The Glasgow School of Art – designed by famous historic Scottish artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh – is to be conserved and refurbished to its former glory.

The Mackintosh Conservation and Access Project will carry out the £8.7m redevelopment in four separate but consecutive phases.

Phase one, which is now in progress, will install a new furniture museum, retail outlet and temporary exhibition space, as well as environmentally controlled storage facilities to conserve the school’s archives and collections on behalf of the Mackintosh Research Centre. The interior revamp will be completed by December.

Phase two, from July to September 2008, will restore the east side of the building, while the west side will be overseen during the penultimate phase in order to complete the project in time for the centenary of the original Mackintosh building in 1909.

These two phases will mainly incorporate structural works, employing specialist stonemasons and historic painters.

The final phase will establish a new visitor reception and interpretation centre opposite the main Mackintosh building, which will further inform tourists about the artist’s life and works.

Prof. Seona Reid, director of the Glasgow School of Art, said: “The new facilities for the Mackintosh Research Centre will significantly extend access to our breathtaking archives and collections, charting the development of art, design and architecture education over the past 150 years.

“It is also home to an extensive and often unseen collection of non-Mackintosh works of art, design and architecture – from 17th century tapestries to the archive of Gillespie Kidd and Coia, one of the most influential firms of post war architects.”

Funding came from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, European Regional Development Fund, Glasgow City Council Growth Fund and Historic Scotland.