The tower of the former St. Mary Somerset Church in the City of London is a classic example of Baroque design by Christopher Wren. Wren was commissioned to rebuild the church around 1680, and it is believed to have been completed in 1694. The tower, constructed from Portland stone, was originally part of a larger church structure. Most of it was demolished in 1871, leaving only the tower standing. The design features alternating circular and arched windows ascending its height, each embellished with keystones depicting grotesque masks and cherubs.
A distinctive feature of the tower is its use of eight Baroque pinnacles, which combine architectural elements to enhance its visual impact. The four corner pinnacles feature panelled bases and scrolls crowned with vases that add a decorative, sculptural quality. The vases provide a sense of grandeur and flourish, typical of Baroque ornamentation, and symbolise a flourishing or blooming effect at the top of the tower.
The remaining four intermediate pinnacles are 6-metre-tall obelisks topped with ball finials. The obelisks, inspired by ancient Egyptian monuments, symbolise stability and permanence, while their slender, tapering shape draws the eye upward, adding height to the tower’s silhouette. The ball finials on top of the obelisks serve as decorative elements and symbols of unity and completeness, complementing the overall symmetry of the tower’s design. The arrangement of pinnacles and obelisks creates an optical illusion of varying heights, providing visual depth and dynamism when viewed from different angles.
