GSA outlines 2027 gateway project for Mackintosh Building

The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) has published its 80-page Strategic Outline Business Case Addendum (SOBCA), setting out the future trajectory for Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s masterpiece. The document follows the conclusion of a long-running insurance arbitration process linked to the catastrophic fire in June 2018.

The detailed analysis reveals that a complete, faithful reinstatement of the Category A listed building is currently priced at £265 million. This total is equivalent to five times the institution’s annual turnover and creates a funding gap that the GSA cannot bridge independently without threatening its long-term institutional viability.

In response, the Board of Governors has approved a strategy to fund a major enabling project using proceeds from the confidential insurance settlement. Formally designated in the report as Scenario 3 Phase 1, the work acts as a gateway project designed to de-risk the structural frame, protect the remaining fabric, and establish the physical conditions necessary for a complete reconstruction when funding and external partnerships allow. Physical construction on the Garnethill site is expected to begin in the summer of 2027.

Ann Priest, Chair of the Board of Governors of The Glasgow School of Art, said, “We very much want to see this exceptional and globally important building rebuilt, but we cannot put the financial sustainability of the GSA at risk in doing so.” She added, “In the 12 years since the first fire, and against the backdrop of a changing higher education landscape, the GSA has consistently demonstrated that its ability to operate – and indeed thrive – is not dependent on the Mackintosh Building.”

Removing the scaffold and revealing the elevations

A central technical requirement of the 2027 project is the systematic removal of the leased external scaffolding and shoring arrangements that have wrapped the building since 2018. The Strategic Outline Business Case Addendum identifies the continuation of this temporary setup as financially unsustainable, incurring heavy recurring operational expenditure while delivering no structural progress towards permanent repair.

The external scaffold will be replaced by an internal temporary retention system combined with selected permanent structural steelwork and a protective temporary roof. This intervention will expose the historic stone elevations to public view for the first time in nearly a decade, while lowering ongoing management expenditure by approximately 85 per cent per annum. The design lifespan of the temporary retention system is calculated at a minimum of 15 years, with the permanent steelwork rated for 50 years.

All site interventions will adhere to the newly completed Conservation Management Plan (CMP). Alongside the physical works, the GSA plans to introduce museum-standard digital interpretation, leveraging its archives and collections to present the history, interior spaces, and creative legacy of the landmark to visitors.

Stephen Hodder MBE, RIBA Stirling Prize winner and member of the GSA Board of Governors, said, “The updated business case for the Mackintosh Building is a comprehensive piece of work that has been led and delivered by architects and other experts well-versed in complex heritage projects.” He added, “This gateway project will let people see the Mack’s magnificent external elevations again, on a building for which so many people in Glasgow and around the world have a real and enduring affection.”

Anchor for a creative innovation district

Beyond the immediate structural works, the economic framework presented in the report models the Mackintosh Building as a potential heritage anchor for a broader urban regeneration strategy. Produced by BOP Consulting, the economic assessment proposes establishing a designated Creative and Cultural Production Innovation District.

This district would formalise an existing concentration of creative institutions, studios, and cultural organisations extending from Garnethill and Sauchiehall Street northwards to the Forth and Clyde Canal. The Glasgow City Region currently contains over a third of Scotland’s creative sector businesses. By placing the Mackintosh Building at the heart of a multi-partner, civic-led masterplan, the GSA aims to attract commercial, philanthropic, and public sector investment to drive city-wide economic growth.

Discussions are beginning immediately with Glasgow City Council, the Scottish Government, and heritage bodies to explore multi-party delivery structures.

Katerina Brown, Chief Executive of Historic Environment Scotland, said, “This announcement marks a key milestone in securing the long-term future of the Mackintosh Building.” She added, “We welcome this significant investment in a building of global importance and are already engaging with Glasgow School of Art on the next stages of the project.”

Ann Priest said, “The Board believes that the reinstatement of the Mackintosh Building can and should be part of a heritage-led economic regeneration project, building on the existing creative and cultural production assets within this part of the city, to strengthen Glasgow’s creative eco-system and its position as one of the UK’s leading creative economies.”