Sir Christopher Wren: Buildings, Place and Genius - Professor Simon Thurley

Who makes great buildings patrons, architects and builders? Are successful places, like London, made by careful planning or by serendipity? The career of Wren, often thought as the greatest English architect, tells us a lot about what leads to architectural success and tells us a lot about London.
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: www.gresham.ac....
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[@screaming1967]

I am a descendant of Sir Christopher! Even have papers to prove it! I’m proud to tell people that too

[@graemeking7336]

Thank you for sharing that....

[@waqaryaqub2363]

I am a huge fan of the work of Sir Christopher Wren. I use his building designs for landscape ideas in Pakistan.
What a legend he was!

[@Mxrnievictoria]

Me too! I wonder how many descendants are out there or how far related we might be?

[@andrewpurcell4820]

Have you taken a DNA test by any chance?

[@andrewpurcell4820]

@@Mxrnievictoria Have you taken a DNA Test by any chance?

[@GH-oi2jf]

If stopped on a street in England, then yes, Wren. If stopped on a street in Scotland, then Mackintosh. If stopped on a street in the United States, then Wright.

[@deedeequast9148]

My heart almost stopped at the thought of Wren's books and notes being reduced to ashes. Please tell me they were not lost during the Great Fire!

[@mercelloveras7453]

Great conference. Thank you very much. I look forward the next one.

[@nurlatifahmohdnor8939]

Page 42
St. Paul's Cathedral was built because the great fire of 1666 burned the old cathedral, and a great part of London as well.

[@nurlatifahmohdnor8939]

After the fire Sir Christopher Wren was made Chief Architect of the City, and as well as St. Paul's he designed fifty-two churches in London.

[@ingalatif2108]

Thanks for such wonderful lecture.

[@brainstormingsharing1309]

Absolutely well done and definitely keep it up!!! 👍👍👍👍👍

[@spaguettoltd.7933]

That intro is fascinating coming from an American perspective. I’m pretty well-informed about architecture, and have only learned the name “Wren” in the last couple years. He’s not well-known over here!
Our equivalent insofar as an architect is ubiquitous in the US is undoubtedly Frank Lloyd Wright.

[@lindsayhengehold5341]

Love Sir Christopher Wrens work on rebuilding London post 1666 fire!

[@TheWhitehiker]

misleading title.

[@zboys4586]

Donald Trump placed a HUGE order for PORTLAND STONE The Island Of Stone - Portland (1934)

[@retroandanalogue495]

Speaks like Michael Frayn

[@andrewmartin3250]

This man talks nonsense when he claims Wren is only well known for designing St Paul's. Wren is famous for designing many buildings other than St Paul's. What about the Royal Naval College and observatory in Greenwich, Hampton Court and Christ Church College Oxford, not to mention all the other churches in the City? He must have a pretty low estimation of how knowledgeable his audience is to assume they can't name five buildings designed by Wren.

[@kutsev.naumenko.alexandr]

Moreover, his lecture is called, "Buildings, Place and Genius". Buildings!!!

[@perperson199]

The average person will only know about St Paul's. That's certainly all I knew before I first went to London

[@2msvalkyrie529]

It's difficult - not to say impossible to underestimate the ignorance of today's average Briton .