Cardross Seminary Building Redevelopment News, Scottish Modern Architecture Development Images
St Peter’s Seminary Renewal Funding
20th Century Architecture by Gillespie Kidd & Coia Architects, Glasgow, Scotland
post updated 9 December 2023
Award by Heritage Lottery Fund and Creative Scotland
23 Mar 2016
A plan to transform the derelict St Peter’s Seminary in Cardross into a unique arts venue and heritage destination has today been awarded £4.2 million of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Creative Scotland.
St Peter’s Seminary Renewal Funding News
The HLF awarded funding of £3,806,000 to arts organisation NVA to carry out the revamp while Creative Scotland confirmed a National Lottery funding award of £400,000 towards the project.
photograph © Johnny Bute
The Seminary near Helensburgh is currently the centrepiece of a sell-out public art event called Hinterland, marking the launch of the Festival of Architecture and is a key highlight of the Year of Innovation, Architecture & Design.
Regarded as one of Europe’s greatest Modernist buildings, St Peter’s opened as a training centre for young priests in 1966 – its ground-breaking design by Isi Metzstein and Andy McMillan of Gillespie, Kidd and Coia. This Cardross building closed its doors in 1980 and has lay abandoned since with the effects of the elements and vandalism contributing to its now ruinous state.
This major investment will see key elements of the building restored whilst others will be consolidated to allow the public safe access to large scale events and performance as well as to smaller community activities. The triple-height chapel will be partially restored and converted into a 600-capacity venue while the former sacristy and crypt will be a focal point for exhibitions.
The transformation will include the 104-acre rural estate surrounding the architectural masterpiece – an estate which includes the remains of the 15th century Kilmahew Castle. A path network based on the original 19th century designed landscape will be reinstated, historic bridges restored and the Victorian walled garden brought back into productive use, bringing the site back to life and encouraging new audiences to visit. It is expected that over 200 people will become involved as volunteers.
Lucy Casot, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: “After 25 years of decline, this ground-breaking project has the potential to save an internationally significant building, exploiting its commanding presence to produce an exceptional arts venue. Its appeal will attract new audiences from near and far. Its transformed estate will become a natural haven for the local community to explore, enjoy and be proud of.
“We are delighted that, thanks to players of the National Lottery, we can help mark the launch of Scotland’s Festival of Architecture by funding St Peter’s Seminary. Highly regarded across the world, it is a unique record of its time which is in very real danger of being lost.”
Angus Farquhar, Creative Director of NVA, added: “This is a historic moment in the life of St Peter’s Seminary. We are now able to start work on its permanent transformation into an international cultural centre that will speak to the creative life of Europe. After the overwhelming response to Hinterland, our first major animation of the site and the new name for Kilmahew/St Peter’s, we have real hope that our vision for progressive, socially-focussed art will connect strongly with people and together we will forge a new place for public art and its significance in the world. We thank Heritage Lottery Fund and Creative Scotland for joining us in the vision and ambition for the site and investing in its future.”
photo © James Johnson, March 2008
5 Dec 2013
Cardross Seminary Building
Location: just north of Cardross, near Helensburgh
Date built: 1958-66/8; closed 1980
Architects: Gillespie Kidd & Coia
Heritage Lottery Fund award to resuscitate one of Europe’s greatest modernist buildings
Leading public arts organisation NVA’s ambitious campaign to raise £7.5 million to resuscitate one of Europe’s greatest modernist buildings, St Peters Seminary, has been given a substantial boost, with a first-round pass from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The award will release £565k development funding leading to a second stage submission for £3 million in 2015.
photo © NVA, 2 Feb 2010
St Peter’s Winter Dec 1st 2008:
Heritage Lottery Fund
Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) aims to make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities across the UK and help build a resilient heritage economy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. To date, HLF has invested over £611million in Scotland’s heritage (www.hlf.org.uk).
Note: A first-round pass means the project meets HLF criteria for funding and HLF believes the project has potential to deliver high-quality benefits and value for Lottery money. The application was in competition with other supportable projects, so a first-round pass is an endorsement of outline proposals. Having been awarded a first-round pass, the project now has up to two years to submit fully developed proposals to compete for a firm award.
