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How did Christopher Wren adapt the Gothic gateway of Tom Tower at Christ Church, Oxford?

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Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren, detail of an oil painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1711; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

In 1681, the dean of Christ Church, Oxford, invited Christopher Wren to complete the college's main gateway, known as Tom Tower. The lower portion of the structure had been built by Thomas Cardinal Wolsey in a richly ornamental Gothic style.

Wren adapted the gateway by imposing an octagonal tower upon it. This addition illustrated both his respect for the Gothic style and his personal reservations regarding it. His approach to this project was consistent with his broader architectural philosophy, and his work on Tom Tower influenced Gothic architecture in England well into the 18th century.1