AS a founder member of the Mackintosh Society, I fully agree with V Andrew Traub's incredulity (Letters, September 4) of David Mullane's view that the Glasgow School of Art Library should not be rebuilt but have instead a high-functioning space, somewhat like a common room ("Mackintosh library plan should be ditched, says expert", The Herald, September 3).

This is total sacrilege of the most important of Mackintosh's buildings, and especially when across the road is the modern Reid building which has all the other facilities that the students would require to liaise with each other.

Mr Traub is correct in his definition of "Mockintosh" which implies a cheap and degrading imitation in a "style" of Mackintosh. but the restoration of the library will be treated with complete respect for style and materials by the team of architects and experts.

Pperhaps Mr Mullane would like to express his thoughts on the Art Lovers Building in Bellahouston Park, which has been meticulously constucted from drawings and understandings of Mackintosh's intentions, and has been a complete success, with no criticism of being "Mockintosh" in style.

William Sharp,

1/5 Victoria Mansions,

5 Old Castle Gardens,

Glasgow.

YOUR correspondent V Andrew Traub is mistaken if he thinks the Glasgow Scool of Art library had not outlived its usefulness and changed function.

It may have been a dripping roast for the tourist trade but had not been used as intended for many years. The same was true of the magnificent professors' studios in the Hen Run.

A careful replication, howver well done, could not replace the century of patination, real and imagined. The Glasgow School of Art is an astonishing living building.

Let it breathe. I have no doubt that Mackintosh would.

Robin Hume,

Ashpad,

Kirkoswald.