By John-Paul Holden

It once held the world record for producing the longest ever echo.

But Hamilton Mausoleum's astonishing ability to generate reverberations of up to 15 seconds has not protected it from deterioration, with fears growing for its future unless restoration is carried out - and fast.

Boasting a 37 metre-high dome, it was built in the middle part of the 19th century as a tomb and monument to Alexander, 10th Duke of Hamilton, also known as "El Magnifico".

South Lanarkshire Council agreed to allocate £475,000 towards vital repairs in March, but these have had to be put on ice because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now Hamilton Mausoleum Trust and the Glasgow Institute of Architects (GIA) have launched a competition in a bid to generate design ideas that might save the Mausoleum and Keeper’s Lodge for future generations.

They said the buildings had potential to be used as an events space, exhibition area, or as an interpretation centre for local history.

But they also stressed there were "no limits" to the possibilities.

Isabel Garriga, past-president of the GIA, said: “We want people to be really open-minded when putting together their ideas. It’s about being inventive, not necessarily proposing some complex, large construction.

“The Mausoleum has problems with water ingress and the Keeper’s Lodge is falling apart, literally. It’s on the buildings at risk register and why we got involved. And, for us, the most important thing is that the connection between these two buildings becomes more obvious. An idea for the competition could be a simple avenue of trees or lighting going from the Keeper’s Lodge towards the Mausoleum.

“Some ideas might seem far-fetched but could spark ideas at the council about how the site could be used. It could be anything, from a fruit and veg market to reusing the Lodge to hold community events or provide exhibition spaces, anything that the community might want to use. If buildings are just left as relics then the risk is they are gradually abandoned, forgotten and tend to become derelict.

“The competition is about raising awareness and helping the Trust raise funds – but it’s also about how we can bring the place back to life and make it better for the community, for everyone around it.”

Construction work on Hamilton Mausoleum was started in 1842 by architect David Hamilton and completed by David Bryce and Alexander Handyside Ritchie in 1858 - years after the 10th Duke's death.

With a floor made up of an array of different marbles, it was erected in the grounds of the former Hamilton Palace and stands as the last remaining vestige of the imposingly grand buildings which once dominated Hamilton Low Parks.

The mausoleum was previously famous for producing the longest echo of any man-made structure in the world, after an experiment confirmed that the sound of a slamming door took 15 seconds to fade.

However, in 2014 the record was smashed at the Inchindown oil storage tanks, where Salford University acoustic engineer Professor Trevor Cox found that the reverberation from a pistol shot continued for 112 seconds before ending.

Organisers said competition entries would be welcomed which consider the mausoleum, lodge and their setting holistically, and take into account potential benefits to the town of Hamilton and its local community.

Submissions will be shortlisted by a judging panel that includes, among others, Professor John Hume and Judi Keith-Brown, President of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, with members of the public also getting a chance to vote and select one.

In addition, it is hoped a future exhibition within the mausoleum will be held, subject to easing of social distancing measures.

A prize of £1000 will be awarded to the winner, with £500 and £250 given to the second and third placed entrants.

Ryan Holmes, member of the Hamilton Mausoleum Trust, said: "This could be a really great asset for the community. And we’re hoping that restoration of the Mausoleum and the Keeper’s Lodge could be a catalyst for the regeneration of Hamilton. The Mausoleum is a key part of the town and the town’s history.

“It’s a structure that’s unlike anything else in Scotland, in my view, in terms of its size and scale. I can see the potential for really bringing these buildings into the community.”