowned building. Long overlooked photographs, period drawings, committee papers and even original receipt books have started to provide a unique understanding of the building's early history and subsequent use over the last century, and this information continues to shape the direction that this on-going restoration work takes. In addition, scientific evidence gleaned from surviving paint samples along with the analysis of charred timber fragments has already proved invaluable as the task of rebuilding gathers pace. Much has been learnt already and there is great anticipation as to how the celebrated but completely destroyed Mackintosh library will look once rebuilt. The intention is to completely restore the building back to what it would have looked like when it first opened in December 1909, but with one important proviso – which is that the building must continue to serve the needs of a working art school and should be fit for the 21st century. Understandably there are areas of potential conflict. How accurate and faithful can this restoration be if the building is to meet the demands of a modern-day teaching institution? Compromises are inevitable as the task is not just about restoring an architectural monument, it’s also about ensuring that the building continues to live and breathe. However, with archivists, historians and even archaeologists working alongside conservators, architects, engineers and project managers, Glasgow School of Art is confident that the restored Mackintosh Building when it opens in 2019 will, based on surviving evidence, be as authentic as it can be. Above all, the School is seeking to ensure that the building and its Mackintosh legacy is safe-guarded for future generation

From Commission to Completion: The role of patrons in the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh

The Glasgow-born architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh was clearly very talented but talent on its own is usually never quite enough. Successful designers, architects and even artists rely heavily on patrons, benefactors and clients who are prepared to buy and invest in new art, or commission new buildings. Although a client needs to be satisfied that the designer or architect involved can meet his or her expectations, the designer or architect meanwhile is looking for clients prepared to allow them a degree of artistic licence. Mackintosh was certainly fortunate that at the peak of his career, between 1895 and 1910, he was provided with an almost constant supply of work, most of it linked to his employer, the architectural firm of Honeyman and Keppie. Mackintosh had some clients such as Miss Cranston, owner of a series of Glasgow tea rooms, who was perfectly happy to employ him on a regular basis and over many years. Here Mackintosh was given an unparalleled freedom to implement his most adventurous designs. Other more conservative clients were less enamoured with this style of working and the issue of design and even cost was only ever resolved after Mackintosh had been forced to rein in his artistic aspirations. As one would expect, no two designs were ever the same and for Mackintosh the journey from commission to completion inevitably involved many twists and turns. However, even when Mackintosh was forced to compromise and this was something that he struggled to accept throughout his career, the resulting work still exuded a recognisable quality and style

Glasgow: Reborn through Cultural Regeneration

An assessment of the artistic regeneration of Glasgow and how, since the 1990s, cultural tourism has become one of the city's key economic drivers.The paper addressed the growing popularity of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's life and works and how the city's key Mackintosh attractions have responded to the increased public demand by delivering a coordinated program of cultural events in both 2006 and 2009

The Glasgow School of Art: a living heritage

According to the American architect Robert Venturi, "the north façade of the Glasgow School of Art is one of the greatest achievements of all time, comparable in scale and majesty to Michelangelo." However, for all its world renown and international acclaim, the building continues to function over a century later as its architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, always intended - as a working 'living' art school. Now, at the beginning of the 21st century, the Glasgow School of Art is faced with the challenge of: - maintaining the Mackintosh Building as, first and foremost, a respected teaching facility for upwards of 200 artists at the heart of a busy campus with over 1600 students - recognising the historic importance of the Mackintosh Building and trying to preserve the fabric of this unique structure whilst maintaining an important museum collection of almost 3000 artefacts within the confines of a working school - satisfying the needs of an ever-increasing number of cultural visitors to Glasgow seeking out the Mackintosh Building - over 21,000 people on guided tours in 2003 alone, with a predicted rise in numbers of 5-10% per year As a university museum, the Glasgow School of Art is committed to balancing the needs of education, heritage and tourism within this one important building. An application for a multi-million pound Heritage Lottery grant (submitted in June 2004) should, if successful, be a significant step forward, because as mere custodians of the Mackintosh Building, the Glasgow School of Art has a responsibility to make sure that it gets this balance right. Surely the architect himself would have approved

Glasgow Style: The development of art and design education at the Glasgow School of Art (1845-1910)

Founded in 1845, the Glasgow School of Art had by 1900 already established itself as one of Europe'e leading art academics with its staff and students being well represented at exhibitions worldwide. Meanwhile, the leading art journals of the day such as 'The Studio', 'L'Art Décoratif' and 'Dekorative Kunst' were actively promoting work in the so-called 'Glasgow Style' further promoting the School's artistic reputation to a growing international audience

Review of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Co, 1854-2004

A review of David Stark's book celebrating the 150th anniversary of the architectural firm responsible for the design and building of the Glasgow School of Ar

Eleanor Taffner: Benefactor and Supporter of the Arts in Glasgow

A celebration of Eleanor Taffner, New York-based art and design collector and former governor of Glasgow School of Ar

GSA Governors Minute Books 1949-1959

The document contains references to Mackintosh's School of Art, chiefly modifications and alterations to the fabric of the building, both internal and external. These references have been extracted from the Minute Books of GSA Governors held in the School's Archives and Collections Centre and cover the period from 1949-1959. These extracts are a continuation of similar references taken from earlier GSA Governors minutes, 1909-1949, available at http://radar.gsa.ac.uk/3777/

The Glasgow School of Art Mackintosh Conservation and Access Project

Highlighting the proposed improvements to the School's Charles Rennie Mackintosh Building as part of the Heritage Lottery funded 'Mackintosh Conservation and Access Project', beginning in 2007