St Peter’s Seminary at Cardross
Designed by Glasgow architects Andy MacMillan and Isi Metzstein of Gillespie, Kidd and Coia the Roman Catholic seminary, was commissioned by the Archdiocese of Glasgow and was completed and consecrated in 1966. The seminary was occupied for just 13 years before closing in 1980. It was subsequently used for five years in the 1980’s as a drug rehabilitation unit. The buildings then fell into a state of disrepair. In 1993 the then Secretary of State listed the seminary as being of special architectural importance. The World Monuments Fund, which works to preserve endangered cultural landmarks, added St Peter’s to its register of most-at-risk buildings in June 2007.
NVA
NVA was established in 1992 by creative director Angus Farquhar. In recent years the company has achieved international recognition with a number of incomparable and critically successful public artworks, notably The Storr: Unfolding Landscape on Skye, and the Hidden Gardens, Glasgow.
In 2012, NVA created Speed of Light, one of the highest profile events in history of the Edinburgh International Festival. Speed of Light was a lead event of Festival 2012 which aimed to build a lasting legacy from the hosting of the 2012 Olympic Games. It has since toured internationally to Japan, Germany and Salford.
Further information on NVA is available at www.nva.org.uk
28 Feb 2013
St Peter’s Kilmahew Planning Application
erz submits planning application for St Peter’s Kilmahew
The planning application has gone in for the landscape-led regeneration of the ruined St Peter’s Seminary at Kilmahew in Cardross.
erz’s masterplan for St Peter’s, Kilmahew
Led by landscape architect erz, working with architect Avanti, the proposal won the Neighbourhood Planning category in the 2012 Landscape Institute Awards. It is the latest attempt to find a use for the former seminary. Designed by Gillespie Kidd & Coia in 1966 and Grade A-listed, the building is internationally renowned but has failed to find a viable use and has fallen into disrepair.
masterplan, aerial view from the south
Called ‘The Invisible College’, the scheme proposes rehabilitating the main seminary building as a ‘raw’ space, plus the introduction of a new building in the walled garden which will act as a hub for community projects. There will be restoration of paths and landscape, and accommodation for new vehicular access. Rolf Roscher, director of ERZ, said, ‘I think a key thing is that this is a landscape-led masterplan and that a landscape architecture practice has led the development of the masterplan’.
The judges of the LI awards commented, ‘erz has put forward a scheme that draws on a unique, exciting and innovative approach to landscape architecture. It makes the reader think and reflect, and pushes the discipline forward.’
19 Apr 2012
St Peter’s Cardross Grant
ST PETER’S SEMINARY + ROTHESAY PAVILION TO RECEIVE £500,0OO HISTORIC SCOTLAND GRANTS
St Peter’s Cardross Building Repair Grants
Rothesay Pavilion and St Peter’s Cardross will both receive £500,000 from Historic Scotland’s Building Repair Grants funding, making a total of £1M.
They are two of 16 buildings across Scotland which will receive a total of £4,061,535, which was announced today on Wednesday 18th April 2012 by Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs.
She said: “I am delighted that Historic Scotland’s £4,061,535 grant funding for building repairs will regenerate 16 diverse and fascinating buildings, from the Leighton Library in Dunblane, Scotland’s earliest surviving purpose built library, to the iconic bridge at Brig o Doon in Alloway, immortalised by Robert Burns’ poem Tam O’Shanter, to the well-loved Kelvingrove Bandstand in Glasgow.
“It is vital that we preserve our historic environment, not only for future generations to enjoy, but also to attract visitors from around the world who come to explore our fascinating history and heritage.”
Sandy Mactaggart, Executive Director of Development and Infrastructure at Argyll and Bute Council said “Historic Scotland’s support is a vital first step towards the regeneration of the Category A listed Rothesay Pavilion. It is one of the most important and iconic post-war buildings in Scotland and this funding will greatly support our efforts in preventing further deterioration. Its restoration will provide an enhanced community facility, attract new visitors to Bute and bolster the local economy. Restoring our heritage is not only possible – is it the most sustainable approach to regeneration.”
Argyll and Bute Council are working on the Rothesay Pavilion Project with The Prince’s Regeneration Trust. The Trust has extensive experience in restoring heritage for the benefit of the community and has provided expertise to the project to ensure the development is viable and sustainable.
Argyll and Bute Council are also delighted that St Peter’s Seminary has received Historic Scotland’s support.
Angus Farquhar, Creative Director, NVA said: “The decision by Historic Scotland to support the gradual rescue of St Peter’s Seminary is of immense significance to the life and public perception of the campaign. It is the first positive action in twenty-five years of decline and builds confidence and belief that it will thrive again as the Invisible College in the years to come.”
