Private
The Glasgow School of Art continues to function as an art institution and welcomes visitors to enjoy the stunning original interiors, iconic furniture and inspired architecture on daily tours led by the School’s student guides.
The building was completed in two stages in 1899 and 1909. It was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, is an icon of 20th-century design and is considered by some to be the world’s first modernist building. The north and west facades are the best external features. Inside, the central hall and the Art Nouveau library in the west end are the most notable rooms. The building is on six floors including basements and attics and includes studios with large north-facing windows.
The exterior has some pieces of ironwork in front of the windows which are purely decorative, and inside and out the building has many “Mackintosh” features.
This is an essential visit for those interested in Mackintosh’s work.
http://glasgowmackintosh.com/attraction/glasgow-school-of-art
On 23 May 2014, the building was damaged by a severe fire which started in the basement. Despite the sterling efforts of the fire brigade who fought the fire from inside the building in an effort to minimise the damage to the building and contents, the west end of the building suffered severe damage and the Library is reported to have been destroyed. The fire brigade responded within four minutes.
Having seen the inside of the building on the tour a few days earlier, I would suggest that the scale of the damage is a result of the lack of 21st Century fire precautions. There was a lot of wood in the building and probably a lack of effective fire-resistant partitioning, and no sprinkler system.