ONE of Scotland’s top architects and a Glasgow School of Art alumnus believes a trust should be formed to take the rebuild project forward.
Professor Alan Dunlop’s backed fellow architect Paul Stallan’s concerns that a flawed tender system could see the fire-ravaged institution’s rebuild could come down to price over quality.
In yesterday’s Herald we revealed how Mr Stallan, co-founder of Stallan Brand, said that a strict formula which prefers price over quality will not only rule out skilful architects bidding for the rebuild tender, including his own firm, but claims the architect team which presents the cheapest price to undertake the work at the Art School can have a poor-to-average quality score and win the contract.
Read more: Glasgow School of Art Mac rebuild 'could be down to price'
Professor Dunlop said that under this procurement process, there is a danger that the lowest cost will determine the appointments, not the best architect and team for the project.
He said the faithful reinstatement should be like the Neues Museum in Berlin in its approach, but it must remain a working art school, not a museum. The Neues Museum refurbishment followed the principle of conservation rather than reconstruction.
Firefighters dampening down following the fire at the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) in the historic Mackintosh Building in Glasgow in 2018.
He added: “We should be keeping what we can of the original building, protecting it and building with utmost sensitivity within, a project that satisfies the current needs of the art school; fully respects the legacy of Mackintosh but which meets contemporary building standards. A Mackintosh Building Trust should be formed of experienced practitioners and experts who know what they are doing, separate from the board, to take on the project.”
In 2018 a fire caused catastrophic damage to the prized Mackintosh Building as it neared the end of a £35million restoration project following a previous blaze in May 2014.
Prof Dunlop described the rebuild as “the most important project in Scotland since the parliament building.”
He added: “So, like the parliament the selection process for an architect for the faithful reinstatement should have been appointment of assessors; invitations to submit, selection of a longlist of 12, followed by presentations.
Professor Alan Dunlop believes a trust should be established for the Glasgow School of Art rebuild
Prof Dunlop said it should also have included a selection shortlist of five with their assessment of brief; development of approach, ideas, confirmation of team presentation of proposals.
He also recommended a public exhibition, inviting comment, and final presentation to assessors and selection of architect and team.
Prof Dunlop added that at that stage fees should be submitted separately by each shortlisted practice and kept confidential.
"Once the architect team is selected on quality of their presentation throughout and their proposals, their fee is then opened," he added. "If it is considered to match within a percentage of the judged fee for the project, then appointment confirmed."
"As far as any technical upgrades are concerned to combat fire, the elements that made Mackintosh’s masterwork, the sweeping staircase from the ground to the first floor gallery, the open and double void access staircases at each end would make this very difficult to achieve without compromise.”
Damage caused after fire took hold at Glasgow School of Art
Mr Stallan, best known for designing the 2014 Commonwealth Games Village and his work on the Falkirk Wheel and Scottish Parliament, said with so much emotion for the building, the rebuild had to be right.
"For something as important as the rebuild of the Glasgow School of Art, with the procurement process, you would think you would want to drill down that little bit more to look at what the formula is offering.," he added.
The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) said it supports a procurement process that balances cost with achieving the best possible design outcomes.
A RIAS spokesman said: “This is a vitally important building for the city of Glasgow, and we would like to see a process which supports the very best architects to compete to produce a building of outstanding quality.”
Eleanor Magennis, GSA Director of Estates said they have worked hard to ensure that the procurement process is robust and transparent.
She added: “Central to our approach is a two-stage tender process with the first stage, which is currently open, based only on quality of past experience. The second stage is based on both quality and cost.” A Scottish Government spokesman said it is always open to discussing how to restore and refurbish Scotland’s buildings with the RIAS.
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