I am passing this on from the Traditional Architecture listserv. Since Niall is an architect and not a librarian, he offers information from the structural point of view.


Lucy


Lucy Minogue Rowland, MS, MLS
Professor Emerita
Director, Louis T. Griffith Library
Georgia Museum of Art
90 Carlton Street
Athens, GA 30602
[log in to unmask]
From: Traditional Architecture Listserv List <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Niall Murphyniallgi <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, May 23, 2014 6:46 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Glasgow School of Art is on Fire
 
The statement says 70% of the contents have been saved. It's the 30% I worry about because I fear it is the library. 

It can't possibly have survived. You could see through the windows that it was well ablaze and there is still smoke coming out of the library windows though the fire fighters were angling in jets of water from the roof of the Bourdon Building opposite so as to dowse it when the fire was at its height.

The fact that the roof above is gone is critical because the library structure was suspended from the roof trusses. 

The structure is unusual in that the lecture theatre sits at the base of the west wing two floors below the library. For obvious reasons the lecture theatre has to be column free so the loadings for the library had to be transferred back up to roof level. The wooden columns that you see in photographs of the library actually just conceal the iron or steel hangers (I'd need to check). From recollection it was the floor above the library were the Mackintosh archive was held. I suspect the entire structure will have collapsed in upon itself when the elaborate roof trusses went.

I know that there was a conservator and archival programme to record as much of Mackintosh's output as possible so items were being digitized. I'm not sure how advanced that was though.

It is great news that no lives were lost and so much has been saved - a testament to the firefighters - but I suspect they are putting a brave face on it - the library is irreplaceable. It was the culmination of Mackintosh's achievement and the most profound space in the building. It is a major loss.


On 23 May 2014, at 22:10, Lucy Minogue Rowland <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Roy, I looked deeper and the Mackintosh's archives are probably destroyed. We can only hope that some or all were digitized at some point, but that's doubtful unless there was enough money at some point to do so. In libraries and archives that is almost never unless a benefactor comes along and writes the check.


I looked at images of the beautiful art nouveau library, hoping that the books were shelved very tightly, but it looks like they were not, which means 100% destroyed. If books are tightly shelved, often they can be salvaged because there is no room for the fire to engulf the volumes, just the bindings. When University of Georgia Main Library had an arson fire in 2003, most of the books only needed cleaning and a few needed rebinding, if they were shelved tight. Of course, UGA has metal shelving, concrete walls and subflooring, and Mackintosh has/had mahogany shelves and paneling, and wood floors.


Oddly, I sent this out to the ARLIS (Art Librarians Society of North America) listserv about 11 am. No one knew about it until it was posted, but there were many who replied about the tremendous loss of the building and the library.


I'm afraid that the Mackintosh Library likely will not be salvaged. That is just heartbreaking on so many levels.


Lucy Minogue Rowland, MS, MLS
Professor Emerita
Director, Louis T. Griffith Library
Georgia Museum of Art
90 Carlton Street
Athens, GA 30602
[log in to unmask]
From: Traditional Architecture Listserv List <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Roy Lewis <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, May 23, 2014 4:45 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Glasgow School of Art is on Fire
 

Friday, 23 May 2014

Updated statement from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service on the Mackintosh Building

A MULTI AGENCY PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY SFRS.

Firefighters battling the blaze at the iconic Macintosh Building in Glasgow City Centre have prevented the destruction of both the structure and the majority of its contents.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service crews are continuing work to fully extinguish the fire and save artworks.

With the incident under control indications are the firefighters' efforts have ensured more than 90 per cent of the structure is viable and protected up to 70 per cent of the contents - including many students' work.

Assistant Chief Officer Dave Boyle, director of service delivery on the west, said: "Crews have been working absolutely flat out throughout this very challenging incident and it is clear their effort and skill has saved this treasured building and many of the items it housed.

"While the priority from the outset was to save life we have also been working closely with Glasgow School of Art staff to ensure firefighters conducted an effective salvage operation.

"We are of course very conscious the Macintosh is a world renowned building that is a key feature of this great city, and that the artworks it stores are not only valuable but also cherished.

"We are acutely aware this period is the culmination of years of endeavour for students and that their irreplaceable work is inside the Macintosh.

"Work to save everything that can be saved is ongoing and we will continue to work closely with GSA staff and students throughout this operation."

A spokesperson for Glasgow School of Art added: "We would like to express our very sincere thanks to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for their tremendous efforts throughout today."

ENDS.

Note to editors: It is not anticipated that any further releases will be issued overnight.

[log in to unmask]
Posted by at 9:20 pm 

Statement from Muriel Gray, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Glasgow School of Art

Statement from Muriel Gray, Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Glasgow School of Art





































































On May 23, 2014, at 8:25 AM, Niall Murphy <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

And it looks bad:


An eyewitness said the fire appeared to have started in the basement of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh building in Renfrew Street just before 12:30.

Smoke is billowing from the main windows, which are cracking, and through the attic studios

That means it has spread up circa 6 floors.

Not good news and on the day that Holl's new building opposite has just picked up a prestigious award.

* * * * * * * The Tradarch List is an open forum for the discussion of the theory and practice of traditional architecture; It is affiliated with the Certificate in Classical Architecture at the University of Miami School of Architecture. Please direct enquiries to the listowner, Dr Richard John ([log in to unmask]). To join (or leave) the listserv, or to browse its archives, visit www.tradarch.net.

* * * * * * * The Tradarch List is an open forum for the discussion of the theory and practice of traditional architecture; It is affiliated with the Certificate in Classical Architecture at the University of Miami School of Architecture. Please direct enquiries to the listowner, Dr Richard John ([log in to unmask]). To join (or leave) the listserv, or to browse its archives, visit www.tradarch.net.
* * * * * * * The Tradarch List is an open forum for the discussion of the theory and practice of traditional architecture; It is affiliated with the Certificate in Classical Architecture at the University of Miami School of Architecture. Please direct enquiries to the listowner, Dr Richard John ([log in to unmask]). To join (or leave) the listserv, or to browse its archives, visit www.tradarch.net.
* * * * * * * The Tradarch List is an open forum for the discussion of the theory and practice of traditional architecture; It is affiliated with the Certificate in Classical Architecture at the University of Miami School of Architecture. Please direct enquiries to the listowner, Dr Richard John ([log in to unmask]). To join (or leave) the listserv, or to browse its archives, visit www.tradarch.net.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mail submissions to [log in to unmask] For information about joining ARLIS/NA see: http://www.arlisna.org/join.html Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc) to [log in to unmask] ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance: http://lsv.arlisna.org Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at: [log in to unmask]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~