Background
Percy Edward Thomas was born on 13 September 1883 in South Shields, County Durham, the son of a sea captain from Narberth in Pembrokeshire, with whom the family often travelled.
Percy Edward Thomas was born on 13 September 1883 in South Shields, County Durham, the son of a sea captain from Narberth in Pembrokeshire, with whom the family often travelled.
He was twice Royal Institute of British Architects president (1935-1937 and 1943-1946). The family moved to Cardiff during the 1890s and Captain Thomas died at sea in 1897. Percy Thomas began work in a shipping office, but changed to a career in architecture on advice from a phrenologist.
During the First World War he joined the Artists Rifles in 1915, and served on the Western Front.
After the war he returned to Cardiff. He was commissioned by David Davies, 1st Baron Davies of Llandinam, to design the Temple of Peace in Cathays Park.
Other works by him included the campus of Aberystwyth University. He was knighted in 1946.
Percy Thomas became seriously ill in 1962, retiring from the company in 1963.
He died on 19 August 1969. The company established by Percy Thomas was based in Cardiff, and put its name to several landmark buildings in Wales and England, the most recent being the Wales Millennium Centre. They were bought by the large British outsourcing company, Capita, who created a new arm of their property consultancy division called Capita Percy Thomas.