The Channel 4 series – ‘Great British Buildings: Restoration of the Year’ – aired in March and April of this year and stoked a flurry of interest in restorative projects in the process. Far beyond just repairing cracked render walls, the programme aimed to document some of the most radical restoration projects currently in progress in the UK. Today, as well as taking a more detailed look at the most well-known building featured in the programme – Hampton Court – we are also shifting our focus further afield to some of the most instantly recognisable buildings in Europe.
Hampton Court, London, UK
Among the most prominent featured in the show, as well as being one of the most notable restoration projects of recent memory, is the work undertaken at Hampton Court Palace in London. Only one of two surviving palaces built for Henry VIII, Hampton Court Palace has a complicated history and is composed of two distinct architectural styles. William III’s extensive renovations and rebuilding in the Baroque style led to the palace possessing both Tudor and Baroque elements – which made the restoration process particularly difficult.
The Chapel Royal, which is emblematic of this eclectic mix of styles, underwent an extensive restoration process in order to address its structural deficiencies. Fittingly, a mix of traditional timber repairs and contemporary interventions were required -a series of steel supports were used to bolster the strength of the structure, and historically accurate amendments were made to the wooden beams.
The Colosseum, Rome, Italy
While the restoration of Hampton Court Palace had the fortune of being funded by charity, Italy’s most iconic building – the Colosseum – required the intervention of private business to be restored to its former glory. Diego Della Valle, CEO and President of Italian leather goods company Tod’s, put forward the £20 million that funded the restorative process.
Renovations are still ongoing, but a great deal of progress has been made – especially considering the sheer scale of the issues plaguing the Colosseum. The layer of grime that had accumulated over its exterior over the centuries of its existence has been removed, revealing the detail of the Doric and Ionic columns that straddle the Colosseum’s arches. New discoveries were made too – the fine water spray that was used over the Colosseum’s surface for a 33 month period unveiled medieval frescoes and carved rosettes.
The Acropolis of Athens, Greece
Another cultural behemoth, the Parthenon (the centrepiece of the Acropolis in Athens) has also been the site of lengthy and complex restorations. Work began in 197 to salvage the ruins that have been devastated over the course of its 2500 year history, and it remains on-going today. As well as weathering a multitude of military conflict, the Parthenon, and the Acropolis at large, have both been tarnished by the effects of attrition and pollution.
In order to reverse these effects, an ambitious restorative project has been undertaken. Instigated by the Greek government in 1975, the project later attracted funding from the European Union and led to the creation of the Committee for the Conservation of the Acropolis Monuments in 1983. In its 42 year existence, the project has completely restored the colonnades of the Parthenon, righted the wrongs of past restorations, and restored the roof and floor of the entrance to the Acropolis – the Propylaea. By using anastylosis, architects ensured that all of the materials used were authentic and historically accurate. Unfortunately, despite its four decade tenure, the restorative project has no immediate end in sight.
