Lutheran Seminary. Photo by daryl_mitchell from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada via Wikimedia Commons A decision on the future of the former Lutheran Theological Seminary, a landmark heritage building at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, is expected at next week’s meeting of the University’s Board of Governors. The historic building on the University of Saskatchewan campus is currently slated for demolition, but several historians are hoping that government officials think twice before tearing it down. The building, which is located at 113 Seminary Crescent, has been vacant since 2020. Ahead of the meeting, a letter has been issued by the Canadian national committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) to the Board of Governors regarding the potential demolition. As the leading international organization in cultural heritage conservation, ICOMOS aims to promote the conservation, protection, use and enhancement of monuments, buildings and sites. The letter, written by Michael McClelland, secretary, Board of Directors for ICOMOS Canada, begins by expressing concerns over the potential demolition of the Lutheran Theological Seminary on the University of Saskatchewan campus, calling it an “extraordinary landmark in Saskatchewan and Canada as a whole.” “The University of Saskatchewan campus is widely known to include an exceptional collection of buildings and landscapes, lending it significance both to the province and to the country’s cultural heritage. Its natural setting on the South Saskatchewan River, its layers of architecture and landscape from many different eras, and the use of local stone that unifies its buildings are among its most important cultural heritage attributes. Home to one of Canada’s National Historic Sites, the campus is a national treasure,” reads the letter. The letter goes on to note that the former Lutheran Seminary, a formally recognized heritage building, reflects these qualities. “Its exceptional design integrates modernist architecture with a careful response to its remarkable setting on the riverbank and the architectural traditions of the University campus. The building’s heritage value also extends to its association with John Holliday-Scott, an architect who is significant to the community and the province, and to its association with Lutheran education in Canada and North America as a whole,” reads the letter. The letter concludes with ICOMOS strongly recommending that submitted proposals from the comminity be considered for the site, which keeps with established heritage standards and best practices which call for alternatives to be studied before cultural heritage places are demolished. “As you deliberate on the Seminary’s future at your upcoming meeting, we urge you to consider the future potential of this site, the wider impacts of demolition on Canada’s cultural heritage, and the legacy of stewardship with which the University has been entrusted,” concludes the letter. A decision on the future of this building is set to be made between April 14 and 15, 2025. The post ICOMOS urges U of S to retain heritage Lutheran Theological Seminary appeared first on Canadian Architect.