To Conserve London's 300-Year-Old Masterpiece, Nanotech & Drones | WPN World People News

Plans for a major conservation project to restore the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College (ORNC) in Greenwich, UK, will be announced in the US at an event on 14th May 2015 hosted by the British Consulate General in New York.

The ORNC, Sir Christopher Wren's twin-domed riverside masterpiece stands on the site of the Greenwich Palace, Henry VIII's birthplace and favorite royal residence. It is one of the most important ensembles in European baroque architecture.

Following a £2.77 million pledge in November 2014 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the ORNC are embarking on the second stage of its plans to restore the Painted Hall to its former glory. A further £4 million is required to achieve the full scale of this landmark project.

Cutting-edge technologies are being applied for this conservation project, including drones and nanotechnology-enabled materials.

In 2013 the first phase of the conservation project saw 560 square meters of paintings in the Upper Hall cleaned and restored to their original beauty. The second phase aims to conserve the remaining 3,700 square meters of wall paintings. The project will focus on the Lower Hall, with its spectacular ceiling depicting the founders of the Royal Hospital for Seamen - King William III and Queen Mary II.

The scheme will also focus on redesigning the space within the Hall, improving visitor engagement activities and creating a new visitor entrance and welcome area.

About the Old Royal Naval College

The Old Royal Naval College (ORNC) in Greenwich was established as the Royal Hospital for Seamen by King William III and Queen Mary II in 1694.

Designed by Sir Christopher Wren, it is one of the most important ensembles in European baroque architecture. From 1705, the Royal Hospital provided modest, wood-lined cabins as accommodation for retired sailors, housing as many as 2,700 residents at its peak in 1814. The last naval pensioners left in 1869, when the site became home to the Royal Naval College, an officers' training academy, until 1997. When the Navy left, an independent charity was established to conserve the site for present and future generations, and create enjoyment, learning and unique cultural experiences for everyone.

Today this historic landmark is open to the public and is the home of three unique and free to visit attractions; the Painted Hall, the Chapel, and the Discover Greenwich visitor centre.

The Painted Hall is the greatest piece of decorative painting in England and has been described as ‘the Sistine Chapel of the UK'. The walls and ceilings were painted by Sir James Thornhill between 1708 and 1727.

The Chapel of St Peter and St Paul is a neo-classical masterpiece by James ‘Athenian' Stuart and William Newton. Featuring a Samuel Green organ and an altarpiece painted by Benjamin West, it is one of the finest eighteenth century interiors in existence.

Source: Nanotechnology Now