St Bartholomew’s Hospital North Wing

Renewing the heart of Britain’s oldest hospital

Introduction

For the first time in its history, the Grade I-listed North Wing at St Bartholomew's Hospital has been restored as a public space. At its heart lie the Great Hall and Hogarth Stair, among the most remarkable of 18th-century interiors in any healthcare setting.

Through restoration, interpretation and public engagement, the scheme has revealed this extraordinary building as a welcoming place that supports the wellbeing of staff, patients and visitors, while securing the long-term stewardship of a nationally significant heritage asset.

The project was supported by funding from the The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), with the restoration helping to demonstrate the growing role heritage can play in supporting health and wellbeing. Reflecting the project’s national significance, the NLHF launched its 10-year strategy at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, recognising the scheme as an important example of how heritage investment can deliver wider public and social value.

"The scheme is an exemplar of conservation best practice, married with modern accessibility, reimagining a space that delivers an improved, inclusive cultural offer for visitors."

– City of London Corporation

The Great Hall

The restored Hogarth Stair

The Charter Window

Sharing Historic Barts

Founded in 1123, St Bartholomew’s Hospital is the oldest hospital in Britain still operating on its original site. By the 1700s, its buildings were outdated, worn and too small to meet the needs of London’s growing population. Architect James Gibbs was commissioned to remodel the hospital, with the North Wing the first section to be completed in 1734.

After 50 years without significant repair, the North Wing was in poor condition. Barts Heritage was established to raise funds for its restoration, and the Sharing Historic Barts project began in 2024 and was completed in August 2025. Purcell played a key role in securing NLHF funding and delivering the project in line with the fund’s pioneering heritage, learning and wellbeing objectives.

The conservation-led scheme prioritised repair over replacement, minimal intervention and the retention of historic fabric. External works addressed the causes of deterioration through the renewal of rainwater systems, including the replacement of later copper gutters with lead, alongside masonry repairs to ensure long-term protection.

"Our unique project repaired and rejuvenated the stunning architecture and interiors at the heart of the hospital site to allow regular public use, and to house a pioneering programme of wellbeing activities, educational and cultural events. We are thrilled to have had Purcell as project architects and lead designers.”

– Will Palin, Chief Executive, Barts Heritage

Craftsmanship and conservation : The Great Hall and Hogarth Stair

The pinnacle of the North Wing is the Great Hall and Hogarth Stair: a spatial sequence in which architecture, painting and institutional identity are interwoven. The stair is dominated by two celebrated works by William Hogarth, The Good Samaritan and The Pool of Bethesda, created by the artist specifically for the hospital.

The Great Hall’s exceptional decorative scheme had deteriorated over time. This included its plaster ceiling by Jean-Baptiste St Michele; benefactor boards recording centuries of philanthropic support; the Charter Window of 1743; and the principal chandelier gifted by Hogarth’s contemporary, the surgeon John Freke. Each element was meticulously repaired using traditional craft techniques, including historic joinery, stained glass conservation, plasterwork and gilding.

Central to the project was the conservation of the Hogarth paintings. Specialist conservators carried out detailed surface cleaning, removing degraded varnishes and intrusive overpainting while preserving the integrity, patina and historic character of the original works.

Heritage and wellbeing

More than just physical repair, the project sought to transform a largely hidden administrative building into a visible cultural and wellbeing destination within the hospital site. The restored spaces now support a heritage-led wellbeing programme developed with hospital staff, alongside exhibitions, performances, lectures and educational events, providing cultural activity and reflective spaces that contribute to staff resilience, patient recovery and visitor wellbeing.

The project has significantly expanded public access to the hospital’s heritage. The North Wing now hosts guided tours, public events and educational activities that connect visitors with the hospital’s 900-year history. A volunteer programme involving hospital staff, local residents and students supports visitor experience and storytelling, strengthening community stewardship of the building and its history.

Community engagement in 2025

14,982

visitors

2,379

volunteering hours

238

visitor feedback responses

A key part of the project’s public engagement strategy was Conservation in Action, which allowed visitors to experience heritage conservation as it happened. Working closely with the client team, the project incorporated publicly accessible scaffold platforms within the Great Hall and Hogarth Stair, enabling hospital staff, community groups and wider public audiences to observe conservators at work on the ceiling and Hogarth paintings through guided access tours. The initiative provided a rare opportunity to engage audiences directly with specialist conservation skills and traditional craft practices during the live delivery of the project.

Within a setting defined by care and recovery, the renewed North Wing provides spaces for reflection, learning and cultural connection.

Through rigorous conservation, climate-responsive repair and community engagement, the project transforms a once-hidden historic building into a welcoming public destination that supports the wellbeing of staff, patients and visitors. More than preserving an exceptional 18th-century landmark, the scheme ensures the North Wing once again plays an active role in the life of the hospital and the City of London, demonstrating how heritage can enrich wellbeing, learning and community connection across generations.