The recipients for the building repair grants:
St Peter’s, Cardross £ 500,000
Grand Fountain, Paisley £ 100,132
Spiers Centre, Alloa £ 435,000
Pheasantry, Haddo House £ 28,169
Riddle’s Court £ 500,000
Glasgow School of Art £ 178,042
Rothesay Pavilion £ 500,000
Carnsalloch House £ 364,000
Brig O’ Doon £ 30,160
Corn Exchange, Dalkeith £ 83,864
Leighton Library £ 76,800
Inverness Town Steeple £ 241,750
Haddington Town House £ 59,000
Brodie’s Mill Innerleithen £ 500,000
Castle Leod £ 219,618
Kelvingrove Bandstand £ 245,000
Total £4,061,535
Cardross Seminary Photos
New photos, by Adrian Welch, 3 Apr 2012:
Article by Adrian Welch, on e-architect:
photo © Adrian Welch
St Peter’s Seminary is a post-war Modernist masterpiece designed by former Scottish architects practice Gillespie, Kidd and Coia.
It is located near Cardross, close to Glasgow in western Scotland. It dates from 1966. It closed in 1980.
photos © Adrian Welch
Cardross Seminary is widely held to be Scotland’s best building of the 20th century, indeed I can’t see a challenger to that claim, so it is sad to witness its demise.
NVA acquired the building from site owner the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Glasgow under ‘conditional missives’ and hopes to raise £10 million for its redevelopment over the next two years.
photos © Adrian Welch
NVA plan to convert the Cardross Seminary building into an ‘intentional Modernist ruin’. But what does that mean in detail? Who will help protect the building from the ongoing destruction?
photos © Adrian Welch
Depressing destruction of the fabric and recently the altar itself.
We realise funds aren’t available for protecting empty buildings deep in the Scottish countryside, and of course fundamental mistakes have been made in the past, but between the government and the owners there should be an opportunity to find a solution soon.
Film re the Cardross Arts Project (login required sadly) – http://helensburgh.tv/stories/311-cardross-seminary
Cardross Seminary, Helensburgh
Location: just north of Cardross, east of Helensburgh, Scotland, UK
Date built: 1958-66/8; closed 1980
Architects: Gillespie Kidd & Coia
Cardross Seminary Sale News
Arts charity NVA has purchased St Peter’s Seminary at Cardross as part of £10 million plans for its redevelopment.
NVA has acquired the building from site owner the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Glasgow under ‘conditional missives’ and hopes to raise £10 million for its redevelopment over the next two years. The charity plans to convert the Cardross Seminary building into an ‘intentional Modernist ruin’.
image from St. Peter’s Building Preservation Trust
The ‘incremental’ introduction of artists and artworks to the site would create an ‘intellectual context’ for the ‘partial’ restoration, according to NVA. A series of international design competitions was also mooted when the project launched.
In March, UK developer Urban Splash abandonded high-profile plans to transform the Cardross Seminary building into a mixed-use housing and leisure redevelopment. The project was designed by Glasgow-based Gareth Hoskins Architects.
Angus Farquhar, the creative director of NVA, told The Glasgow Herald: ‘This is the best chance this building has got. ‘This is the best way of doing it: we have two years to raise the money and we have the building, and now we have a free run at it, and can begin working with all kinds of national partners to make this happen. The eventual purchase of Cardross Seminary is for a price from the Catholic Church we are very happy with, and will not be disclosed.’
Angus Farquhar has been inspired by restoration projects such as the Duisburg-Nord Landscape Park in Germany, where a former industrial wasteland has been transformed over more than 10 years into parkland. Angus Farquhar has also been influenced by the El Matadero in Madrid, a former slaughterhouse that is now a cultural centre. NVA is currently developing the master-plan for the estate with the support of a £100,000 grant from Creative Scotland’s National Lottery Fund.
image from St. Peter’s Building Preservation Trust
e-architect oppose the destruction of Cardross Seminary – widely held to be Scotland’s best building of the 20th century – and support measures to stabilise and then reverse damage of the last three decades.
11 Nov 2010
Cardross Seminary Redevelopment News
“We aim to recalibrate the resuscitation of St Peter’s Seminary”
SCOTLAND IN VENICE
NVA to represent Scotland at International Architecture Exhibition
Public arts organisation NVA has been invited by the Scottish Government, in partnership with Creative Scotland and the British Council Scotland, to curate a distinctive Scottish presence at La Biennale di Venezia’s 2010 International Architecture Exhibition.
photo © Neale Smith
The Glasgow-based organisation will present public events responding to the themes of restoration and reuse of our built heritage, particularly on the potential restoration of St Peter’s Seminary near Cardross.
