News Release
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| Steven Holl in a driven void ©mcateer photograph |
The £50m phase 1 of the campus development at The Glasgow School
of Art reached a key stage today, 7 May 2013, with the Topping Out of the new
building. Designed by New York-based Steven Holl Architects in partnership with
JM architects (Glasgow) and Arup Engineering, it is one of the most significant
buildings currently under construction in the UK. The team from Steven Holl
Architects flew into Glasgow from New York specially for the Topping Out ceremony,
which saw Professor Seona Reid, Director of The Glasgow School of Art, and
Steven Holl completing work on a small area of the roof, whilst Works Manager,
Seamus McGowan of Sir Robert McAlpine, nailed a traditional bough of evergreen
on the building representing future growth.
The phase 1 development of the GSA campus has seen part of the
estate that was no longer fit for purpose replaced with a purpose-built
academic building housing design school studios and offices, technical
workshops and digital media labs, lecture facilities, communal staff and
student areas, exhibition spaces, and a new Mackintosh interpretation centre.
The site also includes a radical refurbishment of the GSA Student’s Union,
affectionately known as “the Vic”.
“Over the last year the building
site has been a hive of activity as this wonderful building has risen from the
ground and revealed its elegance and originality,” says Professor Reid, Director of
The Glasgow School of Art. “Today’s
Topping Out ceremony is a landmark occasion for all the many people who have
been involved in this exciting development. We are delighted to have Steven
Holl and Chris McVoy with us today along with the team from JM Architects and
representatives from Sir Robert McAlpine and Arup Engineering. We are looking forward eagerly to the time
when we can occupy the building and watch it providing an inspiring new
environment for the creative endeavours of our staff and students.”
site has been a hive of activity as this wonderful building has risen from the
ground and revealed its elegance and originality,” says Professor Reid, Director of
The Glasgow School of Art. “Today’s
Topping Out ceremony is a landmark occasion for all the many people who have
been involved in this exciting development. We are delighted to have Steven
Holl and Chris McVoy with us today along with the team from JM Architects and
representatives from Sir Robert McAlpine and Arup Engineering. We are looking forward eagerly to the time
when we can occupy the building and watch it providing an inspiring new
environment for the creative endeavours of our staff and students.”
In designing the new building
Steven Holl Architects and JM Architects were influenced by Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s
inventive manipulation of space to deploy light in inspiring ways, as witnessed
the 1909 Art School building. Driven voids of light will deliver natural
light through the depth of the new building providing a direct connection with
the outside world and the changing intensity and colour of the sky. The
signature driven voids are now in place, whilst another key feature of the
design – the circuit of connection which flows seamlessly through the building
linking studios and communal spaces – is taking shape.
Steven Holl Architects and JM Architects were influenced by Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s
inventive manipulation of space to deploy light in inspiring ways, as witnessed
the 1909 Art School building. Driven voids of light will deliver natural
light through the depth of the new building providing a direct connection with
the outside world and the changing intensity and colour of the sky. The
signature driven voids are now in place, whilst another key feature of the
design – the circuit of connection which flows seamlessly through the building
linking studios and communal spaces – is taking shape.
“With great enthusiasm we
celebrate the topping out of our new building for The Glasgow School of Art,”
says Steven Holl. “ An homage to Mackintosh in space, the “driven voids” yield
a spatial energy while being the vertical structure, bringing in light,
circulating air and marking time.
celebrate the topping out of our new building for The Glasgow School of Art,”
says Steven Holl. “ An homage to Mackintosh in space, the “driven voids” yield
a spatial energy while being the vertical structure, bringing in light,
circulating air and marking time.
We always felt a silent façade
would contrast best with the masterwork of the Mackintosh building and behind
that calm street front, inspiring interior spaces. It is a joy to see them in
real light.
would contrast best with the masterwork of the Mackintosh building and behind
that calm street front, inspiring interior spaces. It is a joy to see them in
real light.
