Wren's Vision for St. Paul's Cathedral of London
by Olivia Smith
The history of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England, reflects the history of the city for which it was built. There were many phases of construction and the church was renovated several times, before the final and most important period of building by Sir Christopher Wren from 1675-1710. St. Paul's Cathedral is currently being restored and continues to serve as an important place of worship for the city of London and as a sanctuary for those who visit it.
The land on which St. Paul's Cathedral now rests is believed to have been the site of earlier architectural structures (Whitaker-Wilson 65). Some historians believe that the first structure on this land was a temple to Diana built by the Romans. Historians also argue that this Roman temple was converted into a Christian church in A.D., 314 by the bishop of London at the time called Restitutus. Other historians, such as Bede, believed the first church was constructed by the King of Kent. He stated that the church was built for Mellitus who was consecrated as the bishop of London in A.D. 604 by St. Augustine. Mellitus was sent to England by Pope Gregory the Great and eventually went on to become the Archbishop of Canterbury.
It is believed that the Cathedral's name came from Mellitus who had a special devotion to St. Paul. He dedicated the Church to St. Paul instead of St. Peter, St. Peter, who was the more common patron for cathedrals at the time. Perhaps, the fact that Westminster Abbey had already been dedicated to St. Peter influenced the choice of St. Paul (Whitaker-Wilson 65-66).
At the end of the eleventh century, circa 1080, the city wanted to renovate the Church. Maurice was bishop of London at the time, and served under King Rufus. Authorities contemplated whether or not to elevate the Church into a cathedral. It is proposed that even William the Conqueror may have participated in the debate. It became a cathedral, however, the fire of 1087 destroyed the entire building (Whitaker-Wilson 66). It is believed that Bishop Maurice began the construction of a new building around 1088. Another fire broke out in 1136 near London Bridge and damaged the structure. Reparations were made, and rebuilding commenced, but the work went slow.
In 1444 during the reign of King Henry VI, the steeple of St. Paul's was set on fire by lightning and was not fixed until 1462 (Whitaker-Wilson 67). The next fire was in the year 1561 during the Elizabethan period. This fire was the result of a thunderstorm. The spire of the Cathedral was struck by lightning, and the steeple was burnt and fell (Whitaker-Wilson 67-68). After seeing that the steeple had burnt down twice in storms, the authorities decided not to rebuild it.
Efforts were not made to rebuild until the reign of King James I. The Cathedral was in such poor condition that James I was asked to visit the Church. After viewing it, the King sent for the architect Inigo Jones to survey the Cathedral (Whitaker-Wilson 68). James I knew that Jones preferred classical architecture but accepted him for the job because there were few surveyors (Whitaker-Wilson 68-69). Reconstruction of the Cathedral did not commence until 1633 (Whitaker-Wilson 69).
Jones was not well liked by the congregation of St. Paul's Cathedral because of his preference for an Italianate style. Jones was unpopular for taking down part of the church named "St. Gregory-by-St.-Paul," a church that was connected to the Cathedral, to allow room for a classical portico for St. Paul's that he spent much time building. This was not an unusual situation because during Jones's tenure numerous obstacles constantly got in the way of the rebuilding.
During the Commonwealth, the portico was converted into a seamstress shop and shops for other trades. Later, Parliamentary soldiers transferred the nave of the Cathedral into barracks. Additionally, the roof of the south transept fell at one point (Whitaker-Wilson 70). St. Paul's had become a place to show off fashion and was a place of ridicule; the issue of the rebuilding of the Cathedral became the subject of controversy (Whitaker-Wilson 71).
In the early part of the year 1666 during the reign of Charles II, more surveyors were hired to assess St. Paul's. One man in particular was called upon to renovate St. Paul's, Sir Christopher Wren. No one knew that he would actually be given the opportunity to build the Cathedral of his dreams (Whitaker-Wilson 73).
Wren was born on October 20, 1632 in East Knoyle in Wiltshire, England. His father was Rector of the town of East Knoyle at the time of his birth, but very little is known about his mother Mary (Whitaker-Wilson 2). Wren was certainly a prodigy, exhibiting many fine skills (Whitaker-Wilson 3). Wren attended the Westminster School for boys as a child, a prestigious school at the time. He excelled at many subjects this school had to offer including Latin and later invented an astronomical telescope. Wren had to leave Westminster School after his father suffered financially. Three years later, Wren entered Oxford where he did quite well academically (Whitaker-Wilson 15). Later, when the plague struck England, Wren fled to France.
Wren went back to England in February of 1666 when the plague had subsided (Whitaker-Wilson 73). Around this time, Wren was asked by the King to survey St. Paul's Cathedral for repair (Whitaker-Wilson 73-74).
