It was a baronial mansion at the centre of the Kilmahew estate, a Victorian designed ornamental landscape created by the Burns family in the late 1800s.

When approaching St Peter's Seminary from the west you have to cross an old bridge that spans across the small river, Kilmahew Burn.

Although the climate of the south of France and west of Scotland could hardly be more different, Corbu's roughcast concrete style, could, in the right hands, be seen as a natural successor or complement to traditional Scottish tower houses with their rugged forms and tough materials.

[7] By the time it was completed in 1966, the growth of church congregations had stagnated, the number of candidates entering the priesthood had begun to decline, and the Second Vatican Council reforms moved much of their training into the parishes.

Due to maintenance problems with the modern buildings, they were not used again after 1984, when the centre confined themselves to Kilmahew House, and vandalism began soon after.

"[10] Attempts to convert and reuse it, or even protect it from further damage, have come to nothing – hampered by the unique design of the building and its remote location.

Funded by Historic Scotland and the Archdiocese of Glasgow, Avanti Architects were appointed to undertake a Conservation Assessment of the buildings and landscape.

[13] In 2011, Urban Splash pulled out of the project due to viability issues, and the Archdiocese of Glasgow reiterated its view that no commercial scheme will be viable for the site.

[14] NVA, however, continued their involvement with the site, working with local community groups, raising funds and developing plans for the partial restoration of the seminary buildings and interventions in the surrounding landscape.

A 'college without walls', the Invisible College has involved organised events bringing together academics, local residents, architects, artists, and other interested parties on site for debate, discussion, and collaborative investigations in the landscape.

There have been public talks about ruins, architecture and landscape in the nearby villages of Cardross and Renton, and in The Lighthouse, Glasgow.

[21] However, in June 2018, NVA closed down, saying the challenges facing the company were compounded when a core funding bid to Creative Scotland failed.

[23] The building was the subject of the Pleasure Scene Exhibition at Trafalgar Avenue, London, from 11 June to 25 July 2021, with a range of artworks and photography.

The 20-minute documentary Space and Light, filmed during the seminary’s heyday, depicts the life of seminarians inside the building.