For the past two years NVA has been working with patrons, local groups and national partners to develop a new vision for St Peter’s Seminary – the post-war Modernist masterpiece designed by Gillespie, Kidd and Coia.
During Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 November, NVA will present screenings of Scottish film-maker Murray Grigor’s film Space and Light shot in 1972 and reshot in 2009 as Space and Light Revisited – both in St Peter’s Seminary. The films – which match each other scene for scene, and will be shown simultaneously on a split screen – show in stark contrast the decline of the building and the challenges faced by NVA in realising their plans. With those plans displayed alongside, this will be an excellent demonstration of the ingenuity and inventiveness of Scottish creative minds.
On Sunday November 21, visitors to the Biennale have the opportunity to debate restoration and related issues in a panel-led discussion featuring academics, artists and architects from across Europe. The panel will consider and discuss NVA’s ideas for St Peter’s Seminary, as well as exploring the challenges of integrating a new building opposite Mackintosh’s iconic Glasgow School of Art through examination of the project by Steven Holl Architects, in collaboration with Scottish firm JM Architects.
The discussions will be documented and a publication on the event will be produced early next year.
Minister for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop said:
“This partnership ensures a distinctive presence for Scotland in Venice and provides an outstanding opportunity to highlight the quality of Scottish creativity on the world stage.
“Scotland’s presence at the final weekend of the Biennale responds in an imaginative way to the British Pavilion’s theme of restoration, and provides a platform for Scotland’s creative community to showcase and develop innovative solutions to two extremely challenging sites.
“I am pleased that visitors to the Biennale have the opportunity to explore issues of importance to the international architecture community by engaging with these contemporary Scottish examples.”
Angus Farquhar, Creative Director of NVA, said:
“NVA is honoured to curate Scotland’s presence at the Venice Biennale and to focus the invitation on a rigorous examination of two great examples of recent Scottish architecture as they head towards changed futures.
“We aim to recalibrate the resuscitation of St Peter’s Seminary within an important tradition of dynamic partial restoration, starting with John Ruskin, and to challenge ourselves and our partners to jointly find the most creative and imaginative possible solutions.”
Creative Scotland Chief Executive Andrew Dixon said:
“Creative Scotland is delighted that NVA has been invited to present at the Venice Architecture Biennale. NVA is one of Scotland’s most imaginative arts organisations. Venice provides an excellent platform to generate new thinking and to explore alternative approaches to architectural conservation.”
British Council Scotland Director Paul Docherty said:
“Every second year, alternating with Visual Arts, the City of Venice becomes the centre of the world for Architecture. I think this year’s event is particularly exciting as it is being curated by Kazuyo Sejima, Japan’s leading exponent of contemporary architecture.
‘With this year’s theme being ‘People Meet in Architecture’ I am delighted that Scotland will be presenting NVA’s work on the St Peter’s Seminary on the final two days of the Architecture Biennale. It is a wonderful opportunity to showcase Scotland’s strengths and ideas to the world’s leading architects and others such as artists and academics interested in the built heritage.”
NVA Background
NVA is a public arts organisation founded in Glasgow in 1992. To find out more go to www.nva.org.uk.
For more information on St Peter’s go to http://www.nva.org.uk/current-projects/venice-29/
This project is a joint venture between the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland and the British Council Scotland.
Cardross Seminary Security
photo : Yorkshire Pudding
Report (26 Jul 2010) that a demolition sign has been attached to the gate, apparently a false alarm as the security company uses ‘Demolition’ on their signage. Recent press suggested Gareth Hoskins Architects was working on plans to revitalise the building for Urban Splash. The building is listed Grade A and has been included World Monument Fund list of the 100 most endangered sites – what is the point of protective legislation if it isn’t adhered to? This stunning Modernist building should have been saved years ago, time is running out.
image from St. Peter’s Building Preservation Trust
image from St. Peter’s Building Preservation Trust
e-mails welcome: info(at)glasgowarchitecture.co.uk
image from St. Peter’s Building Preservation Trust
Cardross Seminary Letters : Letters re Cardross
Cardross Building article in full
+++
Glasgow Historic Building Designs
Historic Glasgow Property Designs – recent Strathclyde architectural selection below:
Glasgow Custom House Development
166 Gorbals Street Glasgow Building News
Comments / photos for the St Peter’s Seminary Building Renewal Funding page welcome.
