Built by George Basavi in the early 1840s the Entrance Hall at the Fitzwilliam Museum was intended as a magnificent prelude to one of the country's leading museums. The ornate decorative scheme was designed by Edward Barry and combines polychrome plasterwork, architectural gilding, ornate stone carving, scagliola and mosaics. A detailed condition survey showed that while some areas of the polychrome decoration had suffered from deterioration associated with moisture ingress, most areas were in good condition beneath a century of accumulated dirt and dust.

In considering the aims and methodology for the conservation programme it was agreed that the Entrance Hall should be treated with the same basic conservation methodology as any other historic artefact displayed in the museum. Spread over a three year period, in order to minimise the disruption to the management of the museum, the decorative scheme was carefully cleaned and conserved between 1999 and 2001. The project subsequently received the David Urwin Conservation Award for Craftsmanship. A number of articles and posters on the project are available on the download page.