I COMPLETELY agree with Matthew Kavanagh (Letters, June 25) about reinstating the Glasgow School of Art.
Architecture is carried out from drawings so that it can be reproduced without any loss of validity, in contrast to painting where to lose the artist’s original touch is to lose the essence and value of the work. In Japan, with a historically sophisticated view of architecture and design, there are timber temples which have been rebuilt many times to the same pattern over many centuries and are considered to be the same buildings.
The letter mentions “municipal vandalism”. When I first entered the office of Basil Spence in the 1950s, work was proceeding on his Gorbals flats which have now been demolished. Though not of the calibre of the Mackintosh Building, these might have been protected as being a distinctive design.
Glasgow should take a positive view of the fires and consider setting out a future plan for the reconstruction of the area round the building, which is in part damaged also.
Thus there would be a constructive result from the seeming tragedy which would also enable architects to pay homage to Glasgow’s genius.
Iain WD Forde
Scotlandwell
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