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Steven Holl Architects Design for the Glasgow School of Art
Redevelopment Unveiled
Glasgow, 17 September 2010 - The plans for Phase 1 of The Glasgow School of Art
re-development were released today. Designed by Steven Holl Architects in
partnership with JM Architects (Glasgow) and Arup Engineering, the new building
will replace the Foulis Building and Newbery Tower on Renfrew Street opposite the
Mackintosh building and significantly refurbish the Assembly Building which
houses the Students’ Union.
Steven Holl Architects was appointed last September following an international
competition to design a new building for the Art School which would enhance significantly
the teaching, learning and research facilities available to GSA students and staff as well
as providing access to new publicly accessible spaces including exhibition galleries and
the Windows on the Mack interpretation area for the Mackintosh Building.
Inspired by Mackintosh’s inventive manipulation of his 1909 Art School building’s plan

and section to introduce and deploy light in a tremendous variety of inspiring and
successful ways, the new design complements its neighbour, but moves forward using a
new language of light. With well proportioned studio and workshop spaces at the core of
teaching and making art, these spaces are arranged in plan and section with natural side
and top light for inspiring work environments, supplemented with ‘driven voids of light’
that penetrate the building’s core and deliver natural light through its depth; providing
direct connectivity with the outside world through the changing intensity and color of the
sky.

The design provides much needed studios and centralized workshop facilities, the Center
for Advanced Textiles, new digital media spaces, a lecture theatre and seminar rooms,
exhibition space, a refectory for staff and students and a range of informal learning areas.
The interpretation centre for the Mackintosh Building, phase 4 of the... [continues]

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