While Wren was surveying old St. Paul's, he undoubtedly had ideas of how he wanted the Cathedral to look. Wren was a maverick, not always complying with the King's views of architecture (Whitaker-Wilson 74). Nonetheless, Wren went about surveying the Cathedral. The day of September 2, 1666 would change everything at St. Paul's. The Great Fire of London began early that Sunday morning and spread throughout the entire city. The fire ended the plague in London. Even old St. Paul's could not resist the flames of this fierce fire. The Cathedral, including Inigo Jones' portico, burned (Whitaker-Wilson 83).
Even though the Great Fire devastated London, Wren must have felt hope. Now, he would be able to build the cathedral he dreamed of for so long. Such a devastating event brought about the opportunity for Wren to turn St. Paul's into a magnificent cathedral. As C. Whitaker-Wilson noted in Sir Christopher Wren: His Life and Times, "It was the Fire of London that gave Wren his chance" (84).
Wren became surveyor-general of the Cathedral, and in the year 1668, he was requested to create a new design for St. Paul's. This was the opportunity he had long awaited. Wren's first design was rejected in 1669. In 1673 Wren had a second proposal rejected. In 1674 Wren tired of the delays, so he put forth a third design that was approved by the King in 1675. Construction began in July of that year and continued until 1710.
The new St. Paul's was the first English cathedral to be built in the lifetime of a single architect. It was very odd for one architect to build such a masterpiece and not have to have someone finish his work after his death. In fact, some people in the city even believed that the Cathedral was taking too much time to be constructed, and they convinced Parliament to cut Wren's salary in half until completion of the Cathedral in order to pressure him.
Services were held in the Cathedral years before its completion in 1710. The first service in this Cathedral was held at the end of a war between France and Britain on December 2, 1697. It was to held to give thanks for peace, and Bishop Henry Compton led the Episcopalian service from a pulpit on wheels (so that it could be moved to a different position if a larger congregation attended services).
The total cost of St. Paul's would be approximately 50 million pounds today. In 1709 tourists who entered the Cathedral had to pay an entrance fee to offset the cost of construction. This did not even stop the poorest of the city from entering the new Cathedral. Thousands entered the Cathedral within an hour after it opened and began socializing. The entrance fee was not sufficient enough to pay off the construction of the Cathedral. A tax had to be placed on coal entering the Port of London to pay for construction in other areas of the city after the Great Fire. This tax was enough to pay for all the building fees for the new St. Paul's ("About St. Paul's").
St. Paul's, which is constructed of Portland stone, is the largest cathedral in England ("St. Paul's Cathedral"). It is the only Baroque-style cathedral in London ("Comparing Art and Architecture"). Wren created two tiers of paired Corinthian columns for the entrance of the Cathedral similar to those at the Louvre in Paris, France.
The Great West Door, the primary entrance to the Cathedral, stands nine meters high and also has two tiers of classical columns ("Visit St. Paul's"). The pediment has statues that depict the Conversion of St. Paul ("London Sights/Attractions"). Wren also used three symbols for the ornamentation that occur frequently inside the Church. A sword refers to St. Paul, a pelican stands for Christian charity, and the winged heads of cherubs represent resurrection ("Comparing Art and Architecture").
The first design was a Greek cross, selected so that the building would have more of a central plan. However, this design was not traditional for English cathedrals, so Wren was forced to use a Latin cross ("St. Paul's Cathedral").
The layout and floor plan of St. Paul's Cathedral follows the simple basic plan of a typical basilica. The Cathedral faces the east since Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose in Israel. The entrance to the Cathedral, therefore, would be on the west side of the building. As seen below, the nave (figure 1, number 1) is the long area of the Cathedral where the congregation sits ("Visit St. Paul's"). The ceiling of the nave was composed of a series of saucer-like domes ("London Sights/Attractions").
The large dome (figure 1, number 4) at the transept of the Cathedral as seen below (figure 2) is very complex and is the second largest rotunda in the world next to St. Peter's in the Vatican. A lantern, at the dome's peak, caps the three different shells of the dome: the outer and inner domes and a brick shell that lies between the two. Wren constructed the Cathedral in this manner because he believed that the dome's dimensions would be too large when viewed inside the Cathedral ("London Sights/Attractions"). Thus, when viewing the dome from the inside, its dimensions appear to be much smaller on the inside compared to the vast dimensions visible from outside of the Cathedral.
The dome contains the Golden Gallery, the Stone Gallery, and the Whispering Gallery ("Visit St. Paul's"). The latter was given its name since a whisper can be heard across the room at 42 meters away ("London Sights/Attractions"). Monochromatic painting by Sir James Thornhill decorated the interior of the dome.
