Half-section and half-elevation of a triple-shell dome in 24 bays, with a part-plan of the peristyle

WRE/5/1/6

c.1690–91

Sir Christopher (1632–1723) Wren, Unidentified draughtsman associated with west end and dome (fl. c.1685–91), Nicholas (c.1662–1736) Hawksmoor

Pen and brown ink over incised lines and pencil under-drawing. Laid paper. 38.2 x 23.3 cm. Countermark: CDG

{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang2057{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Microsoft Sans Serif;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue128;} \viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\f0\fs20 An early study in the sequence for a 24-bay dome. Drawn in ink by the unidentified draughtsman associated with the west end and dome (fl. c.1685-91), over pencil-work by Wren, with a part-plan below in pencil, probably by Hawksmoor. Datable c.1690-91. Drawn scale, 20 ft to 1 inch.\par \par The ink drawing shares traits with other designs in this group (WRE/5/1/5, 7-9), notably the undulating lines of the flaming vase and the awkward rendering of the curved surfaces of the dome and lantern. The valence ornament around the concave base places the design in the context of \lquote Grand Project 1\rquote for Hampton Court Palace in 1689, the crowning dome of which has a similar base with tasselled valence decoration (Sir John Soane\rquote s Museum, volume 110/6 (see: http://www.jeromeonline.co.uk/drawings). A similar motif appears on WRE/5/1/4.\par \par The section on the left is an alternative design with a larger outer dome and smaller lantern. Wren developed this scheme from a study-design for a dome with a \lquote cubic parabola\rquote at the British Museum (see WRE/5, Fig. 6; Higgott 2009, pp.154-69 and fig.86). In the British Museum study the middle dome is a continuously curving parabola; here it is a straight-sided cone with a domical top. The lines of thrust are ruled in pencil across the section of the peristyle where the shading probably indicates an opening rather than a wall. The base of the outer ruled line coincides with the rear rib of the crossing arch. Alternative profiles are sketched in pencil for the middle and outer domes. Linking walls connect them at mid-height and beneath the lantern. An opening admits light from the lucarne of the outer dome to the oculus of the inner dome. \par \par Sketched in pencil on the wall of the peristyle are square-headed windows in round-arched frames, like those in the drum of WRE/5/1/3. At top left is a pencil sketch of a tripartite group of windows for the tambour which derives from the British Museum study. A wider central arch is flanked by narrower, square-headed windows with roundels above them and paired pilasters frame the group. Eight groups of three windows would have stood between eight blank piers in the drum. The piers are expressed internally by paired pilasters and they buttress the dome directly above the eight crossing piers. Subsequently, Wren incorporated these tripartite groups into the concave sides of an octagonal peristyle; see WRE/5/1/1 and 10-11.\par \par Drawn in light pencil at bottom left is a part-plan of an alternative peristyle with semi-circular recesses in each bay, for which no elevational drawing survives. One scheme, shaded over by the other, has the semi-circles joining at dots in the centres of the columns. This version appears on eighth-plan (iii) on WRE/5/1/1.\par \par In pencil at bottom right is a rough thumbnail plan of a lantern with four openings in its drum and broad projections on the diagonal bays. It may relate to the lantern on the reverse of WRE/5/1/11.\par }

Access to the Wren office drawings held at London Metropolitan Archives is available only with advance notice and at the discretion of the Heritage Services Director, London Metropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Road, London, EC1R 0HB.

item

WRE/5/2/2, WRE/5/3/9, WRE/5/3/10