I’m a bit embarrassed to say that we’ve only been to Glasgow once, and that was years ago when we were visiting Edinburgh from Munich. The highlight of the short afternoon we spent in the city was a guided tour through the Mackintosh Building at Glasgow School of Art. This architectural masterpiece incorporated a beautiful combination of Art Deco and Japanese-inspired details, and housed many examples of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s iconic furniture (as well as a library and working studios for current art school students). The tour was delightful, and we’ve recommended it to many travelers since then.
So it was with more than a little sadness that we watched the School of Art go up in flames last week. With reports stating that the blaze started in the basement, and dramatic videos of flames leaping out of the roof, it seemed certain that the entire structure would be lost. (The good news was that everyone got out safely.)
Luckily all was not lost, indeed far from it. I don’t think anyone’s ventured a guess at a timeline yet, but it seems certain that the building will eventually be rebuilt and restored. We look forward to the day when we can heartily recommend a tour of the Glasgow School of Art again.
I was so sad to hear the news… Been there a few times and love Mackintosh’s work so much that it felt almost as if an iconic Gaudi building in Barcelona had been lost to the flames. Luckyly, most of the structure has been saved and they will rebuild it… Fingers crossed they do it soon 😉