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Saint James, Piccadilly

Wren, Christopher
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URI
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.3/107535
Date
1676-1684
Description
View from south aisle showing altar rail and part of the reredos; Post-Reformation England had been generally over-provided with churches, and Wren was thus the first architect to face seriously the problem of designing for the Anglican liturgy. In 1711, in a paper of advice written for the benefit of another church-building programme, he succinctly identified the prime requirement as an 'auditory' in which all could see and hear, with additional seating in galleries placed over the side aisles - a formula not unlike that of his Sheldonian Theatre. He used this form, with a token chancel containing the altar table, in all the larger churches. The example he cited, St James, Piccadilly, is not in the City but in Westminster: it was built by Wren in 1676-1684 to serve a new area of growth in London's West End; although virtually rebuilt after war damage in 1940, this is also in appearance the best surviving example. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.groveart.com/ (accessed 1/25/2008)
Type of Work
church
Subject
architectural exteriors, Palladian
Rights
© Scott Gilchrist, Archivision, Inc.
Rights Statement
Licensed for educational and research use by the MIT community only
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