The Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank of the River Thames is the last remaining building from the 1951 Festival of Britain, the post-war celebration of the best in British art, design and industry. Considered by many to be a triumph of Modernist design, it was the first post-war building to be listed as being of special architectural/historic significance. The Hall is currently undergoing a [British pound]70 million refurbishment that includes improvements to audience access and comfort, and enhancement of the acoustics in the auditorium. In 2005, Textile Conservation Ltd was contracted by the architects to remove, conserve and reinstate the original woven and tufted wool hangings, designed by Hilary Bourne, that covered approximately 330 square meters of the walls behind the auditorium boxes. This paper will discuss some of the many challenges arising from the need to reconcile the client’s aesthetic vision and technical specifications, aimed at meeting the requirements of 21st century performers and audiences, with conservation principles and practice. These included removing fifty years worth of soiling, addressing fire retardant regulations, and preparing the hangings for a far more ‘active’ role in the overall scheme – being attached to a new tracking system designed to draw them apart during performances. The importance of educating the client, formulating workable compromises, and providing context-specific advice and information on future care and maintenance will be illustrated and explained.