"Competition winning design by T Cecil Howitt in 1936. Partly built before WW2, it wasn't finished until 1964. Howitt, a Nottinghamshire architect (I don't know if he designed anything else of note) was obviously strongly influenced by the Welsh architect Sir Percy Thomas' designs for Swansea Guildhall and his other buildings in Cardiff's Cathays Park. Although this is a quite successful design of some scale and dignity it is nowhere near as fine as Thomas' work which is of the same 'between the world wars style' of stripped classicsm. A building I feel to admire as it is too austere to like. As I was taking this photograph a passing Newport citizen enquired as to why I was 'interested in such a Stalinist piece of architecture.' I doubt he would have said the same of Swansea's Guildhall."
Richard Howitt writes to point out that his great uncle T Cecil Howitt also designed Colston Hall in Bristol and several buildings in Nottingham, including the city's Council House and offices for the Raleigh Cycle Company - click here for details. He also worked with Sir Percy Thomas.
