The Brochure Series of Architectural Illustration, vol. 06, No. 11, November 1900 The Work of Sir Christopher Wren

In the early seventeenth century England’s architectural language was shifting from the Gothic‑tinged styles of the Elizabethan era toward a cleaner, classical vocabulary, a transition that reached its apex with the work of Sir Christopher Wren. A prodigy of science and mathematics, Wren spent his twenties immersed in experiments ranging from brain anatomy to barometric weather prediction, earning admiration from contemporaries such as Hooke and Newton. When the crown called upon him as surveyor‑general, his reputation for both intellectual rigor and practical skill made him an obvious choice.

The brochure traces Wren’s first independent projects, from the modest chapel at Pembroke College to the ambitious Sheldonian Theatre at Oxford, illustrating how his brief stay in Paris sharpened his grasp of classical design. It also sets the stage for his pivotal role after the 1666 Great Fire of London, when his rebuilding plans began to reshape the city’s skyline. Readers will discover how these early achievements laid the groundwork for a legacy that would later influence colonial architecture across the Atlantic.