Glasgow School of Art has offered support to students who might have concerns over what it called the "upsetting" Herald series investigating the aftermath of the two fires that decimated a national Scottish treasure.
The Herald has seen an email circulated by GSA warning about the series of articles which has reflected on the 10 years since the first fire at the Mackintosh building.
It says that the articles "could be a talking point for your friends and family as well as being upsetting for many staff in our community who have been working at the school throughout this period in our history".
And it advised students who "have any concerns over the articles or want to speak to someone" to get in touch with their programme leader.
It has come as The Herald revealed in its special investigation that there has been 19 months of 'inertia' over the Mack rebuild that has been described as a "scandal" that will add millions to its estimated cost of more than £100m.
A June 2018 fire destroyed the iconic Category A-listed Glasgow School of Art Mackintosh building as it neared the end of a multi-million pound restoration project following an earlier blaze in May 2014.
But attempts at the reinstatement of the masterpiece originally designed by renowned Scots architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh have stalled and serious questions raised about whether the restoration will ever happen.
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GSA raised over £100m from insurance and fundraising after Mack fires
It uncovered that there has been a six-year failure to reach a settlement over a "complex" insurance claim over the fire and a potential legal battle over a botched design team procurement that has contributed to the problems for GSA.
Meanwhile, GSA has raked in more than £100m from insurance claims and fundraising to date as a result of the two fires.
More than £78m was raised through insurance settlements and fundraising in the wake of the fire that gutted the Mack in 2014.
Some £18m has been received as an interim payment over the 2018 fire which decimated the Mack. But it is understood to be related to contract works associated with the rebuild after the 2014 blaze.
GSA refer to any insurance income received from the Mack fire in its official financial records as a "contingent asset" meaning that it is only a potential financial gain.
The email to students came from Rachel Dickson, the deputy director academic who was appointed in December, 2022 to make "a huge contribution to the development and implementation of our academic vision and build on the work already being undertaken to deliver the highest quality student experience".
It is understood to have gone to its student population understood to number more than 2000. Almost 20% of the students are estimated to be international, 205 from the rest of the UK and approximately 20% are postgraduate.
Glasgow School of Art fires: read the series in full here
It said: "You may have picked up... that The Herald newspaper has written a series of articles named Glasgow School of Art Fires reflecting on the ten years since the first fire in the Mackintosh Building.
"We anticipate the series will run for the rest of this week and understand that these articles could be a talking point for your friends and family, as well as being upsetting for many staff in our community who have been working at the school throughout this period in our history.
"The articles bring together everything that has already been published since 2014 alongside individual commentary and opinions.
"I wanted to reassure you that while the Mackintosh Building and its faithful reinstatement remains a commitment of the school, this runs in parallel with other estate projects like Stow and reinstatement of the green glass on the Reid Building that are having a direct benefit now to the student experience.
"The rebuilding of the Mackintosh Building is a complex project, but one that sits alongside our primary purpose of education and research and to delivering the very highest levels of student and staff experience.
"If you have any concerns over the articles or want to speak to someone, please do get in touch with your programme leader."
The Herald today has also revealed that GSA admitted a failure to provide adequate fire protection for the world-renowned Mackintosh Building in the wake of its 2014 fire caused the devastation of a repeat blaze four years later.
But it has blamed advice it received from specialists over fire alarm and protection measures brought in and is currently suing them for damages which could run into millions.
GSA claims an effective protection system would have provided an earlier warning to firefighters of the blaze that could have eliminated the devastating spread to neighbouring properties.
GSA say it is embroiled in a number of live court actions over the disastrous 2018 fire and that it is their insurers that are making the legal decisions.
A GSA spokesman said: "I think [the email] is fairly self-explanatory as to its purpose and why it was necessary for us to reach out and support student and staff who have been deeply impacted by the approach taken this week by The Herald."
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