St Peter’s Seminary, opened as a training college for young priests in 1966, was commissioned by the Archdiocese of Glasgow and designed by architects Andy MacMillan and Isi Metzstein of the renowned architectural practice Gillespie, Kidd and Coia.
Abandoned since the late 1980’s, after barely 15 years of use, the ensuing years of neglect and vandalism reduced the modernist masterpiece to ruin. Over the same period the extensive surrounding landscape of some 105 acres with its various ancillary structures have also become overgrown and sadly neglected.
Working for client NVA, and alongside architects Avanti and landscape architects ERZ, the project focus is to deliver an ambitious scheme to reclaim the future of the iconic modernist ruin and regenerate the surrounding semi-ancient woodland landscape of Kilmahew.
An innovative approach to heritage conservation will combine the consolidation of the building in its current state of ruination with partial restoration and new designed interventions. The space, in its dramatic setting, will become a new cultural and heritage venue for public art, performance, interpretation, learning and debate that speaks back to the world and finds relevance and use for bold and imaginative thinking.
Now 50 years on we have to date witnessed the first positive steps towards a new purpose for the building made safe again by, the removal of all hazardous materials and the vault stabilisation works and, made public through organised events such as the successful and immense public art works Hinterland.
