robert hooke frs (isle of wight, 18 july 1635 – london, 3 march 1703) was an english naturalist, architect and polymath. hooke played an important role in the birth of science in the 17th century with both experimental and theoretical work. he was a colleague of robert boyle and christopher wren, and a rival to isaac newton. hooke was a leader in the plans to rebuild after the great fire of london in 1666.