About The Garrison Chapel
Discover the fascinating history of the grade II-listed The Garrison Chapel in the former Chelsea Barracks, where we exhibit elements of our work.
About the Chapel
For approximately 130 years, The Chapel provided spiritual and education services for four companies housed in the Chelsea Barracks: the Grenadier, Irish, Welsh and Scots Guards.
Four soldiers from the Grenadier Guards who served in the Anglo-Egyptian War, 1882.
This historic Grade II listed building provides a dynamic backdrop for events, as well as an opportunity to exhibit in dialogue with centuries-old tradition, as artworks are displayed alongside original mosaics, ceramics, and Corinthian columns. Since establishing The Garrison Chapel as a public exhibition and events space in 2021, The King’s Foundation has hosted over 40 exhibitions of diverse media, showcasing hundreds of artists and artworks, including His Majesty King Charles III’s watercolours.
The ten-year anniversary of Future Textiles exhibition at the Chapel, October 2024.
The restoration
As the only remaining building from the original barracks of the 1800s, the chapel is considered to be a good example of a mid-19th Century Romanesque-Byzantine style, with Venetian Gothic elements. Its design is unusually stylish, and it is one of the few surviving chapels of its kind in London.
During the course of the project, original paintings were uncovered around the arch, which have now been carefully restored. On the north and south walls were tablets commemorating the Privates who served at the barracks, who were not commonly represented in memorials before the 20th Century. The sensitive restoration of these tablets, together with the interior mosaics and decorative floor tiles is considered an important tribute to the regiment and the individuals who served in it.
Studio PDP, who delivered the restoration project“This project has been one of restoration and re-purposing; the tale of an historic building which needed to fit into its new surroundings of residential and public spaces. It used to only be enjoyed by those residing in the barracks, but now it is accessible to all, offering up its beauty to everyone. It is, in a way, akin to a village hall; the heart and centre of the community.”
