Greenwich ORNC for Visually Impaired Visitors
A New Tactile Rug Interprets the Painted Hall Ceiling for the Blind
Oct 24, 2008
Designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1696 and 1751, the Old Royal Naval College in Maritime Greenwich, south east London, started life as the Royal Hospital for Seamen, providing a home for retired and injured sailors. It became the Royal Naval College from 1873, for 125 years. In 1998, the buildings finally became home to the University of Greenwich and Trinity College of Music.
The Old Royal Naval College Painted Hall
The Old Royal Naval College just celebrated 300 years since Sir James Thornhill started decorating its magnificent Painted Hall on 29 June 1708. The project took almost two decades to complete, and the results have been described as England’s answer to Rome’s Sistine Chapel. The Painted Hall is certainly the world's finest dining hall, and arguably the most exquisitely painted architectural interior by an English artist.
The allegorical theme of the Lower Hall ceiling is the triumph of Peace and Liberty over Tyranny, and it pays due tribute to King William III, Queen Mary II and British maritime power. In the Upper Hall, Queen Anne surveys the continents of the world, while on the West Wall are George I and his family, her Hanoverian successors. On the columns, windowsills and in the vestibule, extensive use is made of trompe l’oeil effects.
The Challenge of Interpreting a Complex Story for Visually Impaired Visitors
Aiming to enhance the experience of blind and partially sighted visitors, the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College specifically commissioned local artist Amanda Allen to produce a rug with amazing tactile effects.
Measuring 2.5 by 1.5 metres, the rug interprets in a practical way the complex story and characters within the Hall’s central oval ceiling painting, helping people with limited vision to engage with the images high above them. Characters featured in the painting and recaptured in the tactile rug include the god Apollo, Peace with her doves and lambs, Medusa and Hercules.
Throughout its development, the tactile rug was tested by groups of end users, and has proved remarkably successful. It is also an ideal learning resource for use by young children as part of a story-telling programme.
The tactile rug is just one of the imaginative new resources devised for Discover Greenwich, a £5.8 million interpretation and education center, due to open in 2010.
Visiting the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London
Admission to the Painted Hall, Chapel and Visitor Centre of the Old Royal Naval College is free of charge, daily between 10am and 5pm. The grounds are open daily 8am to 6pm and can be entered from Cutty Sark Gardens, College Approach, Romney Road Gate, Royal Gate and Park Row. Guide dogs are allowed.
The nearest train station is Cutty Sark on the Docklands Light Railway (fully wheelchair accessible). Maritime Greenwich is also easily reached by mainline train from London Bridge to Greenwich. Alternatively there are several bus services, and boats to Greenwich Pier.
Further Reading: Free Downloadable Guide to Maritime Greenwich
A free guide to Greenwich & Docklands has been published by Time Out Magazine in partnership with the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, Docklands Light Railway, Canary Wharf Ltd, Museum in Docklands and The O2. It may be downloaded from the Maritime Greenwich website.
Maritime Greenwich was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 for its architectural, scientific, maritime and royal associations.
Main source: PR Matters, press office for Maritime Greenwich - A World Heritage Site
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