Thomas Bennett (architect)

Sir Thomas Penberthy Bennett KBE FRIBA (1887 – 29 January 1980) was a renowned English architect, responsible for much of the development of the new towns of Crawley and Stevenage.

Thomas Bennett was born in 1887 in Paddington, London. He trained as an architect at Regent Street Polytechnic while employed in the drawing office of the London and North Western Railway. He went on to study at the Royal Academy School.

He joined the Office of Works (later Ministry of Works) in 1911. A career in both education and government followed, until setting up his own practice in 1921. In 1922, he became a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects.

His practice was responsible for many landmark buildings such as the Saville Theatre, Esso House, John Barnes Department store, Hampstead (since 1986, a branch of Waitrose), Westminster Hospital, a BOAC air terminal, the London Mormon Temple in Surrey and Hawkins House [1] in Dublin. In 1940, he became Director of Bricks at the Ministry of Works, where he was awarded the CBE in 1942, but returned to private practice immediately after the Second World War. He was knighted in 1946.

...
Wikipedia