Wednesday 8 June 2016

Old chapel, new context

The Middlesex Hospital chapel survived alone when the surrounding hospital was demolished. 


After some time in sad isolation, the chapel was recently restored and a development built up around it. Last year, there was a first chance to see the newly-splendid interior. (If you'd like to take a look, it now has fairly regular opening times.)


Work was still being done outside the chapel, but it's now complete. However, the fully-visible exterior looks less than comfortable in its new surroundings.




Equally incongruous is the renaming of the chapel. Despite the objections of many, its hospital history has been obscured by a new title: Fitzrovia Chapel.



2 comments:

Ralph Hancock said...

It narrowly escaped being called the Noho Chapel. The orginal project on the Middlesex Hospital site was to be called Noho Square -- i.e. 'North Soho' -- which raised protests from residents who pointed out that they lived in Fitzrovia. This project lapsed, and the new one abandoned the name. But the residents got more than they wanted of the name they had championed.

Anonymous said...

Developers/planners are still trying to rename St Giles/Bloomsbury/Fitzrovia "Midtown".