Today the Mackintosh building at the Glasgow School of Art caught fire. Apparently it started in the cellar when a projector exploded, and a spark caught some expanding foam which then allowed the fire to spread throughout the entire building. If you don't know about the Mac building it's difficult to express the importance of it... not just in terms of Glasgow or Scotland, but for architecture and art in general. I mean i feel sick and teary eyed. The building was beautiful from outside and inside, the light and space etc..., but also stained glass, furniture, lights, bigger structures like staircases etc you had this rare position where while it was a piece of art itself, an A listed building demonstrating the best of art deco, and was a massive tourist attraction, it was still a school, used and abused every day by students. I remember walking around when i was much younger on a tour and being confused why people were painting and building things in the hallways. So over 100 years after it was built it was still being used as it was meant to be - by creatively minded people.
It's too early to say exactly what damage has been done but from speaking to people who were in the building / have been around it today, it looks like the old library has been destroyed, as has the famous 'hen run', not to mentions a considerable amount of smaller objects (furniture and glass etc). Structurally it seems bad as well, with parts of the roof destroyed. Today was also the deadline for work with the degree show in two weeks. Students stood outside and watched all their work from the past four years burn.
Here's what it used to look like:
We have lost the ultimate display of a genius and i am devastated.