Mackintosh building sale is 'nail in the coffin' of Glasgow heritage

Stuart Robertson is a director of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh (CRM) Society and claims council leader Susan Aitken wasn’t even aware that the building was owned by the council when he met with her earlier this year.

He had already called it a ‘damning indictment’ of the council that it would discard such an historic building and insists the society will do all it can to save it.

The CRM Society has already saved the building, ocated on Parson Street in Townhead, once before when it was scheduled to be demolished in the 1970s when the motorway was being built and it was refurbished in the 1980s.

Glasgow School of Art fire hit Mackintosh designed library is yet to be refurbished while the Lighthouse building in Mitchell Street hasn’t opened since the pandemic and there are concerns the number of Rennie Mackintosh buildings is going to continue diminishing.

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It's unclear yet if other options for the building have been looked into it, with local MSP Paul Sweeney suggesting it could house another primary school. 

Mr Robertson said: “I wrote a piece in April about the state of Glasgow and it followed up with a meeting with Susan Aitken, the leader of the council. We talked about collaboration and heritage yet this has come out without any discussion.

“It was only an architect informed me on Monday it was happening and we had no idea.

“At the meeting, she didn’t know Martyrs' was one of their buildings which is nothing unusual within the council but it’s an important building.

“I spoke to the agent on Tuesday, there is no price on it but there will be a closing date. We are really concerned that the whole process by the council has been so fast and we have concerns about who will buy the property and if they’ll look after it.

“This is another problem in the city, a lot of buildings are being purchased and being left to rot.

“We’ve lost a lot of buildings. You could argue we've lost the Mack, the Lighthouse hasn’t reopened, Scotland Street school is undergoing restoration, so the actual collection of Mackintosh buildings has been heavily diminished over the last six or seven years.

“We’re concerned about its future. It’s part of our remit as a society to make sure Mackintosh buildings are looked after. This is just another nail in the coffin for Glasgow’s heritage which is a big concern.”

A council spokesperson said: “As a category A listed building, the former Martyrs’ School is protected. Any proposed changes by a buyer would be subject to listed building consent to ensure the special architectural design of the building is preserved.

“The council will seek to work with any prospective buyer to ensure a sustainable plan is put in place to maintain the building’s condition.

“Glasgow City Council is absolutely committed to supporting our built heritage in the city, and this includes investing in the buildings of one of our greatest - and certainly most famous - architects and designers, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, during what is a very challenging time for public finances.

“To illustrate support of our built heritage, we are investing £4.5m in Scotland Street School to preserve and protect the fabric and breathe new life into the building; we have also invested £450,000 in two Mackintosh-designed residential dwellings in Balgrayhill and £250,000 was invested on the Lighthouse’s building’s fabric in 2020.

“We are working with a range of organisations to promote the work of Mackintosh and protect his legacy. In the past decade, the council has invested over £278,000,000 in heritage buildings and projects in Glasgow.”

The Martyrs' School was one of the first buildings designed by Mackintosh, who was a senior assistant at the firm Honeyman and Keppie at the time.

Built on the street where the architect was born, his influence can be seen in the intricate ironwork, three ventilators with highly decorative finials and other small details.

Mackintosh had studied Japanese design at the Glasgow School of Art, and that influence is apparent in the projecting eaves on the stairwells, while some of his nascent art nouveau stylings can be seen around the doorways.

The doors at the Martyrs' School in Glasgow (Image: Gordon Terris)

The art critic of the Glasgow Herald of 7th March 1896 described the drawings of the new school as "a very mannered drawing of a building having little pretention to architectural effect, but quite suitable for its purpose".

The building was completed in 1898, with the architects' fee being 3% of the overall cost of construction.

The unusual name comes from the Church of Scotland Covenanters executed for their beliefs at the Townhead in 1684, with the building replacing an older one of the same name.

It has been variously used as an art space and office space for Glasgow City Council.

On Wednesday it was announced that the building had been put up for sale.

The listing said: "Situated in a prominent position adjacent to J15 of the M8 and Glasgow Royal Infirmary, the property is ideally located to provide an occupier with the benefits of a city centre location, whilst also offering excellent communication links. Internally the subjects are laid out to provide a number of large office suites, situated around a central atrium.

"There is lift and stair access to all levels. Internally there are a number of architectural features unique to Rennie Mackintosh."