Steven Holl Architects, in collaboration with Glasgow-based JM Architects, has won by unanimous vote the international design competition for the new building of the Glasgow School of Art on the site opposite Charles Rennie Mackintosh's landmark building.
Though the competition was to find an architect-led team and not to select a design, the choice makes pefect sense given Holl's proficiency and interest in the use and expression of light in his work. It is a perfect match for Mackintosh's building which itself was groundbreaking for its push-pull typology of light.
"The Selection Committee considered that Steven Holl Architects' work showed a poetic use of light and their submission demonstrated a singular creative vision, scale of ambition, profound clarity and a respectful rivalry for the Mackintosh Building. The Committee believed that Holl's approach to the craft of building, his understanding of the opportunities of new technology and an enjoyment of the challenges of sustainable design, promised a great step forward in the development of architecture in an urban setting."
The building is composed studio volumes shaped by light and connected by a "circuit of connection" which encourages the creative contact central to the workings of the school.
Some have expressed dissapointment in the decision preferring a native architect for the job. However given the stature of the existing building, it is fitting that a global search procured a fitting match.
Link: Steven Holl Architects
Steven Holl Architects, in collaboration with Glasgow-based JM Architects, has won by unanimous vote the international design competition for the new building of the Glasgow School of Art on the site opposite Charles Rennie Mackintosh's landmark building.
Though the competition was to find an architect-led team and not to select a design, the choice makes pefect sense given Holl's proficiency and interest in the use and expression of light in his work. It is a perfect match for Mackintosh's building which itself was groundbreaking for its push-pull typology of light.
"The Selection Committee considered that Steven Holl Architects' work showed a poetic use of light and their submission demonstrated a singular creative vision, scale of ambition, profound clarity and a respectful rivalry for the Mackintosh Building. The Committee believed that Holl's approach to the craft of building, his understanding of the opportunities of new technology and an enjoyment of the challenges of sustainable design, promised a great step forward in the development of architecture in an urban setting."
The building is composed studio volumes shaped by light and connected by a "circuit of connection" which encourages the creative contact central to the workings of the school.
Some have expressed dissapointment in the decision preferring a native architect for the job. However given the stature of the existing building, it is fitting that a global search procured a fitting match.
Link: Steven Holl Architects