Chennai, Jan 27 : An iconic structure and a popular landmark in this teeming megapolis–the Southern Railway Headquarters heritage building–will turn 100 in December this year. The building, inaugurated by Lady Willingdon on December 11, 1922, will be completing a century of its existence this year. The building was designed by N.Grayson, an architect of the erstwhile Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway. The Foundation for the palatial building was laid on February 9, 1915 by Lord Pentland, the then Governor of Madras. Based on the Dravidian style of classic architecture the foundation of the Indo-Saracenic type structure consists of a reinforced concrete raft from 5 to 8 feet below the ground level set upon a stratum of pure sand, nearly 20 feet deep. It took nearly seven-and-a-half months to lay the foundation structure consisting of 500 tons of steel bars embedded on 10,000 tons of granite concrete. Built of stock brick with Porbundar stone, the central towers rise to a height of 125 feet 6 inches above the roadway. Southern Railway sources said H.H.Wadia and Bros, pioneers in quarrying Porbundar stones were instrumental in bringing Porbundar stones from Gujarat. The stones were transported for eight years via sea to Kerala and then by Rail to Madras. The company camped in Madras from 1913 to 1922 along with their team of skilled masons from Porbundar under the leadership of master mason Pitambar Hira. The corner towers of this majestic edifice house water tanks with a total capacity of about 35,000 gallons. After nine nine long years of intensive labour and a massive investment of Rs.30,76,400, the building was inaugurated on December 11, 1922 by the Lady Willingdon, the wife of the then Governor of Madras. At present, 18 departments of Southern Railway are functioning in the three-storeyed Southern Railway Headquarters Heritage building.(UNI)