Former seminary voted Scotland's best modern building

A former seminary has been voted Scotland's most important modern building by the architecture magazine Prospect. St Peter's College in Cardross, near Helensburgh, was described as "an inspiration" by the judges. The Burrell Collection in Glasgow was second on the list and the Scottish Parliament building was fourth. St Peter's was designed by Glasgow architects Isi Metzstein and Andy MacMillan. It opened in 1966 and closed its doors just 14 years later. Prospect editor Penny Lewis described it as a spiritually uplifting place, even in its current derelict state. She said: "It enjoys a fantastic relation to the landscape. At the heart of this building is the space for worship which has to be one of the best public places in Scotland for acoustic quality." Prospect's publisher Gordon Young added: "One lesson from St Peter's College is that radical new ideas are not necessarily appreciated at the time but their importance becomes clear with the passage of some time." The Catholic Church is currently looking at ways to redevelop the seminary, which is Grade A listed - the highest protection possible under building preservation law.