The Art of Deception, Magician or Architect?

A magician is paid to deceive its audience, the illusion created by the performer in a form of an artistic way that baffles the viewers with the revealing of what’s underneath the final curtain.

Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned on the redesign of St. Paul Cathedral on July 30th, 1669. Being influenced by French architecture, this has led him to fall in love with domes that French churches have in common. The Les Invalides church by Jules Hardouin and the Val-de-Grâce church by Jacques Lemercier in Paris were truly inspiring for Wren. However, domes were of foreign taste in Britain as it signifies a foreign religious design which ultimately made Wren change his original dome design with a spire finish on top to acquire his warrant for the reconstruction of the St. Paul Cathedral. Nevertheless, Wren had the royal warrant that allowed him to make further changes that he deemed fit. This gave him hope in fulfilling his goal of creating a magnificent dome on the top by constructing the entire building from the ground up for the structural support this created for the dome while also hiding the true identity of the dome form until the final stage of the project. Finally, on October 26th, 1708, the final stone was placed by Wren’s son and his lifelong masterpiece was finished. While some people were furious at that time, Wren conquered the hearts of all who has stepped into the cathedral and gazed upon the dome’s grandeur.

Sir Christopher Wren’s love for domes made him a magician, using the art of deception with the warrant design to satisfy the commissioners while revealing his own masterpiece when the final curtain was removed. He was true to his love in architecture which gave him the wisdom and courage to make today's St. Paul Cathedral a reality.