The Architecture of Wren: A Very Short Primer

(These lower elevations are two of the rejected plans, and St. Paul's as constructed is just at the top.)

Wren (1632-1723) went to Paris in 1665 and came across some drawings from the famous Italian sculptor, Bernini (think The Ecstasy of St. Theresa, and the colonnade at St. Peter's, Vatican City). His life and architecture were changed forever: Wren was obsessed with Renaissance and Classical forms. One week later, he submitted plans to King Charles II for his first version of St. Paul's, but they were rejected. One year later, of course, the Great Fire of London destroyed most of St. Paul's, and there was an overall increased urgency to re-build the Cathedral. Wren's first design was rejected for its modesty and "misuse" of space, while his "Greek Cross" plan was deemed "irresponsible" and lacking sufficient space for Mass.

The dome stands 365 ft. high, which made it the highest structure in London until late in the twentieth century.

All of his designs were seen as a major break with the Gothic styles ubiquitous to his own day. Wren, however, claimed that his design preserved many Gothic traces. You'll have to be the judge. I tend to side with those who see St. Paul's as a rejection of of sacramental theology. I mean, to me St. Paul's overly emphasizes the spoken Word, while subordinating the Holy Mysteries to a lesser role. Thus, St. Paul's also emphasizes the re-emergence of a strong Church and state relationship. Recall it wasn't t

The overall layout of St. Paul's can be divided into six main areas: the nave, the crossing, the dome, the chancel, the sanctuary, and the apse, home to the American memorial. The length of the nave, eclipsed only by St. Peters, Vatican City, is 574 feet, or almost three football fields.
The Crypt is its own sacred space, serving as the permanent resting place for many famous figures including: John Donne, The Duke of Wellington, Sir Winston Churchill, and Florence Nightingale.

Wren truly invented the "auditory church" in what was a major shift from spaces that highlighted ceremony and mystery to spaces that, according to Wren, were built for the liturgies of the Book of Common Prayer. James White, the late Methodist liturgist and theologian, said, "He precisely calculated how far a preacher's voice could be heard in any direction." This, you see, is Wren's gift to sacred space.