The building appeared opposite the old school building, the famous building of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. To emphasize the materiality of his dark masonry, Hall chose opaque light glass for the facades of his building. At the same time, the stone of the environment emphasizes the “ephemerality” of the new building.
The hall was inspired by the original use of natural light in the Macintosh cabinet. In his building, the American architect introduced "voids of light", which simultaneously serve as light wells, nodes of vertical circulation and provide natural ventilation (therefore, the building did not have air conditioning).
The creative workshops are located along the northern façade, where large windows catch even, diffused light from this side. To the south, there are administrative offices and a dining room, where the light intensity can be adjusted using sun protection devices.
A “cycle of connections” of stepped ramps connects all the main areas - the lobby, the exhibition hall, lecture halls and seminars, studios and workshops - stimulating communication and interaction between students of different specialties.
The new building, which became the first building of the Hall in the British Isles, does not bear the name of the sponsor, as usual, but is named after the director of the Glasgow School of the Arts, Shauna Reid, who retired in the summer of 2013. The budget for the 11,250 m2 project was £ 50 million fully funded by the government. The building houses the Faculty of Design, common areas for students of all faculties and a visitor center.
