Christopher Wren

Sir Christopher Wren (born 20 Oktoberjul / October 30 1632greg in East Knoyle, Wiltshire, .. .. † February 25 1722jul / March 8 1723greg at Hampton Court ) was a British astronomer and architect. He was among the founding members of the Royal Society.

Life

Wren studied mathematics at Oxford, and in 1657 professor of astronomy at Gresham College in London. There he became the co-founder of the Royal Society, which he was president from 1680 to 1682. In 1659 he became a teacher at the University of Oxford. In addition, it employed especially the architecture.

In 1665 he went to France to study the built under Louis XIV buildings, which he was led to a strict classicism. After the Great Fire of London ( 1666), he was appointed architect of the city, appointed in 1668 to the Royal General architects of England. Together with Robert Hooke, he developed the plans for the reconstruction of London. As such, he has over 60 churches and public buildings, including the new part of Hampton Court Palace, the Palace at Winchester, Kensington Palace, the library of Trinity College, Cambridge built. His main work is the built in 1675-1710 St Paul 's Cathedral in London.

Christopher Wren is one of the most outstanding phenomena in English architecture. How many English architect of the time, he was self-taught. Its importance lay in the fact that he deliberately as one of the first architects built in different styles. Although he preferred for many structures an austere classicism, but there are also other style elements in him that it was the Italian Baroque, whether borrowed from the Gothic period. This penchant for eclecticism remained in the subsequent period in English architecture exist.

His longtime collaborator Nicholas Hawksmoor was following the collaboration with Wren employee of John Vanbrugh and directed the construction, among others, of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard.

1661 Christopher Wren designed the first rain gauge. In the medical field led Christopher Wren's universal interest to progress: One of the first systemic injections goes back to him. Since syringe needles were not yet invented, he made use of a femur of a nightingale, he ansägte oblique. Not all of his opinions and observations, however, led to progress: in 1656 he injected wine into veins of dogs. This success is the experiment did not last to the then prevailing doctrine of Iatrochemistry after each substance in the human body have an equivalent in the macrocosm, the imbalance in the microcosm of man can be balanced and must.

That was erected a monument to him, Wren leaned always from. His work should speak for him. So reminds his grave stone in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral with the inscription Lector, si monumentum requiris, Circumspice ( " viewer if you are looking for a monument, look around you "). To the architect

On May 18, 1691 Sir Christopher Wren was a member of the Freemasons. The induction ceremony took place significantly in the Saint Paul's Cathedral. This event is also mentioned in the famous diaries of John Evelyn.

Works

Wren left behind writings were edited by his son.

Christopher Wren's masterpiece is the built in 1675-1710 Saint Paul 's Cathedral in London. Even the magnificent Sheldontheater, Oxford and Pembroke College, Cambridge goes back to him. With Robert Hooke, he designed the monument to commemorate the Great Fire.

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