In a joint statement both parties said that the current contract “could no longer be fulfilled or completed”.

Appointed to the £25 million contract in June 2016, Kier was charged with providing full construction management services to deliver the entire restoration project following the first fire at the historic building four years ago. The contractor was responsible for co-ordinating the stone, joinery, electrical, decorative and all other aspects of the main reconstruction.

Working in partnership with the GSA, Kier appointed and managed teams of craft specialists who undertook highly specialist aspects of the restoration including stained glass, lighting based on original designs, and the unique pulse mechanisms of Mackintosh’s slave and studio clocks.

The joint statement read: “Following the fire on 15 June, The Glasgow School of Art and Kier Construction Limited confirm they have jointly concluded that the current contract for the Mackintosh Building restoration will end with immediate effect. Both parties agreed that the current contract could no longer be fulfilled or completed.

“Kier Construction Limited was appointed in June 2016 as main contractor to deliver the works for the restoration of the Mackintosh Building. At contract award the value was circa £25m and the works were scheduled for completion in January 2019.

“The Glasgow School of Art acknowledges the work Kier Construction Limited and its appointed sub-contractors had undertaken to date.”

It was revealed this week that the building is to be partially demolished after surveys revealed the building is in danger of sudden collapse

Work to partially dismantle sections of the building is expected to begin in the coming days.

Meanwhile the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has launched an appeal for images of the fire that also took hold of the nearby O2 ABC and other adjoining buildings.

Members of the public who captured footage or stills in Glasgow city centre on the night of June 15 are being asked to send them to expert investigators.

The call came from assistant chief officer David McGown as the “formidable” investigation gathers pace.

ACO McGown said: “We are asking any member of the public with video footage or still images of the significant fire in Glasgow that evening to submit these to our investigation team.

“There has been a high volume of images and video already published and you might think your material is no different but I ask you to please let us take a look.

“We will cast a forensic and expert eye over it – and it could prove crucial to our investigation.”

Any images should be sent to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as the organisation leading the investigation: glasgowfirejune2018@firescotland.gov.uk.

ACO McGown also reiterated that the investigation team will need time to establish the full facts and circumstances.

At its height, more than 120 firefighters attended the incident when the alarm was raised at 11.19pm on Friday, June 15.

He said: “This significant fire had a devastating impact on several notable, and indeed iconic, buildings as well as surrounding businesses.

“We therefore fully appreciate and understand the desire to know what happened here – including how it started and where it started.

“Please be assured that our fire investigation experts are working hard, alongside our police colleagues and other key partner agencies, to move as quickly as possible to establish the full facts and circumstances.

“But there is a high volume of information and numerous lines of enquiry we require to process. This is a formidable investigation, it is a very complex process – and I reiterate that it will take time.”