This paper will discuss the life of Sir Christopher Wren and his work as an architect. Special emphasis will be placed on Wren's importance as an architect in London following the Great Fire of 1666. Christopher Wren was born in East Knoyle, England, in October of 1632. In his early life, Wren pursued a career in science and astronomy. After distinguishing himself as an excellent student in mathematics, the 25-year-old Wren became a professor of astronomy at Gresham College in London. A few years later, Wren took a position as professor of astronomy at Oxford University. It was not until the 1660 s that Wren began a career in the field of architecture. In 1661, King Charles II appointed Wren to serve as assistant to the Surveyor-General to His Majesty's Works (Weaver 43). The Surveyor-General was a Minister to the King responsible for all public construction throughout England. In 1663, Wren was commissioned to design the Chapel of Pembroke College in Cambridge, and in 1665 he was commissioned to design an inner court for Trinity College in Oxford (46). Thus, Christopher Wren's career as an architect was well established by the mid-1660 s.
Wren was never formally trained in architecture. He learned the craft on his own through his personal studies and observations. There were two basic influences on Wren's style as an architect: the Palladian style which was popular in England during the time, and the Baroque style which was popular in France. The Palladian style stemmed from the ideas of Palladio and Inigo Jones, and it was based on Classical influences from ancient Rome (Summerson 147). Wren became involved in this type of Classicism through his interest in Italian Renaissance architecture and his personal studies of Inigo Jones (Weaver 51). The influence of the classical style is evident in the refined and simple design of Wren's works, which are "constructed on the finest principles of tradition, and free from a...