New images have been released showing the damage caused to Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Glasgow School of Art building which was ravaged by fire almost two years ago.

Flames engulfed the A-listed building on May 23 2014, leading to the loss of about a tenth of the structure and 30% of its contents around the time graduates were to display their works.

The school's Digital Design Studio has now created point cloud images of the building after it was damaged, using a laser scan of the hall, which will also detail the work carried out by the upcoming restoration.

Currently the west wing is being stripped out and should be completed by the end of May.

Once completed it will allow the restoration to begin with the removal of stonework around the library window being designated as one of the first moves.

The roof, which was completely destroyed in the fire, will then be reconstructed by one of five companies considered specialists in providing restoration which will see the building renovated to its former glory.

It is also hoped the restoration will allow the Mackintosh Building to be used for more community projects.

Liz Davidson, senior project manager of the Mackintosh Restoration, said: "Clearly we need a contractor who is able to deliver the full range of technical requirements for the retrofit and has a proven track record in bringing major restoration projects in on time and on budget.

"However, over and above this we are looking for the inclusion of experienced specialists who are capable of undertaking the expert restoration of this Category A Listed building.

"We are looking for our Main Contractor to have the appropriate expertise in their team to deliver to the highest standard in terms of the specialist skills."

The invitation comes almost a year after the design team Page\Park Architects were chosen to bring the iconic hall back to life.

Ms Davidson added: "We want to make sure that the restoration of The Mackintosh Building can deliver increased levels of traditional skills training in Glasgow and the surrounding area.

"We will expect our Main Contractor to commit to an extensive programme of recruiting and training new apprentices which will both support the local economy in Glasgow and ensure that the skills required to restore historic buildings such as the Mack do not die out."

The main contractor is expected to be chosen in June with work starting shortly after this year's degree show. The shortlist of five companies up for the contract are:

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