Glasgow School of Art says £265m restoration of Mackintosh Building unaffordable

The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) has revealed that restoring its iconic Mackintosh Building, destroyed by fire in 2018, would cost approximately £265 million—an amount the board of governors deems unaffordable. The figure comes from a new Business Case addendum, published after the settlement of a long-running insurance claim. Designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh in 1909, the Art Nouveau landmark in Garnethill suffered extensive damage in the June 2018 blaze, which occurred just as a £35 million restoration following a 2014 fire was nearing completion. Around £26 million has already been spent maintaining the structure, but full reinstatement is now deemed financially unsustainable. Ann Priest, chair of the GSA board, stated the school cannot risk its financial sustainability and will seek visionary individuals, governments, and local authorities for serious investment. The GSA proposes the building could become the centrepiece of a new creative quarter. Scaffolding erected after the 2018 fire is due to be removed.