The Painted Hall is part of the great assembly of buildings designed for Greenwich Hospital by Sir Christopher Wren in 1696. It is one of the most important Baroque painted interiors in Europe and was decorated by Sir James Thornhill. However bright sunlight and fluctuations in temperature and humidity caused damage to the painted surfaces. These have now been painstakingly conserved in an award-winning project with measures introduced to control the environment within the Painted Hall such as improved heating, solar shading and enhanced lighting. A spacious visitor centre has been created within the Undercroft below with the remains of Henry VII's palace exposed as part of the works.