St. Peter’s Seminary is one of the most famous ruins in Scotland. The building near Cardross was built in the 1960s to act as a training college for Roman Catholic priests. The seminary closed in 1980 and the site subsequently became a drug rehabilitation centre before closing entirely in the late 80s.
It has been left to ruin since, but remains an architecturally significant structure. In 1992 it was listed as Category A by Historic Scotland, and in 2007 it was included in the 100 most endangered sites list by the World Monuments Fund. People continue to visit the site from around the world, even though it is based in such a remote location. This shows just how vital it is to retain it.
Several projects have taken place over the years to protect and restore the Seminary, but most of them have failed because of the challenges the site presents, the amount of time the property has been left to ruin and the intricacies of the original design. Glasgow arts company NVA took on the project recently and created an innovative plan that will bring new life to the space.
The first steps of this plan will be realised in 2016 when St. Peter’s Seminary hosts the Hinterland show for the Festival of Architecture. The year is symbolic because it will be 50 years since the doors of the original seminary opened. The show will combine art, music and light to create a fantastic experience for visitors to the property. The aim is to reintroduce people to the space before an extensive programme of work takes place to make the structure safer for future use. Ultimately it is hoped a £10 million revamp will transform part of the property into an arts and educational space.
Hinterland will be the first headline event for the Festival of Architecture in Scotland in 2016. The show will run from the 18th to 27th of March and is expected to attract over 10,000 people, including architects looking for inspiration. This will be a unique opportunity to experience the property and see the architectural features that have been revealed during the work that has already been completed. You’ll also be able to get an idea of the state of the site before the next stage of work begins.