St George'S Hospital St George'S Hospital And Attached Drinking Fountain

St George's Hospital and Attached Drinking Fountain

A purpose-built hospital begun in 1827 and designed by William Wilkins, located at Hyde Park Corner, SW1. The building is constructed of painted stucco with a slate low-pitched roof to parapet.

The main block is symmetrical and faces east, with returns to north and south. It is thirteen bays wide, including a double centre bay, and rises three storeys with an attic added in 1859. A podium supports the structure, with the basement featuring channelled rustication. The projecting pedimented central portico spans three bays and has square Doric antae flanking the entrance below. Pairs of bays at each end of the block are advanced and decorated with applied Doric pilasters. A dentil cornice runs above the second floor, with a subsidiary cornice to the attic. The portico frieze is ornamented with rosettes and the words "St George's Hospital".

The windows are square-headed with architraves, corniced at ground and first floor levels. The second floor windows feature flanking pilasters, a modification made in 1859. All retain small-paned sash windows with glazing bars. The return elevations are also of architectural interest.

Facing Knightsbridge is a twentieth-century gateway in Portland stone designed by C. Holden, featuring a bronze bust of John Hunter by Alfred Gilbert.

An attached drinking fountain stands on the Knightsbridge facade. Inscribed "MDCCCLX" (1860) on its frieze, it was erected by the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association. The fountain features a fluted shell basin of carved stone on a rough stone base, flanked by stepped plinths surmounted by acanthus leaf consoles supporting a frieze, cornice, scrolled pediment, and central finial. It ranks among the earliest drinking fountains erected by the Association, which was founded in 1859. The Association provided free fresh water at a time when contaminated supplies were common and clean water difficult to obtain.