Southern Railway Headquarters, Chennai

Southern Railway headquarters administrative building, Chennai, is an Indo-Saracenic structure located adjacent to the Chennai Central on Poonamallee High Road.

Southern Railway Headquarters
M&SM Headquarters Building
Southern Railway headquarters, Chennai
General information
Architectural styleIndo-Saracenic
LocationPoonamallee High Road, Chennai, India
AddressPark Town, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 003
Coordinates13.082574°N 80.277081°E / 13.082574; 80.277081
Completed1921
Inaugurated11 December 1922
OwnerSouthern Railways
Design and construction
ArchitectN. Grayson
Main contractorT. Samynada Pillai

History
The facade towers of the building

Built in 1921 as the new Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Company (MSMR) headquarters (successor of Madras Railway Company), replacing the general office of MSMR at Royapuram Railway Station, the building now functions as the headquarters of the Southern Railways. The building was built at a cost of ₹ 2 million by T. Samynada Pillai, a leading Bangalore-based contractor,[1] who was given the contract upon the successful completion of the Egmore Railway Station.[2] Built for the first time in India in reinforced concrete in classical and Dravidian styles, the building was designed by N. Grayson, a 'company architect', working for the Madras & Southern Mahratta Railway.[3] It took nine years and over ₹ 3 million to complete the building and was inaugurated on 11 December 1922.

The building

The central bay has two rectangular wings, both of which are arranged around a lush courtyard. The structure was built with large windows to allow the sea breeze to waft through, reaching the courtyard from the front and then going out through the opposite wing.

See also

References
  1. Muthiah, S. (16 June 2008). "Egmore and the South". The Hindu. Chennai: The Hindu. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  2. Muthiah, S. (9 May 2010). "The railway of the Deep South". The Hindu. Chennai: The Hindu. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  3. Venkataraman, G.; A. Anne Shanthi. "History of Historical Building and Monuments in and around Chennai" (pdf). CMDA Chennai. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
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