Fire guts Glasgow school of art for second time in 4 years

The building, widely rated as the masterpiece of Glasgow-born architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh and completed in 1909, was hit by the latest fire overnight Friday.

Peter Heath of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service told reporters that the call had come in at 11:19 p.m., sending more than 120 firefighters and 20 fire engines to the site.

Heath said people should be prepared for what they would see after the blaze had been put out: “The damage to this building, regrettably, is very extensive.”

He said that “every part of the building” had been affected and that part of the roof had collapsed.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, and the cause of the fire was not immediately clear.

Footage shared on social media showed flames and smoke billowing from the roof. Heath told reporters that the blaze had “consumed” the building and spread to adjacent structures, including a cinema and shops.

“The fire has taken hold of several properties including the O2 ABC nightclub, causing extensive damage,” Heath said.

Deputy Chief Officer Iain Bushell, in charge at the scene, said, “We would urge the occupants of surrounding buildings to remain indoors and keep their windows closed,” according to The Associated Press.

Scotland has deep emotional ties to the building. “In such an iconic building, which has such affection not just for the people of Scotland but for people around the world, any damage in the building has a devastating effect,” Heath, of the fire service, said.

The leader of the Scottish government, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, said on Twitter that she was heartbroken: “My first thoughts tonight are for the safety of people — but my heart also breaks for Glasgow’s beloved @GSofA.”

David Mundell, the Scotland secretary in the British government, tweeted that he was “devastated,” adding that his government was “ready to help, financially or otherwise.” He had visited the building only two weeks ago.

The Art Nouveau building, which housed a working art school, is considered a work of art in its own right. It was best known for its library — a multitiered gem, with distinctive fin-de-siècle chandelier lighting; carefully wrought colored balustrades; elongated windows; and ornamental carvings on tables.

The 2014 fire started below the library, when an overhead projector ignited solvent in a student’s artwork, and destroyed much of the interior’s western half.

As restoration work began, the art school’s director, professor Tom Inns, said that the 2014 fire had proved to be “a significant catalyst in how we think about the space.”

A new fire-safety system, with a misting infrastructure, was to be part of the restoration work.

The campus began a fundraising appeal with a goal of 32 million pounds (now about $42.5 million) to help restore the building. Celebrities like actors Brad Pitt and Peter Capaldi were among those who signed up as trustees to help the Glasgow School of Art raise 20 million pounds toward the restoration.

Pitt’s interest in architecture is well known; and Capaldi, of “Doctor Who” fame, studied at the school in the 1980s. He recorded a tribute to the art students whose works were either damaged or destroyed during the 2014 blaze.

The building had been scheduled to reopen around spring next year, an official told the BBC.

“Devastated that a major fire has broken out at the Glasgow School of Art tonight,” the shadow minister for Scotland, Paul Sweeney, tweeted, calling the Mackintosh “the most architecturally important building in Glasgow.”

Some students had graduated from the school earlier Friday. People stood on the street in shock as they watched firefighters battle the blaze.

Alan Dunlop, a professor of architecture, told The Times of London that the second fire appeared to have “gutted” the entire building.

“Judging by the photographs I can’t see any restoration possible for the building itself,” Dunlop said. “It looks as if the building is totally destroyed.”

Connor Neil, a 22-year-old chef from Glasgow, said that residents were being evacuated from their homes and that a “big orange light” from the school could be seen from far away, the AP said.

A number of roads around the art school were closed while fire crews used water from the Clyde River to tackle the blaze. Later Saturday, officials said the blaze had been mostly contained.

According to the BBC, the school has produced many of Britain’s leading contemporary artists, including Douglas Gordon, Alison Watt, David Shrigley, along with three recent winners of the Turner Prize: Simon Starling, who won in 2005; Richard Wright, 2009; and Martin Boyce, 2011.

The building had attracted around 25,000 visitors each year before the 2014 blaze, with tours conducted by art school students.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Fire guts Glasgow school of art for second time in 4 years

It was the second time in four years that a blaze has hit the world-famous and beloved building, which was under restoration after a fire badly damaged it in May 2014.

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