Christopher Wren

Table of Contents

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Sir Christopher Wren, detail of an oil painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1711; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

St. Paul's Cathedral, London, from the southeast. Designed and built (1675–1710) under the supervision of Sir Christopher Wren, it combines Neoclassical, Gothic, and Baroque elements.

London: St. Paul's Cathedral

London: St. Paul's Cathedral

London: St. Paul's Cathedral

Take a trip to St. Paul's Cathedral in London and learn about its rich history

The domed roof of St. Paul's Cathedral, London.

Wren, Christopher

Explore London city's famous and historical landmarks, neighborhood, markets, shopping at Bates, St. Paul's Cathedral, Notting Hill, and Tower Bridge

For Students

Sir Christopher Wren, detail of an oil painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1711; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Sir Christopher Wren summary

Read Next

Night view of the Opera House and new business quarter, Oslo, Norway.

These 8 Buildings Will Make You See Norway in a New Light

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's House, Weimar,Germany; photocrom print published between 1890-1900.

5 Historically Significant Houses in Germany

The New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City, designed by the Japanese architecture firm SANAA (Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates) and opened in 2007. Attached to the facade is Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone's sculpture installation Hell, Yes! (2001)

Woman-Made: 13 Architects You Might Not Know

Florence Baptistery of Saint John, Italy

9 Historic Buildings in Florence

Inside the Suleymaniye Mosque on may 25, 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey. The Suleymaniye Mosque is the largest mosque in the city, and one of the best-known sights of Istanbul.

8 Masterpieces of Islamic Architecture

Discover

Camel at Khor Rori, Oman; mammal.

Do Camels Store Water in Their Humps?

Close up of periodic table, focus on nickel, copper, zinc, palladium, silver, cadmium

When Was the Periodic Table Invented?

The Colosseum, Rome, Italy. Giant amphitheatre built in Rome under the Flavian emperors. (ancient architecture; architectural ruins)

New Seven Wonders of the World

Young boys working in a thread spinning mill in Macon, Georgia, 1909. Boys are so small they have to climb onto the spinning frame to reach and fix broken threads and put back empty bobbins. Child labor. Industrial revolution

The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution

Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.

U.S. Death Toll During Major Events

Panoramic view at sunrise of moai, Ahu Tongariki, Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Chile

6 Lost Civilizations

Moonrise over Tucson, Arizona

Why Doesn’t Arizona Observe Daylight Saving Time?

Christopher Wren: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	Sir Christopher Wren
Born	October 20, 1632 • England
Died	February 25, 1723 (aged 90) • London • England
Founder	Royal Society
Notable Works	Greenwich Hospital • Drury Lane Theatre • Hampton Court • Saint Paul’s Cathedral
Movement / Style	Baroque art and architecture • Stuart style

Photos and Videos

Sir Christopher Wren, detail of an oil painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1711; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

St. Paul's Cathedral, London, from the southeast. Designed and built (1675–1710) under the supervision of Sir Christopher Wren, it combines Neoclassical, Gothic, and Baroque elements.

London: St. Paul's Cathedral

London: St. Paul's Cathedral

London: St. Paul's Cathedral

The domed roof of St. Paul's Cathedral, London.

Wren, Christopher

Take a trip to St. Paul's Cathedral in London and learn about its rich history

Explore London city's famous and historical landmarks, neighborhood, markets, shopping at Bates, St. Paul's Cathedral, Notting Hill, and Tower Bridge

See All Videos and Images →

Peter Paul Rubens: self-portrait

Peter Paul Rubens

Flemish artist

Lorenzo Bernini: Apollo and Daphne

Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Italian artist

Rome: Piazza Navona

Francesco Borromini

Italian architect

Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach

Austrian architect

Inigo Jones

English architect and artist

Mansart, François: Château of Maisons

François Mansart

French architect

Sir John Vanbrugh

British dramatist and architect

Smolny Cathedral

Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli

architect

Pietro da Cortona: St. Martina

Pietro da Cortona

Italian artist

Würzburg Residenz, designed by Balthasar Neumann, 18th century, Würzburg, Germany.

Balthasar Neumann

German architect

Jerónimo de Balbás

Spanish architect and sculptor

Bernardo Antonio Vittone

Italian architect

Guarini, Guarino: dome of San Lorenzo

Guarino Guarini

Italian architect, priest, mathematician, and theologian

Westminster Abbey

Nicholas Hawksmoor

British architect

Steinhausen: pilgrimage church

Dominikus Zimmermann

German architect

Sir Peter Lely, etching after a painting by the artist.

Sir Peter Lely

Dutch painter

Garden facade of Belvedere Palace, Vienna, by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt

Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt

Austrian architect

Dôme des Invalides, Paris

Jules Hardouin-Mansart

French architect

Church of S. Marcello, Rome, by Carlo Fontana, c. 1683

Carlo Fontana

Italian architect

Juvarra, Filippo: Stupinigi's royal hunting lodge

Filippo Juvarra

Italian architect

Quiz

Close-up of a palette held by a man. Mixing paint, painting, color mixing.

Artists, Painters, & Architects

Hagia Sophia. Istanbul, Turkey. Constantinople. Church of the Holy Wisdom. Church of the Divine Wisdom. Mosque.

Architecture: The Built World

Vikings. Viking warriors hold swords and shields. 9th c. AD seafaring warriors raided the coasts of Europe, burning, plundering and killing. Marauders or pirates came from Scandinavia, now Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. European History

European History