Thomas Bennett (architect)

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

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, joining 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, Westminster Hospital, a BOAC air terminal and the London Mormon Temple in Surrey. 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.

In the Republic of Ireland, he was responsible for the design of Hawkins House, widely regarded as the ugliest building in Ireland (and winner of a vote on worst building [1]).

In 1947, Bennett was appointed as the Chairman of the Development Corporation of Crawley New Town, in West Sussex, a post he held until 1960. In his early days at the Development Corporation, he was responsible for the scrapping of the existing plans for the New Town, and the appointment of Sir Anthony Minoprio to create the town's new Master Plan. When the town was built, a new comprehensive school was named for him, opening in 1958. Sir Thomas Bennett opened the school in Tilgate, Crawley, officially in November 1959.

Bennett was awarded the KBE in 1954. His private practice, T.P. Bennett & Son continued and was passed to his only son in 1967. Bennett died on 29 January 1980.