The phase 1 development of the GSA campus is being constructed by
Sir Robert McAlpine. Director, Boyd
McFee, said:
Sir Robert McAlpine. Director, Boyd
McFee, said:
“Sir Robert McAlpine is delighted
to celebrate the topping out today of what will be a spectacular new building.
Topping out is a significant milestone on the project and represents a major
achievement for the entire team.”
to celebrate the topping out today of what will be a spectacular new building.
Topping out is a significant milestone on the project and represents a major
achievement for the entire team.”
“The company has a long
history of delivering landmark projects in Glasgow, from the Emirates Arena and
the M74 Completion stretching back to the Singer factory and sections of the Glasgow
District Subway. This fantastic building will add to our proud catalogue of
achievement.”
history of delivering landmark projects in Glasgow, from the Emirates Arena and
the M74 Completion stretching back to the Singer factory and sections of the Glasgow
District Subway. This fantastic building will add to our proud catalogue of
achievement.”
Ends
Images available from Getty
Lesley Booth 0779 941 4474 / press@gsa.ac.uk
Julia van den Hout +1 212 629
7262 x20 / julia@stevenholl.com
Notes for Editors
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The Glasgow School of Art’s
Estate redevelopment plan: The Phase 1
building is the first element of the GSA’s wider estates strategy, which will
see its currently scattered, inefficient and predominantly unfit-for-purpose
campus consolidated along Renfrew Street and which – when complete – will
provide the facilities and quality of campus environment needed for creative
education and research in the visual disciplines in the 21st century. The Phase
1 building is set to open in the 2013/2014 academic year. The Scottish Funding
Council (SFC) committed funding up to £50 million towards the Phase 1 building.
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The Glasgow School of Art is internationally recognised as one of
Europe’s foremost university-level institutions for creative education and
research in fine art, design and architecture. It is a creative hothouse, a small
concentrated community of committed, creative people bound together by a shared
visual language and a concern for visual culture. At the heart of one of
Europe’s most influential and creative artistic communities the GSA provides an
energetic environment in which new ideas can flourish. Its Researchers produce work
that influences world culture by generating new knowledge through creativity
and conceptual thinking, and the GSA supports economic growth through knowledge
exchange and the application of creativity and innovation. Since the School was
founded in 1845 as one of the first Government Schools of Design, as a centre
of creativity promoting good design for the manufacturing industries, the GSA’s
role has continually evolved and been redefined to reflect the needs of the
communities of which it is part of, embracing in the late 19th century fine art
and architecture education and today, digital technology. For further
information on The Glasgow School of Art visit www.gsa.ac.uk
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Steven Holl Architects has realised
architectural works nationally and overseas, with extensive experience in the
arts (including museum, gallery and exhibition design), campus and educational
facilities, residential work and master planning. Steven Holl Architects is a
40-person architecture and urban design office founded in 1976, and working
globally as one office from two locations; New York City and Beijing. Steven
Holl leads the office with partners Chris McVoy and Noah Yaffe. Most recently
completed are the Campbell Sports Center at Columbia University (New York, USA)
which opened in March 2013, the Daeyang Gallery and House (Seoul, Korea) from
June 2012, and the Sliced Porosity Block-Raffles City (Chengdu, China) which
opened in November 2012. Currently in construction are the new Glasgow School
of Art (Glasgow, UK), the Nanjing Sifang Museum of Art (Nanjing, China), and
the Beirut Marina (Beirut, Lebanon). For more information on the work of Steven Holl Architects, please
visit www.stevenholl.com
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jmarchitects are a national practice with studios
in Abu Dhabi, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, London and Manchester. We are
a designed based practice with Design Directors leading each of our studios. We work in a range of industry sectors and have
gained a considerable reputation for making architecture of the highest order
in both Great Britain and Internationally. Our
key Design Directors are Ian Alexander and Henry McKeown. Both teach in the Mackintosh School of Architecture and are
both highly involved in the GSA