THE proposals by Roger Bilcliffe to the Culture Committee of the Scottish Parliament on the change of responsibility for the Mackintosh building have a great deal of merit ("GSA should give up Mackintosh Building, says expert", The Herald, September 19). The statements made by the members of the board of the Glasgow School of Art that it will be rebuilt are admirable but lack substance. What will be created is a replica as the original has been destroyed. While some of the cost of the restoration will be cover by insurance it is doubtful of donors will commit significant fund unless there are greater guarantees these will not go up in smoke.
The board of the GSA, including its chair Muriel Gray, have I believe been negligent in their stewardship of this magnificent building. To have a serious fire as a result of an accident is unfortunate, to have a second, more catastrophic event is unforgivable. Whatever fire prevention measures they insisted on during the rebuild were inadequate and in my view highlight their incompetence to oversee such a major project.
They do not appear to accept any responsibility for events that destroyed the Mack, causing significant other damage and hardship to their neighbours as well as the people of Glasgow. They had a second chance and it is not apposite to give them a third. It is time for a change. A reconstructed Mack as an exhibition space in the heart of Glasgow would a welcome addition to cultural landscape of the city.
Sandy Tuckerman,
11 Southpark Avenue, Prestwick.
PERHAPS before decisions are made regarding the rebuilding of the Mackintosh Building, consideration could be given to different locations. The current cramped site does not allow for the opportunity to view the building and fully appreciate the design.
The proposed costs of rebuilding could be used to regenerate other areas of the city while recreating the building in its former glory. My own initial suggestion would be the Townhead area of Glasgow, birthplace of Mackintosh and location of one of his early works, the Martyrs' School. This would form a tourist hub, being close to Glasgow Cathedral and the Museum of Religion. It is also at the heart of Glasgow's education district, being close to the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow City College and Glasgow Caledonian University.
There are no doubt many practical issues of which I am unaware but I believe that a wider discussion should take place before embarking on such a major long-term project.
J Wilson,
Wemyss Avenue, Glasgow.
THE GSA needs to get its act together and be a wee bit more open with the facts and figures. Muriel Gray has stated that the £100 million sum being quoted for the rebuild of the Mack has been plucked out of the air and that the the board will have no idea of the costs until they know the full scale of the damage. Anyone who has been keeping up to date with the saga should be well aware that the damage merits a total rebuild from foundations up. If the building has been properly insured then there should be no worries there, as the insured sum would have been based on a worst-case scenario. According to Ms Gray there is also some of the money from the 2014 appeal remaining. Why are there never any details of financial justification for the need of fundraising?
George Dale,
21 Oakwood Drive, Beith.
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