It has been months in the making, yet now our Glasgow School of Art Fires series is drawing to a close.
I have been blown away by the response we have had to our work which, ten years on from the first fire at the world-famous Mack building, has investigated all areas of what happened – and where things go from here as the landmark remains in ruins.
The variety of content my team has produced has been thorough and varied and, as always, I am immensely proud of what we have done, its delivery and presentation, and the energy across the newsroom.
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Our series, led by deputy head of content Deborah Anderson, was also raised at Holyrood on Thursday as calls were made for the Scottish Government to step in to secure the building’s future.
But I am most satisfied with how you, our readers, have received and responded to our work. You have been in touch, discussed our content on social media, subscribed to our website and bought our printed product. Thank you. Without you, your feedback and support, we would not be able to invest in our quality and trusted investigations.
So, what have been among your best-read articles? Let’s take a look.
Glasgow School of Art whistleblower has 'no regrets'
Professor Gordon Gibb - the architect who was dismissed by Glasgow School of Art for misconduct after alleging that leadership failings were responsible for both fires – spoke again with reporter Caroline Wilson. In a candid, and emotional interview, he spoke of his upset and frustration at the devastation of the Mack, and how he believes the second fire was a deliberate arson attack.
Glasgow School of Art: 19 months of 'inertia' over return of The Mack
Reporter Martin Williams looked at the long delays to the rebuilding project, detailing how a design team was supposed to have been in place by August 2022 – but is still not. As part of his piece, he called on the opinion of leading Scottish architect Alan Dunlop who, describing the Charles Rennie Mackintosh building as a ‘crown jewel’ in Scotland’s ‘art, architecture and historical inheritance’, said it was a ‘national scandal’ to be in the situation it finds itself in today.
Glasgow School of Art: My heart weeps at the needless loss of The Mack
“Zero progress, no rebuild, no transparency, no hope. Despite promises that it's committed to rebuild, and will "reopen as a graduate school in 2030”, no architect has yet been appointed. It’s a joke.” Bold and passionate writing from Clare Henry, a leading figure in the Scottish art world, as she spoke of her fears that the Mack building will never be rebuilt, or indeed remembered.
Read more:
Editor's Pick | Catherine Salmond: The four tricky questions we've tackled this week
Catch up on all our series articles here. One of my standouts comes from photographer Colin Mearns, who reflects on the privilege he has had over the years to capture the Mack building, and of course, his memories of the fires and their aftermaths.
Again, many thanks for your support.
Catherine Salmond,
Editor
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