Wren's Design Of St example essay topic

Lauren Fox Arch 321404/21/05 Final Paper St. Paul's Cathedral, in London, England, was designed by architect Sir Christopher Wren. Approval of this most significant architectural project took six years just for the plan. Construction, which began in 1675, took thirty-five years until finally complete in 1710. It was built to replace a church that had been leveled by the Great Fire of 1666. St. Paul's is the largest cathedral in England, and said to be Wren's masterpiece. He brought a range of new forms, and architectural combinations into English architecture.

Masonry, brick, timber, and cut stone were used to form the structure of the cathedral. St. Paul's Cathedral has been one of the main socially significant buildings in London. Cathedrals all around, have always played a large role in the communities they serve. Their fundamental purpose is to bring people closer to God, but over the centuries they have served as a focal point for trade, as a stronghold and a place of safety in times of war, and as immense status symbols. The functions, of a cathedral, take on an additional significance for St Paul's, because it's known as the cathedral of the capital city and, of the nation.

The present building is also the first cathedral to have been built since the creation of the Church of England in 1534, when religion was brought under the direct control of the monarch. This quote from Simon T hurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage really shows the significance the Church has made in England. "St Paul's Cathedral is the internationally recognized signature of London and the capital's most important historic and architectural focal point. Only St Paul's and the Palace of Westminster are protected by strategic views but the proposed tower disregards this legal protection and the significance of the Cathedral as the icon of London". The West Front, which faces the heart of the City of London, is an iconic image with great national significance.

It is through the famous West Doors that so many British monarchs and distinguished figures have entered the Cathedral. The nation's "best-loved" church, St Paul's has hosted some of the most important commemorative events in British history. In recent years the memorial service for the victims of 9/11, the Queen's Golden Jubilee and the Queen Mother's 100th birthday. Also, it was where the funeral services of Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, and Winston Churchill. St. Paul's has shaped London for more than 400 years.

The people of England see the cathedral has a symbol of their country. The walls hold much significance and stories dating back to the beginning of established religion. Sir Christopher Wren's design of St. Paul's Cathedral, is not only the largest cathedral in England, but one of the most significant stylistically architectural combinations into English Architecture. After the Great Fire, parts of the remains of Old St Paul's were patched up as a temporary cathedral. The structure, however, was in a very bad shape, and in May 1668, after a fall of the remains of the building materials fell; Wren was asked to submit proposals for a new cathedral.

Wren's first proposal, "The First Model", was quickly neglected, because it was said to be too modest. His second proposal was a mimic of the Greek cross. It was a classical style of the Italian Renaissance, it was centrally planned, and the main interior space was set beneath an enormous dome, and auxiliary spaces were located around the sides. But the clergy, who were only familiar with cathedrals whose designs, were Romanesque or Gothic, and were not familiar to classical architecture in his design, quickly through out the new design. His third design, "The Warrant Design", was still classical architecture, but it was based on the criticisms of the Greek cross design. The plan was longitudinal, the nave and choir were bordered by lower aisles, and the towers and spire suggested the shape of medieval England.

This design was approved by King Charles II, but Wren asked for permission to make some variations in the ornamental aspects of the design. Wren took full advantage of the King's permission, and by the time it was complete in 1710 almost every aspect had been completing re-designed. The final changes all reflected parts of his previous designs. The plan, though still longitudinal, was faintly altered, so it emphasized the central space beneath the dome. The upper part of the cathedral was concealed behind screen walls, which resulted in an attractive, two-storey exterior facade.

A tall dome, which was inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome roses 108 metre's, similar in scale to that proposed in his first design, was raised over the crossing. "One of the most favored and amazing features of the new and improved church was the dome". Wren's final design did not support any of the architectural styles during the 17th century architecture. The interior of the Cathedral is not you " re average plan. It correlates with the bare Gothic stone of medieval British cathedrals. Ornately curved and luminously colored decorations flourish, and in a symmetry that is virtually overwhelming.

There are plaques, carvings, monuments and statues dedicated to a wide range of people inside. The majority are related to the British military with several lists of servicemen who died in war. There are monuments to Admiral Nelson and to the Duke of Wellington in the south transept and north aisle. Also remembered are poets, painters, clergy and residents of the local parish. There are also lists of the Bishops and cathedral Deans for the last thousand years. Sir Christopher Wren symbolized the governing force in late seventeenth and early eighteenth-century architecture.

Several other architects were influenced by Wren's style, and new designs began to reflect St. Paul's, which moved the architecture into the early neo-classical / baroque style. Wren's style was one of simple magnificence. His style was composed more of in agreeable proportions rather than glorious decoration. Wren was believed to have contributed design ideas for many buildings for which he did not do final designs. Wren's design concepts were carried into the early years of the eighteenth century by fellow architects, Hawks moor, and his partner Vanbrugh.

However, Wren's relative simplicity, and his "Protestant plainness" in comparison with European "Popish" richness, was dominated in their designs by superimpose of rich applied decoration and a more complex and extravagant style. His greatest renown was for St. Paul's Cathedral, but his major public buildings, and the delicacy and variety displayed in the fifty-or-so parish churches, also contribute to his enduring influence in architecture down to the present day. Until the arrival of the modern skyscraper, St. Paul's dominated the London skyline as a symbol of the stability of the Church of England and English government and society. When Sir Christopher Wren died in 1723 he became the first person to be buried in St. Paul's Cathedral.