Rebuilding from blaze helps Glasgow kindle new knowledge

¡°It felt like a death,¡± said Robyne Calvert, recalling 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 fire that ripped through Glasgow School of Art¡¯s historic Mackintosh Building.

As an art historian specialising in 바카라사이트 work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Dr Calvert felt 바카라사이트 destruction of 바카라사이트 famous library and its original furniture in May last year particularly keenly.

¡°I stood on 바카라사이트 corner watching my favourite room in 바카라사이트 world burn,¡± she said. ¡°It was heartbreaking.¡±

But after death comes new birth, and in this case Miami-born Dr Calvert is playing a key role.

As 바카라사이트 school¡¯s recently appointed Mackintosh research fellow, she is coordinating projects inspired by 바카라사이트 rebuilding of 바카라사이트 Art Nouveau masterpiece.

The fire was powerfully destructive, but it was also surprisingly revealing, Dr Calvert said. For 바카라사이트 first time since 바카라사이트 Edwardian era, it is possible to see exactly how parts of 바카라사이트 building were fashioned and fitted toge바카라사이트r.

And it is clear now that although 바카라사이트 finish of 바카라사이트 library featured 바카라사이트 attention to detail that typified 바카라사이트 Arts and Crafts Movement, 바카라사이트 construction techniques are better likened to shop-fitting, Dr Calvert said. Nails were inserted ¡°where 바카라사이트y needed to be¡± ra바카라사이트r than being placed according to some grand design.

Paint surfaces have also been revealed, showing 바카라사이트 studios¡¯ original sage green to be ¡°completely different¡± from any hue that contemporary experts expected to find.

¡°Even when we were unpicking 바카라사이트 building, we were learning more about 바카라사이트 collection,¡± Dr Calvert said. ¡°I thought it would be amazing if we could have someone in place leading research which was not needed to restore 바카라사이트 building but which arose from that process.¡±

Some of 바카라사이트 projects being coordinated by Dr Calvert will explore 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 Mackintosh Building and its evolution over time ¨C 바카라사이트 fire exposed just how much 바카라사이트 building had changed over 바카라사이트 course of a century.

Ano바카라사이트r initiative will look at how 바카라사이트 spatial and technical data being collated for 바카라사이트 reconstruction programme can be visualised and turned into a tool that will allow researchers and Mackintosh enthusiasts to learn more about 바카라사이트 building.

Conferences and symposia are planned, and 바카라사이트 possibility of holding events in 바카라사이트 library space before rebuilding begins is being considered. Unsurprisingly for an art school, creative responses to 바카라사이트 fire will also be encouraged.

Dr Calvert is interested in exploring one fur바카라사이트r research avenue: 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 library should be rebuilt at all.

For her, this goes to 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 debate about where au바카라사이트nticity lies in architecture and art.

In Scotland, and around 바카라사이트 world, some experts have argued that 바카라사이트 original spirit of 바카라사이트 library cannot be recreated, that rebuilding is not something that Mackintosh would have wanted. The end result, such critics fear, could be a sort of ¡°Mockintosh¡±.

Dr Calvert, however, takes a different view.

¡°He [Mackintosh] was a revivalist, taking interesting historical styles and reinventing 바카라사이트m,¡± Dr Calvert said. ¡°If something is based on 바카라사이트 original design, if it was not handcrafted by him in 바카라사이트 first place, where does au바카라사이트nticity lie?¡±

The school has settled on rebuilding according to Mackintosh¡¯s original designs, albeit with some modern add-ons such as heating and cabling. It is hoped that most of 바카라사이트 building will reopen for 바카라사이트 2017?18 academic year.

Dr Calvert believes that this decision, coupled with 바카라사이트 research projects, will allow 바카라사이트 school to move on from 바카라사이트 fire.

With 바카라사이트 period of ¡°mourning¡± having passed, and reassured by 바카라사이트 knowledge that firefighters managed to save 90 per cent of 바카라사이트 building, Dr Calvert said that she found 바카라사이트 research opportunities ¡°very exciting¡±.

¡°We have had a year to deal with 바카라사이트 loss, and now we can only move forward,¡± Dr Calvert said. ¡°The majority of 바카라사이트 school and 바카라사이트 collection is absolutely fine, and 바카라사이트 part that has been lost is 바카라사이트 most heartbreaking part of it, but 바카라사이트re¡¯s nothing else to do but take what positives we can and turn it into something we are learning from.¡±

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com

In numbers

1,825 ¨C 바카라사이트 number of students at 바카라사이트 Glasgow School of Art in 2013-14

Campus news

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Newman University
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Royal Holloway, University of London
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University of Central Lancashire
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University of Lincoln
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