CEO Barts Heritage, City of London, will be contributing to Future Cities Forum

Above: Hogarth Stair at St Bartholomew's North Wing (courtesy Bart's Heritage)

Future Cities Forum is delighted that Will Palin, CEO of Barts Heritage, will be describing the successful project to restore the North Wing of Barts, including the Hogarth staircase, at our 'Future hospital programme' discussion event this November.

St Bartholomew’s Hospital is the oldest in Britain and the oldest hospital in the UK still operating on its original site. Founded in 1123, the hospital was re-founded by Henry VIII in 1547, surviving the reformation.

By the 1700s, the hospital’s buildings were outdated, worn, and too small to cope with the needs of London’s rising population. The leading architect James Gibbs was recruited to remodel the hospital. The North Wing was the first block to be completed, in 1734.

In 2020, after 50 years without significant repair, the North Wing was in poor condition. A new charity, Barts Heritage, was established to raise funds to carry out the restoration of the building. The Sharing Historic Barts project began in 2024.

William commented three weeks after the opening of the newly restored North Wing:

'An exhausting but wonderful opening fortnight at Barts North Wing. On our first four days of public opening we welcomed nearly 2,000 visitors...Our launch event was a joyful celebration - opened by HRH The Duke of Gloucester, President of St Bartholomew's Hospital, with contributions from Eilish McGuinness of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, hospital CEO Charles Knight and Barts Heritage Chair Clare Maurice. 

'It has been an extraordinary team effort to complete the project on time - and to such exacting standards. We aimed to return grandeur and dignity to this special building - without making our mark. 

'Biggest thank you goes to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for enabling our Sharing Historic Barts project with a major grant of £5.3m.'

Will Palin was previously Chair of the Radcliffe Observatory Advisory Board, Green Templeton College, Oxford and Committee Member, Painting Conservation Advisory Board, Blenheim Palace. He has also been Patron and Chair of the Sheerness Dockyard Preservation Trust and Trustee of the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London.

Sheerness Dockyard Church in Kent was the winner of the RIBA Reinvention Award 2025. Will says:

'The disused building, which has been on Historic England's 'Heritage at Risk register due to fire damage, was sensitively restored by Hugh Broughton Architects using innovative material and employed local skills and labour, to preserve its exterior and retain original features.'

Below: exterior of Bart's North Wing - the gatehouse (courtesy Future Cities Forum