Architecture is about the control of space, and much of the beauty of space lies in the art and craft of geometry. In London, there are few more satisfying architectural experiences than standing at the door of St Stephens Walbrook and contemplating the supporting arches of the dome as they weave intricate patterns in the air, or, in Cambridge, wandering through the glorious moted light of Trinity College Library and wondering how the immense weight of the bookcases could be supported as they stretch away from the walls and into the middle of the room. Sir Christopher Wren created both these transformative structures.
In the wake of the burning down of a third of London in the Great Fire of 1666 Christopher Wren was called upon to do the impossible, and in return he planned an entirely new City, one of grand boulevards and broad piazzas. Prevented by the powers that be from carrying out this plan, he instead gave London a skyline of magnificent steeples which present perfect compromises between the Gothic and the Classic, ancient and modern. But there is far more to Christopher Wren than the design of St Paul’s Cathedral, fifty-one City Churches, Hampton Court, Chelsea and Greenwich Hospitals, and Trinity College Library Cambridge, works of genius though they all are.
Wren could not have designed, or won the commissions for, these great architectural projects without his earliest achievements as an inventive scientist, adventurous mathematician and astronomer, probbing physicist. His contributions in these fields were astonishing, yet are often overlooked in favour of the more visible evidence of his genius in his almost countless buildings spread across London into Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire. This holistic course looks at the totality of Wren’s extraordinary mind.
SOME BACKGROUND
Soon after completing his Oxford degree, he became a Fellow of All Souls where he constructed a transparent beehive for scientific observation; he made a model of the moon for King Charles II. At the age of 25 he was appointed Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College, where he helped construct a 35 foot telescope. He played a key role in the development of the Royal Society, and later was its President. He was elected Savilian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford in 1661 at the age of 29; while there he invented the ‘tipping bucket’ rain gauge; he designed a “weather-clock” that would record temperature, humidity, rainfall and barometric pressure, as well as inventing a tool for constructing perspective.
Christopher Wren was part of probably the first ‘research team’ assembled in Oxford in the 17th century, dedicated to better understanding the human body. Wren contributed to: the near-discovery of oxygen; the first human transfusion of blood; the first intravenous therapy and first intravenous anaesthetic; the description of the anatomy of the arteries supplying the brain (the ‘circle of Willis’); and remarkably, the first successful cardiac resuscitation. As a young man he provided many of the anatomical drawings for a textbook study of the brain, and made a large model of the human eye.
Christopher Wren was not just the greatest English architect. He was the nearest any Englishman has come to being a “Renaissance Man”despite many who have died trying. One of Wren’s friends, Robert Hooke, scientist and architect, and a fellow Westminster schoolboy said of him, “Since the time of Archimedes there scarce ever met in one man so great perfection, such a mechanical hand, and, so philosophical a mind.”
Please join us in honouring the legacy of Britain’s unrivalled polymath whose tangible footprint in London is staggering. He may well be of singular importance to the indefatigable and indisputable ‘presence’ of London in the hearts and minds of citizens and visitors alike. Because of this one person, London can be imagined as well as seen.
Booking Information:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This online course via Zoom has been developed by Louise Friend and Nicholas Friend. It will be presented by Nicholas Friend, Co-Founder of Inscape. It is held on Fridays beginning on Friday 15 December 2023 at 5 pm and ending on Friday 26 January 2024 at 5 pm. Please note the time of 5 pm: Nicholas will be lecturing from California (at 9 am his time) for the duration of this course.
You may choose to attend individual sessions or all six. If you book for the course but cannot manage a particular date, then be assured we will be sending recordings of sessions to all participants. Each session meets from 15 minutes before the advertised time of the lecture, and each lasts roughly one hour with 15 minutes discussion.
Cost: £270 members or £330 non-members for the course of 6 sessions or £45 members or £55 non-members per individual session. All sessions are limited to 21 participants to permit an after-lecture discussion session.
Due to the coronavirus cheques are not a viable option at this time. Instead, please make your payment to Friend&Friend Ltd by bank transfer to our account with Metrobank, bank sort code 23-05-80, account number 13291721 or via PayPal to nicholas@inscapetours.co.uk, or credit/debit card by phone to Henrietta on 07940 719397. She is available Tuesdays 10-12 and 2-5 pm or Thursdays 10-12 and 2-5 pm. Do get in touch if you would like extra support learning how to use Zoom.
How to Set Up a PayPal account::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Click on this link: https://www.paypal.com/uk/home
In the upper right-hand corner of the screen, click “Sign up.”
On the following screen choose “Personal account” and click “Next.”
On the next page, you’ll be asked to enter your name, email address and to create and confirm a password. When finished, click “Next.”
Click “Agree and create account” and your PayPal account will be created.
How to Connect your Bank Account to your PayPal account:::::::::::::::::::::::
Log on to your account and click the “Wallet” option in the menu bar running along the top of the screen.
On the menu running down the left side of the screen, click the “Link a credit or debit card”.
Enter the card information you wish to link to your PayPal account and click “Link card” for debit card.
How to Send Money::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Log on to your account. Click Send & Request.
Enter the email address of the person you wish to send money to: nicholas@inscapetours.co.uk
Type in the amount you wish to send, click continue then press ‘Send Money Now’.
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