Christopher Wren

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Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723), best known as the architect of St Paul's cathedral, was an astronomer, geographer, mathematician, physicist, in addition to being one of the best known British architects of all times. He was educated at Westminster School and later read latin and physics at Wadham College, Oxford. There he met John Wilkins, who became a friend. Wren graduated B.A. in 1651 and M.A. in 1653, after which he became a fellow at All Souls College. However, in 1657 he was appointed Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College in London. As lecture attendence was free, a group of interested men soon formed, regularly frequenting Wrens lectures. These, John Wilkins, Wren himself and a number of other likeminded scientist, in 1662 founded the Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge. He later, in the 1680s became president of the Royal Society. Wrens interest as a scientist were very broad, encompassing astronomy, optics, geography, cosmology, mechanics, microscopy, surveying, medicine and meteorology. In 1661 he was elected Professor of Astronomy at Oxford.

In the mid-1660s Wren became interested in architecture, and studied a great number of buildings and books on the topic. After the Great Fire of 1666, he submitted a masterplan for rebuilding the whole city. While this was never adopted, Wren was appointed King’s Surveyor of Works, the highest position in the building industry in all of Britain. In his position he was responsible for overseeing the general rebuilding of the city. In order to focus on architecture, he quit his Oxford job. King Charles II knighted Wren in 1773.

Incomplete list of architectural projects

• monument commemorating the Great Fire
• Royal Observatory
• library at Trinity College, Cambridge
• Chelsea Hospital
• reconstruction of the state room at Windsor Castle
• chapel and council chamber at Whitehall
• extension of Kensington Palace
• Hampton Court

Sources

• Gould, Heywood. Sir Christopher Wren. London: Franklin Watts, 1970.
• Pevsner, Nikolaus. Christopher Wren 1632 - 1723 Milano: Electa, 1958.
• Bennett, J. A. The mathematical science of Christopher Wren. Cambridge: CUP, 1982.
• Wren, Stephen. Parentalia: or, memoirs of the family of the Wrens Farnborough: Gregg, 1965.
• Elmes, James. Memoirs of the life and works of Sir Christopher Wren. London: Priestley and Weale, 1823.
• Stephen, Leslie [Ed.]. The Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: OUP, 1917.
• Wikipedia. Christopher Wren. Accessed Tuesday, January 12th 2010.