Almost 12 months after the Glasgow School of Art launched a contest to find an architect to oversee rebuilding work on the Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed building, the search has been abandoned and restarted.
In a statement, the school blamed a “technical error in the scoring matrix used in the procurement process”.
It said a new invitation would be issued ‘in due course’ following a ‘thorough’ review and that it remained committed to its original restoration timetable.
Glasgow MSP Paul Sweeney said the news was the “latest in a long line of setbacks” for the rebuild, which he described as “an unmitigated disaster from the outset.”
The restoration of the building, that dates back to 1909, is expected to cost more than £100 million and take until 2030 to complete.
More than 5,500 tonnes of fire-damaged material have been removed ahead of the reinstatement of the A-listed building’s internal structure and the installation of a temporary roof over the next few months.
The architectural significance of the building and its place within the cultural landscape of Glasgow is matched with the influence the Art School has had on local music, fashion, literature and social interactions.
GSA has attracted many of Glasgow’s most creative people. Here are some famous faces who studied at Glasgow School of Art.
5. John Byrne
Paisley-born artist and playwright John Byrne graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 1963. He went on to create the BBC Scotland series Tutti Frutti, which starred another Art School student, Robbie Coltrane - scenes from the series were filmed in the library of the Mackintosh building. Photo: Neil Hanna/TSPL
6. Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Before designing Glasgow School of Art's famous building, destroyed by fire twice in recent years, Charles Rennie Mackintosh studied there in the 1880s. He attended the school in the evenings while working as an apprentice architect during the day. He went on to become one of the most important figures in British art. Photo: Contributed
7. Pam Hogg
Fashion designer Pam Hogg studied textiles from 1973 to 1976. | pa Photo: PA
8. David Shrigley
David Shrigley may have only graduated with a 2:2 in environmental art in 1991, but he's now a hugely popular artist familiar even to those who have little interest in art. From greetings cards and pop videos, to tshirts and creating Partick Thistle FC mascot Kingsley, he's made a real mark on the world. Photo: Pascal Le Segretain