No resurrection for St Peter's: New report urges 'curated decay' for modernist masterpiece

The report by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), commissioned by Scottish Ministers, has found that making the modernist ruin safe for public access could cost in excess of £13 million over 20 years, and has recommended against its ownership by the state.

A statement by HES said: "We considered a range of issues, including cultural significance, access, safety and cost.

"Having assessed the issues carefully, we have not recommended that Ministers intervene by taking St Peter’s Seminary into State Care."

The culture secretary, Fiona Hyslop, has backed the concept of curated decay - managing the famous ruin's deterioration and providing some public access and education initiatives - but there appears, at present, no Government funds to back that support.

The Archdiocese of Glasgow, which owns the former seminary designed by Scottish architects Isi Metzstein and Andy MacMillan, said it is "deeply disappointed" the Scottish Government is not taking on the A-listed building.

The Herald understands that there are no plans for demolition at the moment - but the possibility has not been ruled out for a later date.

In recent years, the innovative arts company NVA spent millions stabilising the ruin, which ceased to be a seminary in 1980.

However, after a funding cut, NVA closed last year, and last night Angus Farquhar, who led NVA, said: "Scotland has turned its back on the 20th Century.

"HES has advised the Scottish Ministers not to take St Peter’s Seminary into State Care, on the basis that the risks and costs are too high.

"It is the end for a long and popular campaign to save the building for the future....100 years from hence much of Scotland’s significant post-war modernist architecture will have been erased.

"Those responsible for the loss should be held to account and their decisions fully debated and challenged."

A spokesman for the Archdiocese said: "For 40 years the Archdiocese has been pro-active in trying to find a new use for the building, co-operating with developers and planners to find a way forward. Every project has failed due to costs or planning restrictions.

"The Archdiocese has even offered to give the building away without charge to any agency able to take it on.

"The request to take the building into state control was a last option. Our hope was that the uniqueness of the structure would be recognised and its future secured by state intervention."

Ms Hyslop has written to the Archdiocese of Glasgow, "offering to facilitate a round table with any interested parties to discuss the report and what alternative solutions may be available."

She added: "We accept the report’s analysis that the only reasonable way forward for this site would be ‘curated decay’ and I plan to convene a meeting with all key partners to see if there is a way forward collectively to deliver what looks to be the only viable option for St Peters.”

For a decade NVA had appeared to have secured a new future for the lauded 1966 building as an arts venue and, in long term plans, cultural centre.

Mr Farquhar added: "Part of our recent built heritage will be erased, how sad that as a nation we can champion countless ruined castles celebrating a history of blood-soaked barbarism and maintain numerous country houses documenting the lives of the rich and privileged in distant times.

"But when it comes to the complexities of sustaining the artefacts of recent modernist history of telling ‘our story’, a subjective distaste for modernism comes into play.

"It is simply not good enough for modern out-looking nation who wish to still see themselves in the heart of Europe."

NVA staged the Hinterland project in the ruins in 2016, and made a film with artist Rachel Maclean.

In all, NVA spent £2.3m on the building, and organised a series of works, including removing hazardous waste and asbestos, the restoration of 80 vaults, improving paths, clearing away Rhododendron plants as well as other woodland management in the 104 acre site.