Completed in 1966 by Scottish architectural firm Gillespie, Kidd & Coia, the St. Peter's Seminary in Cardross, Scotland is considered by some a masterpiece of modernist architecture, earning a Category A classification, the highest level of protection for structures in the U.K. That status, however, didn't come until years after the seminary closed down for good in the 1980s as a result of a steep drop in the number of aspiring priests. The building was next used briefly as a drug rehab center before giving way to decades of decay. Then in 2012, the government gave Glasglow-based arts charity NVA an initial $700K to kickstart restoration efforts. Funding snowballed; after securing an additional $6.8M from various heritage groups and private donors, the charity announced last week that a full restoration of the site will kick off early next year.
In an initial proposal, the project's design team, comprised of firms Avanti Architects, ERZ Landscape Architects, and Nord Architecture, envisions using the building's ruinous state as inspiration for the new space, which will be a arts venue with a capacity for 600. Work on the project will begin in early 2015, starting with reestablishing the landscape and removing asbestos from the site. The entire restoration is expected to complete in 2017. Photos, below.
· Brutalist seminary to be resurrected in 2015 after 25 years of neglect [Dezeen]
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