SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN

1632 - 1723
Wren’s architecture reflected the spirit of the Restoration with the search for
elegance and harmony in a period of transition from the ornate, rich and
complex style which had characterised the previous age to the classical style
of the Augustan age.
Wren’s greatest creation was
St Paul’s Cathedral.
The outside conveys an idea of
elegance and solidity.
Wren was influenced by a style
known as Baroque, previously
unknown to England but
popular in France and Italy.
The central dome recalls the
Baroque grandeur of the dome
of St Peter’s and parts of the
building resembles the east
front of the Louvre.
The surface of the dome is lead-covered,
with vertical ribs on its surface. The dome
soars up to a lantern surmounted by a
cross.
A kind of attic decorated with pilasters
and square windows is above the drum.
A balustrade runs around the dome.
The drum from which the dome rises is
surrounded by a ring of columns that are
spaced evenly.
The pediment contains a
relief and the columns are
coupled.
The variety of the outline of
the building achieves a
contrast of light and shade
and a variation in rhythm.
The mosaics which decorate the Dome
were added during Queen Victoria’s reign.
Rich colours and ornate classical
decorations dominate the scene.
The Cathedral houses several hundred
monuments to notable Britons.

Wren’s memorial is subdued by the

standards of his neighbours. A Latin
inscription carved into the stone says:
“Reader, if you seek his memorial, look
about you”.
Inside the Dome is the Whispering Gallery, so named because if you whisper into
the wall, your words can be heard all the way across the Dome due to the acoustics
of the curved surface.
Hampton Court Palace had been built in Tudor times for Henry VIII. By the
late 17th century it was in neglected condition and William III and Mary
decided to rebuild and enlarge it; but, due to the Queen’s death and
shortage of funds, the original scheme was amended, so the retention of
the Tudor palace, incorporated into Wren’s design, has resulted in an
harmonious whole.
 FOUNTAIN COURTYARD - HAMPTON COURT PALACE by Sir Christopher Wren

The building conveys the impression of harmony, elegance and order.

The design relies on the balance of horizontal and vertical lines. The colour of the facade emphasizes the effect
of the design; in fact brick and stone are employed to avoid monotony. Stone was used for the whole of the
lowest storey, for a plain horizontal band beneath the attic windows and for the balustrade which crowns the
building.
 Greenwich Royal Hospital - 1694

This was the last and finest of Wren’s secular buildings. His final
scheme incorporated Inigo Jones’s Queen’s House and John Webb’s
King Charles II’s Block.
 Chapel Painted
Hall

A great open square court opens onto the river and narrows towards the
Queen’s House. The way Wren organized such a huge space underlines the
sense of spaciousness and grandeur and creates a dramatic effect with the
perspective axis which leads to the Queen’s House.
The facades are broken up by features giving strong contrasts of light and
shade.
The curved lines of
the domes and the
slanting lines of
the pediments
predominate in
the upper section
of the building

Horizontal and
vertical lines
predominate in
the lower section
of the building
The main two towers are marked by domes with curved profile set on high drums
which follow the pattern of the West tower of St Paul’s with paired columns. Added
complexity is given by the round windows above them.
The colonnades are made of coupled Doric columns. They begin on the river side of
the two buildings and, turning, run back towards the Queen’s House.