H. de C. Hastings

Hubert de Cronin Hastings (18 July 1902 – 4 December 1986), often referred to in contemporary works as H. de C. Hastings (and known to friends as "H. de C."), was chairman of the Architectural Press and editor of Architectural Review and Architects' Journal.

Early life and family

Hastings was born at Merton, Surrey, on 18 July 1902, the third son of Percy Hastings, proprietor of Architectural Press and founder of Architectural Review, and his wife Lilian Julie, née Bass. He was educated at Berkhamsted School, and worked first for his father's company before enrolling at Bartlett School of Architecture, part of University College, London. Disenchanted with the course's beaux arts leanings, he moved to UCL's art school, the Slade, where he was influenced heavily by cubism. and had two children with her: a son, John Hastings, and a daughter, Priscilla Hastings. These ideas were then explored further through the MARS Group and its exhibition at the New Burlington Galleries in 1938.

Later years and legacy

Throughout the 1930s, he promoted modernism, with the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography commenting that he "saw the logic of this as a bright new future for society", although he later campaigned for 'new monumentalism' and 'new empiricism', before going on to favour the "picturesque" in town planning, in reaction to the more rigid axial-planning which was fashionable at the time amongst architectural circles; this led to his promotion of the notion of "townscape" and his criticism of poor planning in British architecture. A special publication of the Review which highlighted his criticisms was produced and influenced the creation of the Civic Trust.

In recognition of his service to architecture in Britain, he became the first architectural editor to receive the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture from the Royal Institute of British Architects. Their citation described him as a "leading campaigner in drawing attention to many of the most crucial and controversial issues that have concerned the architectural profession in this century."

Hastings died on 4 December 1986 at Bedham Farm, Fittleworth, Sussex; he was cremated and his ashes interred at Bedham.