The multi-million pound fundraising campaign to transform the campus of one of Scotland's leading art schools has received a major donation.
The WM Mann Foundation has made a donation of £90,000 towards the Mackintosh Campus Appeal for the Glasgow School of Art, as more details of its plans for its new site, the former Stow College building, were revealed.
The brick building, next to the M8 motorway at the foot of Garnethill, will be topped with a dramatic new level by architects BDP, with large windows providing panoramic views of Glasgow and the surrounding hills.
The Stow building, acquired by the art school in the summer, will open to GSA students in September next year.
Built in 1930, the former college building will be turned into multiple studios and workshops for art school students.
The GSA will move into the building, which has two interior spaces which will be newly covered with glass roofs.
Paul Cosgrove, the head of sculpture and environmental art, and academic liaison for the project, said that there are also plans to transform the exterior land of the building, possibly including an outdoor sculpture studio - for large works - as well as other facilities.
He said that a new floor would be added to the interior, creating a central court space.
Mr Cosgrove said that the revamp of the large building would strip it back to its 1930s origins, retaining its original brickwork and ironmongery, with high ceilings.
The new donation from the WM Mann Foundation is one of the largest gifts they have made.
The Foundation has handed out around £2.5m in grants since it was set up in 1988 by Bill Mann.
The Foundation have previously supported the school, principally through annual Travel Bursaries, and previous capital campaigns.
It was established by the Mann family, is based in Glasgow and has for over 25 years supported many artistic, social and community causes across the city.
The Mackintosh Campus Appeal was set up to raise £32m to help the school recover from the impact of the Mackintosh Building fire, restoring the west wing of the Mackintosh Building, the purchase of the new building and development of studio and workshop space there.
The Mackintosh Building to return to its "original academic configuration", with first year students from all disciplines taught in the building.
The Stow College building was sold as part of an education shake up in the city - Glasgow Kelvin College was formed after the merger of John Wheatley, North Glasgow and Stow Colleges as part of a Scotland-wide programme of re-organisation.
The total cost of restoring and upgrading the Mackintosh Building will be around £51m.
The GSA will meet this cost from its own resources, including insurance settlement, disposal of buildings no longer "fit for purpose" - the JD Kelly and Richmond Buildings - and fundraising.
BDP have been appointed as architects for the first phase refurbishment works.
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