MACKINTOSH CONSERVATION + ACCESS PROJECT

The Glasgow School of Art inhabits an astonishing and amazing building, which draws visitors from all over the world to explore and admire the detail of its architectural originality and ingenuity, or to study the fine historical collections.

We need to conserve these valuable assets, while encouraging people to share the extraordinary building and its collections, explaining their importance and value, furthering their understanding and ensuring the visitors' experience is the best possible.

The Mackintosh Conservation and Access Project rises to that challenge, conserving the fabric, and restoring original features of the A listed Mackintosh building, offering enhanced visitor access to key interiors and allowing other rooms to revert to their original purpose, and encouraging access to all the School's heritage assets.

• The first phase, completed in 1899, cost 21,000 - 50% overbudget
• The second phase was completed 10 years later during which period Mackintosh honed his skills on other commissions
• Circus animals were frequent visitors to the Building so that the students could draw them
• A work of art in which to make works of art - with the finest painting studios in the world - Professor Christopher Frayling, Rector RCA
• The Glasgow School Art has the largest collection of Mackintosh furniture in the world
• The base of the south facade is nearly 11m lower than the north facade - equivalent to the height of an average house
• The original clocks operated under a master and slave system where the master clock set a synchronized time for all of the other slave clocks throughout the building
• The Mackintosh Building was one of the first buildings in Glasgow to have electricity and air conditioning
• Over 20,000 visitors tour the building annually
• The Hen Run was used for firewatching duties during the Second World War