The Heritage Lottery Fund has announced its support for the restoration and development of Glasgow School of Art and awarded it a Stage One pass for a grant of £4,466,000 and a development grant of £153,500.

This major conservation and access project will refurbish the Mackintosh Building and improve access for visitors, increasing visitor numbers by 60%.

The repair and refurbishment of the Mackintosh building will include the restoration of the original features and removal of modern additions. There will also be a full programme of timber and stone repair.

Conservation work will also be carried out on historic collections such as the Mackintosh furniture and textiles collection and a new research centre will be created with environmentally controlled storage of archive material.

New public facilities will include an interpretation centre offering free public access to exhibitions and displays about Mackintosh. There will also be a new furniture gallery and improved temporary exhibition gallery.

The guided tour will be extended to include new historic apartments including the Director's room, the Boardroom and the basement.

Announcing the decision, Colin McLean, the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Manager for Scotland, said “HLF is committed to opening up Scotland’s heritage to as many people as possible so we are delighted to indicate our support for this tremendously exciting project. The combination of a new visitor centre and opening up areas which until now have remained closed to public view will give people from near and far the opportunity to explore, enjoy and learn about one of Scotland’s most influential and popular architects and designers.  The Glasgow School of Art building and the outstanding collections it holds are of international importance."

Commenting on the award by the Heritage Lottery Fund,  director of Glasgow School of Art, Professor Seona Reid, said “This award recognises the importance of the Mackintosh Building and confirms its status as one of the most significant buildings in Scotland. The Mackintosh Building will now be refurbished to the highest specification and will be preserved for future generations of students and visitors to enjoy. We are all greatly excited about making our collections and archives accessible to a wider range of people”.

The total cost of this project is 7 million pounds and Historic Scotland, Strathclyde European Partnership, Glasgow City Council and Scottish Enterprise Glasgow are being approached to provide match funding.  The School will also be embarking on a fundraising campaign to secure the balance of funds required.