When fire swept through the Mackintosh Building of the Glasgow School of Art last May, it represented a disaster for the school and also for the legacy of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, whose finest building stood in ruins.
His library, in particular, had been reduced to ashes.
Any ideal recovery from disaster comes paved with many and varied steps, from stark desolation to satisfying restitution. And today sees one of those, and an important one, as the Glasgow School of Art unveils the short list of architectural practices who are in the running to oversee the regeneration of the famous building in the heart of both Glasgow and the Scottish visual art scene.
One of these five practices - Avanti Architects, John McAslan + Partners, LDN Architects LLP, Page\Park Architects and Purcell - will have a daunting and exacting task to perform. Now short listed, they will shortly give presentations on their vision for the wounded building, with a final appointment made in late March.
There has already been debate in the pages of this newspaper over whether the Mackintosh Library should be restored to the artist and architects full vision. It does indeed seems likely it will be restored. But that key question will undoubtedly be a vital part of the winning architect's solution to the havoc wreaked by the fire, and we will watch those plans develop with great interest.
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