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Sir Christopher Wren, PRS ( 20 October 1632 – 25 February 1723 ) was an English scientist and Architect of the 17th Century , most famous for his role in the re-building of London 's churches after the Great Fire Of London of 1666 . LIFE AND TIMES .]] Wren is particularly known for his design for St Paul's Cathedral , one of very few Cathedral s in England to have been built after the Medieval period, and the only Renaissance cathedral in the country. He was inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for his design of St Paul's and although he was met with strong opposition about his design for the cathedral he managed to give London and England one of its finest buildings. Born in 1632 in Wiltshire , Wren was the son of the Dean of Windsor , a Royal appointment which would cause privations to the family during the period of the Commonwealth (1649 - 1660). As a boy he met the young Prince Charles who would later become King and employ Wren as an architect. He was educated at Westminster School , (where Dr. Busby the headmaster discreetly harboured several sons of Royalists in difficulties) and Wadham College , Oxford and was then elected to All Souls . In 1657 , he became professor of Astronomy at Gresham College and four years later he became the Savilian Professor Of Astronomy at Oxford until his resignation in 1673 . He was acknowleged as a brilliant scientist even by Newton, who was not inclined to praise others. Wren was also one of the founding members of the Royal Society , of which he was President from 1680 to 1682 . His first serious architectural venture was the Sheldonian Theatre , which can still be seen at Oxford, and he designed various other university buildings in both Oxford and Cambridge , including the chapels of Pembroke College and Emmanuel College, Cambridge . After the Great Fire Of London , he was selected as the architect of St Paul's, the previous building having been destroyed, and thereafter he devoted himself to architecture. The design and construction of the new cathedral took from 1675 to 1710 , and in the interim Wren, together with his associates Robert Hooke and Nicholas Hawksmoor , designed many other buildings, including 51 London churches to replace 87 destroyed, many of which remain standing. These include St Bride's , St Mary Le Bow , St Clement Danes , St Benet Paul's Wharf , and St Stephen Walbrook . In addition, he was involved in the design of the Monument To The Great Fire Of London , Royal Greenwich Observatory , Chelsea Hospital , Greenwich Hospital , Marlborough House , the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, the Wren Library of Trinity College Cambridge, and many other distinguished buildings. Christopher Wren was knighted in 1673 and served as a member of Parliament in 1685 - 1688 and 1702 - 1705 . Aubrey recorded that Wren was made a Freemason in 1691 , and it has long been suggested that he was Grand Master before the "revival" in 1717, but that is unproven. Wren died in 1723 and was buried at St Paul's. An inscription inside the cathedral, dedicated to the architect, reads, "''Lector, si monumentum requiris, circumspice''" ("Reader, if you seek a memorial, look around you"). MAJOR WORKS ATTRIBUTED TO WREN Chapels
Churches ]] Surviving
Destroyed
College halls of residence
Court rooms
Gateways & entrances
Government offices
Guard houses
Hospitals
Houses
Libraries
Monuments
Observatories & scientific buildings
Palaces
Schools & colleges
Theatres
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