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What was Christopher Wren’s role in designing Greenwich Hospital?
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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 1694, Queen Mary II initiated a project to build a royal hospital for retired and disabled seamen at Greenwich, for which Sir Christopher Wren created the initial plans.1
Wren was commissioned to complete the building, which served as his final great architectural work. While construction began in 1696, the project was a long-term undertaking that continued well after his death. The actual construction of the hospital was supervised by Sir John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor. The site, later known as the Royal Naval College, is recognized today as one of the most finely balanced architectural compositions in the London area.12