Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas (24 February 1868 – 22 January 1948) was an English

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

who trained at

Westminster School of Art The Westminster School of Art was an art school in Westminster, London. History The Westminster School of Art was located at 18 Tufton Street, Deans Yard, Westminster, and was part of the old Royal Architectural Museum. H. M. Bateman described ...

and became an exponent of the

Baroque Revival The Baroque Revival, also known as Neo-Baroque (or Second Empire architecture in France and Wilhelminism in Germany), was an architectural style of the late 19th century. The term is used to describe architecture and architectural sculptu ...

, a style of architecture prevalent for public buildings in the early years of the 20th century. Thomas was born in

Rotherhithe Rotherhithe () is a district of south-east London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping, Shadwell and Limehouse on the north bank, as well as the Isle of D ...

, London, the son of architect Edward Thomas. In 1899, he designed the

West of England Eye Infirmary The West of England Eye Infirmary was a specialist ophthalmic hospital in Exeter, Devon. History Foundation A meeting was held on 11 August 1808 at the Royal Clarence Hotel where plans were made for a dedicated eye hospital in Exeter. The hospit ...

building in Exeter, which is now a hotel. In 1906, he was made a fellow of the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three supp ...

, knighted by

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

, and also designed two more public buildings: town halls in

Woolwich Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained thr ...

in South East London, and in the city of

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

Belfast City Hall Belfast City Hall ( ga, Halla na Cathrach Bhéal Feirste; Ulster-Scots: ''Bilfawst Citie Haw'') is the civic building of Belfast City Council located in Donegall Square, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It faces North and effectively divides the comm ...

, faced with portland stone and with a copper dome and lavish marble interiors, is thought of as the finest example of Edwardian Baroque in the British Isles. Sir Alfred is also known for his

war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

s at Dunkirk and Belfast.

Notable works

Stockport Town Hall Stockport Town Hall is a building in Stockport, England, that houses the government and administrative functions of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. Stockport Town Hall is a Grade II* listed building. History The building, which was de ...

, 1905 * Belfast City Hall, 1906 * Woolwich Town Hall,

1906 * Deptford Public Library, 1914, a Carnegie Library * Addey and Stanhope School, 1899.

Gallery of architectural work

File:Woolwich town hall 1.jpg, Woolwich Town Hall File:Stockport Town Hall.jpg, Stockport Town Hall File:Belfast-city-hall.jpg, Belfast City Hall File:Belfast city hall.jpg, Main entrance, Belfast City Hall

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Brumwell 1868 births 1948 deaths Alumni of the Westminster School of Art Architects from London Knights Bachelor People from Virginia Water Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects People from Rotherhithe