Editing Christopher Wren (section)

===Later career===

[[File:St_Bride's_Church,_London_-_Diliff.jpg|thumb|[[St Bride's Church]] (1670–84)]]
During the 1670s, Christopher Wren received significant secular commissions. Among many of his notable designs at this time, the [[Monument to the Great Fire of London|monument]] (1671–76)<ref name="Downes1988p131" /> commemorating the Great Fire also involved [[Robert Hooke]], but Wren was in control of the final design, the [[Royal Observatory, Greenwich|Royal Observatory]] (1675–76),<ref name="Downes1988p131">{{harvnb|Downes|1988|p=131}}</ref> and the [[Wren Library]] at [[Trinity College, Cambridge]] (1676–84)<ref name="Downes1988p131" /> were the most important ones.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}

In 1682, Wren advised that the original statues of the King's Beasts on [[St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle|St George's Chapel, Windsor]] be removed. The pinnacles were left bare until 1925, when replica statues were installed.<ref>{{cite book|last=London|first=H. Stanford|title=The Queen's Beasts|publisher=Newman Neame|date=1953|page=15}}</ref>

By historical accident, all Wren's large-scale secular commissions dated from after the 1680s. At the age of 50 his personal development, as was that of English architecture, was ready for monumental but humane architecture, in which the scales of individual parts relate both to the whole and to the people who used them. The first large project Wren designed, the [[Chelsea Hospital]] (1682–92),<ref name="Downes1988p131" /> does not entirely satisfy the eye in this respect, but met its brief with distinction and such success that even in the 21st century it fulfils its original function. The reconstruction of the stateroom at [[Windsor Castle]] was notable for the integration of architecture, sculpture and painting. This commission was in the hand of [[Hugh May]], who died in February 1684, before the construction finished; Wren assumed his post and finalised the works.
[[File:Chelsea_Royal_Hospital_from_the_north_west.jpg|thumb|[[Royal Hospital Chelsea]] (1682–92)]]
Between 1683 and 1685 he was much occupied in designing the [[King's House, Winchester]], where Charles II had hoped to spend his declining years, but which was never completed. When Wren promised that it would be complete within a year the King, who was conscious of his mortality, replied that " a year is a great time in my life".[[File:Hampton_Court_-_36957889221.jpg|thumb|[[Hampton Court]] (1689–1702)]]After the death of Charles II in 1685, Wren's attention was directed mainly to [[Whitehall]] (1685–87).<ref name="Downes1988p131"/> The new king, [[James II of England|James II]], required a new chapel and also ordered a new gallery, council chamber and a riverside apartment for the [[Mary of Modena|Queen]]. Later, when James II was removed from the throne, Wren took on architectural projects such as [[Kensington Palace]] (1689–96)<ref name="Downes1988p131"/> and [[Hampton Court]] (1689–1700).<ref name="Downes1988p131"/>

The erection of the present [[Windsor Guildhall]] was begun in 1687, under the direction of Sir [[Thomas Fitz]] (or Fiddes) but there is a story that on his death in 1689, the task was taken over by Wren. It was completed at a cost of £2687 – 1s – 6d. The new building was supported around its perimeter by stone columns, providing a covered area beneath as a venue for [[Corn exchange|corn markets]].

The story is widely told that the borough Council demanded that Wren should insert additional columns within the covered area, in order to support the weight of the heavy building above; Wren, however, was adamant that these were not necessary. Eventually, the council insisted and, in due course, the extra supporting columns were built, but Wren made them slightly short, so that they do not quite touch the ceiling, hence proving his claim that they were not necessary. However, there is little evidence that Wren was ever involved in the design or construction of the Guildhall. It is now believed that the story grew out of Wren's connections with Windsor and that his son, also called Christopher Wren, who served as a [[Member of Parliament]] for Windsor, commissioned the statue of [[Prince George of Denmark]] in 1713 on the south end of the building and his name was engraved underneath. The pillars were probably moved into the corn market from the east side of the building when an extension was added in 1829.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Pamela |last1=Marson|first2=Brigitte |last2=Mitchell|title=Windsor Guildhall: History and Tour|year=2015|publisher=Friends of the Windsor & Royal Borough Museum|isbn=9780-9010-3309-3|page=7}}</ref> The gaps at the top of the pillars are now filled with tiles smaller than the capitals.

Wren did not pursue his work on architectural design as actively as he had before the 1690s, although he still played important roles in a number of royal commissions. In 1696 he was appointed Surveyor of [[Greenwich Hospital (London)|Greenwich Naval Hospital]],<ref name="Downes1988p131"/> and in 1698 he was appointed [[Surveyor of the Fabric of Westminster Abbey|Surveyor of Westminster Abbey]].<ref>{{harvnb|Jardine|2003|p=440}}</ref> He resigned from the former role in 1716 but held the latter until his death, approving with a wavering signature<ref>Westminster Abbey Muniments</ref> [[Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington|Burlington]]'s revisions of Wren's own earlier designs for the great Archway of Westminster School.