Sir Christopher Wren Biography

Sir Christopher Wren was the most celebrated English architect of his time, best known for the design of St Paul's Cathedral, London. Born to a rector, Wren was the only surviving son of their parents and was delicate in health from an early age. After being schooled privately at home for few years, Christopher Wren attended the Westminster School and was then enrolled in the Oxford University. Inclined towards mathematics from a young age and apparently destined for a career as a scientific scholar, after completing his Masters, Wren became the professor of astronomy in London. Wren's interest in architecture developed when he was commissioned to design the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford. Later, he visited Paris to study French and Italian baroque styles which inspired and influenced his later works. After the 1666 Great Fire of London destroyed most of the city, the king appointed him as one of the architectural commissioners to oversee the rebuilding of the city. Over the next 46 years, Wren designed and supervised the rebuilding of 51 city churches including his masterpiece, St. Paul’s Cathedral. One of the reasons for his acclaimed work was that he insisted on the finest materials and a very high standard of workmanship. Later, he also received royal commissions to design hospitals and many other buildings all around England. Rightly regarded as the most significant British architect of all time, Sir Christopher Wren skillfully interpreted the Baroque style in England and dominated English architecture for 50 years