• Source: V. S. Thurairajah

Velupillai Suppiah Thurairajah (Tamil: வேலுப்பிள்ளை சுப்பையா துரைராஜா, romanized: Vēluppiḷḷai Cuppaiyā Turairājā; 8 August 1927 – 14 December 2011) was a Sri Lankan Tamil architect who designed many buildings in Sri Lanka and abroad.




Early life and family


Thurairajah was born on 8 August 1927. He was the son of Vellupillai Suppiah and Thangacchimuttu from Navaly in northern Ceylon. He was educated at Green Memorial School, Manipay and Manipay Hindu College. After school Thurairajah joined the Sir J. J. School of Art in Bombay in 1948, graduating in 1951 with a diploma in architecture.
Thurairajah married Selvaranee (Rani), daughter of T. Thirunavukarasu. They had a son (Surendran) and three daughters (Vathsala, Manjula and Sashikala).




Career


After returning to Ceylon Thurairajah joined the Public Works Department (PWD) in 1951 as a junior architect. He then joined the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London in 1954 as a Colombo Plan scholar, graduating in 1957 with a A.A. diploma specialising in tropical architecture. He then resumed his career at the PWD before retiring in 1964 in due to government policies.
After retirement Thurairajah started a private practice known as Thurairajah Associates in 1964. The practice grew and in 1968 a branch office was opened in Jaffna. Thurairajah designed many of the tropical modernist buildings in Jaffna. During a long career Thurairajah designed numerous buildings including factories, Hindu temples, hospitals, hotels, office buildings, residential buildings and university buildings in Sri Lanka, India, Australia and Middle East.
Thurairajah was a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (1967), Australian Institute of Architects (1989), Indian Institute of Architects (1965), Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (1976) and Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (1968). He was editor and publisher of a quarterly journal called Architecture and Arts in Sri Lanka from 1975 to 1981. He was chairman of Eelanadu, a Tamil language newspaper, in 1975 and one of the secretaries of the International Association of Tamil Research. Thurairajah was one of the key organisers of the 4th International Tamil Research Conference held in Jaffna in 1974. He was deputy district governor of the Lions International Sri Lanka District in 1981 and secretary of the Ananda Coomaraswamy Cultural Society. Thurairajah produced the Tamil language film Kuthu Vilakku (Sacred Lamp) in 1972.
Thurairajah migrated to Australia. He died on 14 December 2011 in Sydney, Australia.




Works


Thurairajah's numerous work include:
Banks

Bank of Ceylon, Hambantota
Bank of Ceylon, Moratuwa
Bank of Ceylon, Vavuniya
Co-operative Bank, Jaffna
Co-operative Bank, Mannar (1978)
Co-operative Bank, Paranthan
Factories

Ajantha Textile Factory, Ratmalana
Baxon Textile Factory, Ratmalana
Busalwatha Pharmaceutical Factory, Busalwatha
Ceylon Synthetic Mills, Colombo
Ceylon Tin Factory, Colombo
Favourites Textile Factory, Ratmalana (1972)
Modern Confectionery Works, Colombo
Nagindas Textile Factory, Ratmalana
Paragons Textile Factory, Ratmalana
St. Anthony's PVC Factory, Colombo
Uswatha Confectionery Factory, Ratmalana
Visaka Textile Factory, Ratmalana
Hindu temples

Galle Hindu Temple, Galle (gopuram)
New Kathiresan Temple, Colombo (1982)
Old Kathiresan Temple, Colombo
Perth Sivan Temple, Perth, Australia.
Ramboda Hanuman Temple, Ramboda
Sri Ponnambalavaneswarar Temple, Colombo (gopuram)
Sydney Murugan Temple, Sydney, Australia (1998)
Hospitals

Gampaha Base Hospital, Gampaha (2001)
Kandy General Hospital, Kandy (cardiothoracic building) (2000)
Kandy General Hospital, Kandy (surgical building)
National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo (cardiology building) (1997)
Negombo Base Hospital, Negombo (2001)
Tissamaharama Hospital, Tissamaharama
Hotels

Brighton Hotel, Colombo
Hindu Pilgrims' Rest, Kataragama
Holiday Inn, Colombo (1980)
Hotel Amali Nivas, Polonnaruwa
Sapphire Hotel, Colombo (1968)
Subhas Hotel, Jaffna
Office buildings

All Ceylon Hindu Congress Building, Colombo (1982)
Batticaloa DIG's Office, Batticaloa (1980)
Ceylon Printers Building, Colombo
Eye Donation Society Headquarters, Colombo (1983)
Government Clerical Services Union Building, Colombo (1966)
Jaffna DIG's Office, Jaffna
Matara Merchants Building, Matara
Naleem's Building, Colombo
Northern Division Cooperative Federation Building, Jaffna
Residential buildings

Batticaloa Housing Scheme, Batticaloa
Dubai Housing Scheme, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Kubrah, Colombo
Leedons Apartments, Colombo (1980)
Nugegoda Housing Development, Nugegoda
Siffani Flats, Colombo
VST Buildings, Colombo (1969)
University buildings

Ramanathan Academy of Fine Arts, Maruthanarmadam
University of Colombo, Colombo (administration building)
University of Jaffna, Jaffna (mathematics and computer science building)
University of Jaffna, Jaffna (faculty of medicine)
University of Jaffna, Jaffna (faculty of science)
Others

Anti-malaria Campaign Building, Narahenpita (2000)
Army Buddhist Temple, Panagoda
Batticaloa Market, Batticaloa
CMS Girls College, Jaffna
Duraiappah Stadium, Jaffna
Farm, Mankulam
Girls' Hostel, Colombo
Jaffna Market, Jaffna
Jaffna Public Library, Jaffna (second stage) (2001)
Kathiresan Hall, Colombo
Luxmi Cinema, Ratnapura
Nava Cinema, Colombo
Navalar Cultural Hall, Jaffna
Ramakrishna Mission Library, Colombo (1985)
Rio Cinema, Colombo
S. J. V. Chelvanayakam memorial, Jaffna (1982)
Vaddukoddai Technical College, Vaddukoddai
Veerasingam Hall, Jaffna
Vipulanandar School of Music and Dance, Batticaloa
Vivekananda Hall, Colombo




References

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• V. S. Thurairajah
• Thurairajah
• Naan Ungal Thozhan
• Arumugam
• Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
• List of mayors of Jaffna
• List of authors by name: T
• List of poets
• Maamanithar
• List of Sri Lankan Tamils