See the new stained glass conservation project at Charing Cross

See the new stained glass conservation project at Charing Cross

21 January 2025

The two pieces, Millenium New World One and Millenium New World Two, were first installed in 1999 as part of a refurbishment of the Charing Cross Hospital lobby, which also included a fish tank and a ceramic waterfall.  

Representing the vastness of the universe, they are Grant’s only stained glass works. The restoration project saw over a dozen panes  removed by expert stained glass conservators and taken to their workshop where they received a new lease of life. The textured colourful glass is particularly difficult to reproduce, requiring months of work by a team of specialists. 

Millenium New World One, which you can view in the lobby behind the escalators, is 12 metres tall and 7 metres wide. At the time of its production it was one of the biggest stained glass windows in Europe, and took five people seven weeks to complete. 

Keith Grant is a British landscape painter born in Liverpool in 1930. His work is inspired by the natural beauty of the world. Charing Cross Hospital is fortunate to have several site-specific artworks of his on display. On the first floor mezzanine near the lifts, you can find his painting Norwegian Fjord (1975), in which a small boat is overshadowed by huge, ice-capped mountains. 

At the rear entrance of the hospital, where Millenium New World Two can be found, is a mosaic work titled The Magic Mountain. Installed in 1980, this massive artwork was created with the help of young people from the Hammersmith area, the names of which are featured on the mural. This collaborative project was intended to promote further interest in the arts. 

You can read this article, and more in the Winter edition of Focus.