The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) has announced the date and venue for the first of two symposia to discuss issues surrounding the rebuilding of the Mackintosh Library.
GSA is involved in continuing efforts to raise £20m to restore its famous Grade A-listed Mackintosh building. The venue was badly damaged by a fire on 23 May.
While firefighters were able to save around 90% of the structure and 70% of its contents, the Mackintosh library was one of the most badly-damaged areas.
In a statement, the GSA confirmed the first symposia will be held at Querini Stampalia, Venice, on 18 October 2014. The second event is expected to be held in Glasgow in spring 2015.
The School has said the events will be "fundamental" to informing the GSA's construction plans.
Making the announcement, Professor Christopher Platt, Head of the Mackintosh School of Architecture at GSA, said: "What should the plans be for bringing the Mackintosh Building into full use once more and how should we approach the particular issue of the Macintosh Library?
"These are highly complex questions and by necessity any discussion must involve contributions from many different people and organisations from across the world.
"We will therefore host two symposia, the first in Venice this autumn and the second in Glasgow next spring, to explore the future of a space beloved by so many."
He continued: "We have decided to focus on the topic of the Mackintosh Library specifically as this is the most delicate and culturally and intellectually significant aspect of the entire post-fire work.
"The first symposium will open publicly the discussion about the issues associated with rebuilding the Mackintosh Library and it will generate key themes to inform the structure and content of the second symposium."
The event will take place during the 2014 International Venice Architecture Biennale, and members of the public will also be able to attend.
It will be aligned with the Scotland and Venice programme, presented by architects Reiach and Hall, as part of a residency at the UK Pavilion during the biennale.
Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop commented: "The Glasgow School of Art is an extraordinarily well-loved building, both here in Scotland and around the world. Charles Rennie Mackintosh's masterpiece has a very special place in the history of world architecture.
"The symposium at the Querini Stampalia, prior to the spring symposium in Glasgow, will provide an important opportunity with an international audience to discuss Mackintosh's Glasgow School of Art and, in particular, to consider the highly sensitive challenges relating to the rebuild of its library."
Stuart Cosgrove, director of Creative Diversity at Channel 4, will be facilitator for the Building on Mackintosh symposium next month, GSA gas said.
Details of speakers and of how to book a place at the event will be released in the near future.
(JP/IT)
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Latest Construction News
22/11/2024
SP Energy Networks has announced a major investment in Britain's electricity grid, selecting 19 preferred partners to deliver a £5.4bn supply chain programme. This significant initiative aims to meet increasing energy demand and facilitate future growth. The selected companies, many of which are ...
22/11/2024
Edinburgh City Council has launched a 12-week public consultation on a new strategy to revitalise Princes Street and the wider Waverley Valley. The vision aims to create a more vibrant and welcoming city centre, attracting investment, supporting businesses, and enhancing the visitor ...
22/11/2024
Ener-G Services Limited, a leading UK electrical engineering company specialising in renewables, marine, and offshore sectors, has expanded its operations in Westhill, Aberdeenshire. The company has leased Unit 6E at Kingshill Commercial Park, a 2,500 sq ft space, on a 5-year lease. This new ...
22/11/2024
A consortium of leading scientists, industry experts, and academic institutions has joined forces to accelerate Scotland's offshore wind sector. The £2.5 million project, led by the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with the University of Dundee and the Forth and Tay Offshore cluster (FTO), ...
22/11/2024
The Port of Aberdeen and Turner & Townsend were highly commended in the 'Engineering, Construction & Infrastructure Project of the Year' category at the APM Project Management Awards 2024. The award recognises excellence in project management and the positive impact on end-users. The £420 million ...
22/11/2024
South Lanarkshire Council's £10 million fire safety improvement programme has reached a significant milestone, with CCG (Scotland) completing installations in over 1,700 high-rise residences across East Kilbride and Cambuslang. The Glasgow-based construction firm has been working closely with the ...
22/11/2024
SSEN Transmission, a key player in the UK's energy transition, is set to further expand its workforce and move into a new, sustainable office space in Glasgow. The company's commitment to net zero and the increasing demand for green energy workers has led to significant growth, with the number of ...
22/11/2024
Scottish Water is investing in the upgrade of its Loch Eck clean water plant in Dunoon. The project involves replacing outdated dry well pumps with new, more reliable pumps capable of operating in both wet and dry conditions. WGM Engineering, an RSK Group company, has been tasked with carrying out ...
22/11/2024
Scottish Land & Estates has expressed serious concerns over the Scottish Government's Land Reform Bill, particularly the provisions that would allow ministers to force landowners to sell large estates in lots. Sarah-Jane Laing, the organisation's chief executive, stated that while the land-based ...
22/11/2024
Clark Contracts employees have once again shown their commitment to community engagement by volunteering at Silverburn Park in Leven. On Thursday, 21st November, 16 members of the team spent their day planting over 400 trees and carrying out other landscaping tasks. This latest volunteering effort ...