THE Glasgow School of Art has said plans to redevelop the city’s former ABC Building put its commitment to rebuilding the Mackintosh Building at ‘significant risk’.
New images illustrating proposals for the ABC Building site on Sauchiehall Street were released earlier this week, with plans in place to transform it into a new student accommodation development complete with a publicly accessible destination food hall and a courtyard events space.
The Mackintosh Building at the Glasgow School of Art suffered significant damage in a 2014 fire, before further damage was caused by a fire whilst it was undergoing a restoration project in 2018.
In May last year, the Glasgow School of Art reaffirmed its commitment to a ‘faithful’ reinstatement of the Mackintosh Building, with it aiming to do so in an ‘exemplary’ way – returning it as a working art school building ‘at the heart of Glasgow’s creative and cultural eco-system’.
Professor Penny Macbeth, director and principal of the Glasgow School of Art and Mackintosh Building Project Sponsor, said, “The recommendation for approval places our commitment to the rebuilding of the Mackintosh Building at significant risk. The former Jumping Jaks/ABC site proposals fundamentally compromise the Mackintosh Building’s heritage significance as a purpose-design art school and with it, the building’s future use as a working art school with the economic, social, cultural and wider regeneration benefits this will bring to the city.
“Exercising our responsibilities as custodians of the Mackintosh, committed to its rebuilding as a working school of art, only works if the responsibilities of the city council, as custodians of Glasgow’s built heritage, are exercised wisely, balancing immediate economic benefits against the longer term impact of the decisions they take. We all agree that the redevelopment of the former Jumping Jaks/ABC is a once in a generation opportunity to positively transform this part of the city. However, it needs to be done without detrimental impact to the internationally significant category A-listed Mackintosh.
“We have been clear in our extensive discussions with VITA that, while recognising the importance and complexities of this city block, an achievable solution can be found which delivers both financially viability for them while mitigating impact to the Mackintosh Building and Glasgow’s important built heritage.”
James Grimley, of Reiach and Hall Architects, also commented, “The massing and proximity of the proposed development would cause grave harm to the setting, character, and function of the Mackintosh Building including significantly reducing daylight and compromising the buildings intended function where daylight is integral to its design and purpose.
“Equally important is how the functionality of several critical spaces would be compromised by the proposals, reducing the educational and experiential value of these, the overall heritage significance of the building as one of the world’s first purpose-designed schools of art and also its use and purpose when rebuilt.
“There are alternative approaches that would reduce the development’s detrimental impact on a building of such international importance. A revised scheme that respects and protects the Mackintosh Building’s future both as a heritage asset and working art school as it was designed should be pursued.”
Reiach and Hall with Purcell were appointed in July 2024 to undertake an addendum to the 2021 SOBC to identify routes to delivery of the faithful reinstatement of the Mackintosh Building. This work will be published later in 2025, the Glasgow School of Art said.
