St Paul's Cathedral (Wren's Reconstruction)

Timeline

1. 1666–1669City of London, England · LondonIn September 1666 the Great Fire completely burned down Old St Paul's, founded in the 7th century and rebuilt in the 11th. Charles II promptly established a rebuilding commission, appointed Christopher Wren chief architect, and authorized him to plan the unified reconstruction of over 50 churches in the City of London.
2. 1669–1675London, England · LondonWren successively proposed the First Model (1670) and the Great Model (1673), both rejected by the clergy as too far from the traditional Latin cross plan. In 1675 the king approved the more compromise Warrant Design, giving Wren authority to adjust details during construction, leaving room for the later dome design.
3. 1675–1680St Paul's Hill, City of London · LondonFoundation stone laid on 21 June 1675, with work proceeding westward from the eastern choir. By the late 1670s foundations and crypt were largely complete and masonry was rising. Wren made extensive use of Portland limestone and continuously refined the columns and arches inside the dome, reflecting English Baroque's emphasis on light, shadow, and spatial proportion.
4. 1680–1710St Paul's Cathedral, London · LondonThe choir opened for use in 1697, followed by the nave and transepts. The dome used a three-layer composite structure of brick inner cone, timber shell, and lead covering, with an inner diameter of about 34 meters. In 1710 Wren's son placed the final stone atop the lantern, formally completing the cathedral as one of England's highest points, and it has continued as a major site of national ceremonies to the present day.