Fitzrovia Chapel London

In the middle of Fitzrovia’s Pearson Square stands a curious red-brick building. Walking past, you might notice its incongruity with the surrounding modern apartment blocks, but you’d probably not deem it worthy of closer inspection. Worthy it is, however: one of London’s finest architectural gems, hidden in plain sight!

Fitzrovia Chapel was built in 1891-2 as a place of worship for staff and patients at Middlesex Hospital. Look out for plaques (on the left as you enter) commemorating some of the institution’s notable figures: Diana Beck, for example, who practised here and was England’s first female neurosurgeon. The hospital closed in 2005 and was subsequently demolished, but the chapel – by then a Grade II Listed building – was saved and restored. Today, it is a coveted venue for weddings, concerts, and exhibitions, and it is open three times a week to members of the public.

Aside from its compelling history, what really sets Fitzrovia Chapel apart is its extraordinary gold mosaic ceiling. This part of the chapel took so long to build – the project was both incredibly demanding and severely underfunded – that the original architect, John Loughborough Pearson, didn’t survive to see the end result. It feels even more of a privilege to stand surrounded by candlelit columns and gaze up at this star-studded wonder, seen through to completion by his son Frank.