V. S. Thurairajah

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. 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. He was deputy district governor of the Lions International Sri Lanka District in 1981 and secretary of the Ananda Coomaraswamy Cultural Society.

Thurairajah migrated to 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