Velupillai Suppiah Thurairajah (; 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