Restoration of the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London was completed last year by Hugh Broughton Architects and Martin Ashley. The project, which took four years and 10 million Euro, enhances the building while not interfering with the history of the space.

The Old Royal Naval College which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1696 with contributions by Nicholas Hawksmoor, Sir John Vanburgh and Thomas Ripley. The Painted Hall, located within the college, is considered to be one of the most important Baroque interiors in Europe - painted by Sir James Thornhill.

The restoration aimed to keep the work minimal, allowing the paintings to be 'the star of the show’. To do so, Broughton and Ashley moved the main entry to the undercroft below including a cafe and shop as well. A heating system and solar shading were added to stabilize the environment and protect the 40,000 square feet of painted surfaces.