Fire destroys Kier restoration of Glasgow School of Art

Grant Prior 6 years ago
Share

The Glasgow School of Art has been gutted by another major fire four years after part of the building was destroyed by flames.

Pictures from the Police Scotland helicopter reveal the extent of the damage
Pictures from the Police Scotland helicopter reveal the extent of the damage

Kier is currently working on a major restoration project following the first blaze in May 2014.

The contractor has been on site since the summer of 2016 overseeing repair work worth £35m.

The two-stage project has involved restoration of the Mackintosh building’s roof before restoring the west wing and upgrading the east wing interior of the school.

Kier’s contract was scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.

The latest blaze broke out of Friday night and has taken 120 firefighters to get under control.

The blaze engulfed the Glasgow School of Arts and spread to neighbouring buildings.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Peter Heath told the BBC the fire damage was “exceptionally significant”.

He said it was likely that all the restoration work carried out since the last fire had been destroyed.

Experts are predicting that the entire project may have to be rebuilt, depending on the assessment of the present building’s facade, which could see the cost of a rebuild soar to £100m.

Professor Billy Hare, lecturer in construction management Glasgow Caledonian said that a brick-by-brick restoration was looking a likely option but would be the most expensive solution.

A Kier spokesperson said: “Kier has been working with the Glasgow School of Art since 2016 on the restoration of the Mackintosh building and so we share the devastation felt by the School and the wider public at this time.

“We are working closely with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in their investigation and as such it would be inappropriate to comment further whilst an investigation is ongoing.”

Muriel Gray, chair of the Board of Governors, said: “We now have a difficult waiting game until Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Glasgow City Council and associated agencies have completed their investigations into the condition of the building.”

Glasgow MP Paul Sweeney has posted videos on Twitter highlighting the fire damage:

Latest news

McAlpine signs £500m Broadgate dual towers deal

Work to start on iconic 36-storey and 21-storey towers
15 hours ago

Worker rescued from collapsed four metre deep trench

Fire crews take six hours to save trapped builder near Blackwall Tunnel
19 hours ago

Gove puts another major building scheme on hold

Secretary of State starts another planning fight after M&S defeat
2 days ago

Greenwich University tenders £300m framework

Up to five firms will carry out upgrade and newbuild work at three campuses
20 hours ago

Work starts on Manchester 26-storey Obsidian tower

Contractor Domis starts Salboy's 10th Manchester scheme in seven years
18 hours ago

Race for £1.3bn West Midlands social homes framework

The Community Housing Group reboots tender race for new build housing
18 hours ago

Delancey submits £400m King’s Cross lab plans

200,000 sq ft lab/office project will be built above railway and tube tunnels just 4.5m below
1 day ago

Winners revealed for £150m fire safety framework

New deal will help organisations comply with the Building Safety Act
19 hours ago

Sellar plans £500m City tower next to Walkie-Talkie

Consultation starts on London 60 Gracechurch Street tower
2 days ago

Severfield ends year on high with record order book

Orders top £500m with strong future pipeline of opportunities ahead
2 days ago

Second senior director exits National Highways

Commercial director Malcolm Dare set to move on to new role
2 days ago

New scheme fuels London lab building boom

Plans in for 160,000 sq ft Whitechapel scheme near Royal London hospital
2 days ago

Contract race starts for next £155m section of A9 dualling

Prior Information Notice published for Tay Crossing to Ballinluig stretch
2 days ago

£55m Sheffield build-to-rent scheme approved

Demolition to start later this year for 158-flat Sheffield Garden project
2 days ago

London back as most expensive place to build in world

Capital leapfrogs Geneva to top costliest construction rankings
3 days ago

Gas supplier Regent to buy TClarke for £90m

£491m turnover listed building services specialist to be sold
3 days ago

Steel contractor Billington launches into bridge market

Steelwork firm hires staff from failed architectural and bridge specialist SH Structures
3 days ago

McGee employees benefit from rise in profits

Pre-tax profit doubles boosting payouts for Employee Ownership Trust
3 days ago

Lendlease veteran is latest new McAlpine director

Paul Sims joins as Operations Director after 40 years at rival contractor
3 days ago

Costain signs site labour supply deal with four firms

Contractor to use only a quartet of providers for temporary labour supply
3 days ago

BAM go-ahead for Leeds 200,000 sq ft office

Latitude Yellow will complete final plot at Doncaster Monk Bridge site
3 days ago

VolkerFitzpatrick wins £30m logistics job

Latest deal to build five distribution units for Prologis UK
4 days ago

Trio win new Scape utilities consultancy framework

Perfect Circle, AtkinsRéalis and Arcadis win places on
3 days ago

Precast firm FP McCann cleared after immigration raid

Home Office takes no action after public raid on construction site
4 days ago

Wates-owned SES restructure delivers record profit and revenue

Building services contractor revenue soars to almost £300m
4 days ago

25 groundworks firms win £100m Places for People deal

M&J Evans, Carmac and Churngold Construction feature in housing association's line-up
4 days ago

Energy efficiency firms angry at lack of CITB support

SME contractors funding bid "does not meet the current criteria for supporting productivity or EDI"
4 days ago

£400m South Cambridge science park approved

Outline approval allows former sewage treatment works to be demolished
4 days ago

McLaren gets green light for 45-storey Leeds tower

Landmark Wellington Square scheme will see 464 flats built with 360,000 sq ft of offices
7 days ago

Heavy rain causes 1.9% construction output fall

Hopes remain undampened of a resi-led recovery this summer
7 days ago

Contractor services