Interior of the library

Glasgow School of Art’s library was considered one of the finest rooms in Britain before the fire that destroyed it 2014.

The library of the Glasgow School of Art is one of Mackintosh’s masterpieces. Whereas elsewhere in the school white interiors give spatial clarity and an exactness of definition, the wood-lined interior of the library is ambiguous despite its rigid geometry. On four sides a narrow gallery is supported by thin beams that project beyond the gallery front to engage the sides of eight free-standing posts. Set in two rows these posts define an inner zone, free of structural interruption, which houses a cluster of lamps with metal shades, like miniature black and silver skyscrapers, inset with pink and purple glass.