A massive fire destroyed the Mackintosh Building of the School of Art in Glasgow

"The extent of the damage is considerable," said Scottish fire representative Peter Heath. Flames engulfed all floors of the building. By morning, firefighters managed to bring the fire under control, but smoke is still billowing from the structure, and its roof has collapsed. One of the most significant buildings in Scotland, built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries according to the plans of the Art Nouveau artist and architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, was previously damaged by fire in 2014. It had been repaired and was set to reopen next year. The reconstruction cost several tens of millions of pounds (hundreds of millions of crowns).

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wrote on Twitter that the fire breaks her heart. "This is clearly an extremely serious situation. Initially, I was thinking about the safety of people tonight, but my heart aches for the beloved Glasgow School of Art,” she noted. Shadow Minister Paul Sweeney described the burning school as "the architecturally most significant building in Glasgow." Firefighters received the first report of the fire late Friday night when the streets of the city were crowded with people. Among them were students from the academy, some of whom were celebrating their graduation that had taken place earlier that day in the school building.

Notable graduates of the school include contemporary artists who recently became winners of the Turner Prize - Simon Starling, Richard Wright, and Martin Boyce. One eyewitness told the BBC that the current fire appears far worse than the blaze four years ago. The fire also spread to the nightclub Campus and the concert hall O2 ABC. Hundreds of people, not just from Scotland, are expressing their sorrow over the destruction of this architectural gem, which many consider a symbol of Glasgow, on social media. Some also reflect on the irony of fate, as a massive mural depicting architect Mackintosh was unveiled in another location in Scotland's largest city on Friday.