Glasgow needs its Mack back
Complete restoration can be done
The good news is that this is possible technically. Early concerns that it might have to be pulled down because the remaining structure was unsafe have been laid to rest, architect and writer Douglas Murphy, wrote in Apollo magazine in September.
Another silver lining is that detailed recording done after the 2014 fire means that the interiors and design details are incredibly well documented. The public is behind faithful restoration of this treasure.
Murphy wrote: ‘Faithful restoration’ means a recreation of all of the significant spaces of the building – the library, the lecture theatre, director’s office and so on, as well as the studios, while making sure that the building conforms to contemporary regulations. In practice, while this locks in place the shape of the rooms and the materials used, behind the skin there is scope for things to change – the use of steel or concrete within floors for strength and fire resistance, for example, or the removal of the obsolete ventilation ducts that got the building into the mess it’s in now.”
If the leadership is there, the money can be found
A full restoration of the Mack can and must be done – and within years not decades. It will take political will. If leadership is there, the money can be found. Restoring the Mac is a chance to put money and commitment behind a project involving skilled work and training opportunities for the people of greater Glasgow and beyond. It offers hope, purpose and a way to create a sense of personal, civic and national pride.