A DETAILED set of drawings of the world famous Mackintosh building have been presented to Glasgow School of Art.

They are the work of George Cairns and were made while he was a Phd student at the Mackintosh School of Architecture in the early 1900s.

The drawings will now be used to help reconstruct the building which was badly damaged by fire in May last year.

Experts say the architectural drawings are the most comprehensive of their type in existence.

They have been donated to archives and collections at Glasgow School of Art and will be a resource for academics, students and the public.

The set of 22 drawings, most at a 1:100 scale, are of the Mackintosh Building as it was completed in 1909, as accurately as could be determined from available records.

Mr Cairns, who is now Adjunct Professor at QUT Business School, Brisbane, presented the plans to the art school while in the city for the inaugural Leverhulme International Network of Contemporary Studies symposium.

He said: “I am delighted to be able to return to Glasgow today after so many years and to be able to donate this set of drawings which I made as part of my doctoral thesis to the GSA.

"I hope very much they will prove of interest and use to the teams working on the restoration of the Mack and to generations of students who have the privilege to study Mackintosh’s masterpiece.”

The plans will be added to the significant archive of material relating to the Mackintosh building which is held in the art school collections and will also be used by the Mackintosh building restoration team.

Alison Stevenson, head of learning at the art school said: “The GSA archives and collections has a wealth of material relating to the Mackintosh Building, but we are always grateful for additions that help to deepen our understanding of the building.

"Professor Cairns’ drawings will enrich the architectural information we hold on the building and be an excellent resource for research, teaching and learning.”

Liz Davidson, senior project manager for the building restoration project, said: “We are keen to continue to access as much information as possible about the building in planning our approach to the restoration.

“Professor Cairns’ has already been generous in his time in liaising with the design team and these particularly detailed drawings are going to be an invaluable source of information.”

The drawings will accessible for academic and public research through the GSA’s online archives in the coming months.