Many monuments dedicated to religious figures, soldiers, and prominent citizens were added to the interior over the centuries. The north aisle (figure 1, number 2) on the left when entering the Cathedral through the main entrance, includes the Chapel of All Souls, the Chapel of St. Dunstan, and the Wellington Monument to honor the Duke of Wellington for the Battle of Waterloo. The south aisle (figure 1, number 3), on the right when entering the Cathedral, contains the Chapels of St. Michael and St. George, for two religious military associations ("Visit St. Paul's").
The painting The Light of the World by William Hollman Hunt, a Pre-Raphaelite painter was placed in the north transept (figure 1, number 5). In this 19th-century painting Christ is depicted knocking on a door, that can only be opened from the inside, because Hunt believed the faithful have to invite God into their lives. The monument to Admiral Nelson was added to the south transept (figure 1, number 6). This transept also has memorials to the 19th-century painter J.M.W. Turner and the explorer Captain Robert Scott, who were buried in this transept.
The quire (figure 1, number 7) is where the priests and choir attended services. The choir sat on either side of the quire, and the bishop's throne called a "cathedra" is located on the south side. This section was the first part of St. Paul's to be built and blessed because of the importance of the bishop for the Cathedral. The quire also housed the organ and the high altar ("Visit St. Paul's"). The altar of Italian marble, weighing more than four tons, supports a cross that is more than three meters high and is covered by an oak canopy ("London Sights/Attractions"). In the south quire aisle (figure 1, number 8), there are statues of the Blessed Mother Mary and Jesus Christ. A marble effigy of John Donne, one of England's prominent poets, is also located here. This area was one of the few to survive the Great Fire of London. The apse (figure 1, number 10) located behind the quire has the chapel with the American Memorial, commemorating the American people who served in World War II. There are the names of 28,000 Americans who were to serve in the United Kingdom during World War II ("Visit St. Paul's").
Funerals for important figures have been held at St. Paul's such as those for Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, and Sir Winston Churchill. Jubilee celebrations were held in St. Paul's for Queen Victoria and King George V. Services celebrating peace were delivered at St. Paul's at the end of the World War I and World War II, and a service of Remembrance and Commemoration was celebrated for the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The 80th and 100th birthdays of the Queen Mother were celebrated at the Cathedral as well. The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer was a special occasion at St. Paul's. Also, a few years ago, the Queen's Golden Jubilee was celebrated here ("About St. Paul's").
Within the church hierarchy, St. Paul's is the cathedral for the Episcopal Diocese of London. There are five areas in this diocese, which include Willesden, Edmonton, Stepney, London, and Kensington. Four out of these five areas have area bishops, who are given specific responsibilities by the Bishop of London who is The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Richard Chartres, the highest church official affiliated with St. Paul's.
The Cathedral with its library, cathedral school, and choir, has remained a vital s center offering services to the people ("About St. Paul's"). The history of St. Paul's, has made me appreciate the hard work and determination put forth by Sir Christopher Wren and other architects who created this beautiful structure. Even though the building was damaged repeatedly by fire, the people of London did not rest until the Cathedral was rebuilt and transformed into a brilliant work of architecture. Wren set out to make St. Paul's unique, and he achieved his goal. It inspires me to think that just one man could build such a magnificent structure, serving the city, and fulfilling his dreams in the process.
St. Paul's Cathedral was renovated several times before it was completed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1710. To this day, Wren's masterpiece continues to impress people who flock to it to worship or to simply view the architecture. St. Paul's, with its extraordinarily rich history, has been a monument that attests to the strength and faith of the English people.
Works Cited
"About St. Paul's" & "Visit St. Paul's."
<http://www.stpauls.co.uk> (17 May 2004).
"Comparing Art and Architecture." Honors World Religions. (19 July 2004).
<www.uwec.edu/greider/HonorsWorld%20REligions/
Cathedral%20Group/Adam%20Coolidge/Adam%205.htm/>. (19 July 2004).
"London Sights/Attractions." Talking Cities.
<http://www.talkingcities.co.uk/london_pages/sights_alpha12.htm> (19 July 2004).
"St. Paul's Cathedral." The 1911 Edition Encyclopedia. (19 July 2004).
< http://68.1911encyclopedia.org/S/ST/ST_PAUL_S_CATHEDRAL.htm > (19 July 2004).
Whitaker-Wilson, C. Sir Christopher Wren: His Life and Times . London: Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1932: 2-3, 15, 59, 65-71, 73-74, 83-84.
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