Architect R. Sundaram Pioneer of Shell Structures, Passes Away
BENGALURU, December 21, 2025 — The architectural and engineering community is in mourning following the passing of R. Sundaram, the visionary Chairman and Managing Director of Sundaram Architects Pvt. Ltd. A titan of Indian infrastructure, Sundaram was widely regarded as one of the country’s foremost “Engineer-Architects,” bridging the gap between complex structural engineering and aesthetic grace.
The passing of R. Sundaram marks the departure of a rare breed of professional—the Engineer-Architect. In an era where design and execution are often siloed, Sundaram stood as a bridge between the two. Educated at MIT during a period of great structural experimentation, he brought to India a conviction that “gravity is the architect’s greatest collaborator, not its enemy.”
His leadership at the Structural Engineering World Congress (SEWC) and the Indian Concrete Institute (ICI) helped elevate Indian engineering standards to a global stage. Beyond the concrete and steel, his colleagues remember him for his intellectual rigor and his refusal to accept “standard” solutions when a more elegant, efficient structure was possible. He didn’t just build roofs; he sculpted the sky.
Architect R. Sundaram – Chairman & Managing Director – Detailed Profile
Professional experience: 55 years
Sundaram, a novel and a pioneering engineer-architect in the country, has adopted construction methods and practices ahead of its times while adeptly balancing the triumvirate of aesthetics, function and economy in the buildings he has designed. Incorporating pre-cast and pre-stressed concrete in structures and doing away with expensive form work has been his forte. The country is just catching up with this concept with most infrastructure projects such as bridges and flyovers being built using precast segmental construction adopted by him since 1980.
Sundaram’s contributions include large concrete hypar shells, large span RCC and steel folded plate roofs, inverted umbrella, cylindrical shells, pre-cast pre-stressed folded plates, segmental bridges etc. He has been responsible for the design of several major projects including Industrial projects, IT campuses, Bio-Tech facilities, Shopping malls, Sports stadia, Educational campuses, Chemical plants, Road transportation net works like Flyovers, Subways, Multi-storeyed car parking, Auditoriums, Convention centres, Hospitals, Housing, Townships etc.
Also, his contribution to shell structures in India cannot go unnoticed. From his first shell structure in 1961 to the latest shell structure in the 2018, Sundaram has demonstrated the sleekness of the form while eliminating all visible surface stiffening and enhancing the visual appeal of the buildings. Labour costs have always been relatively cheaper in India but it is Sundaram’s skillful use of repetitive form work and intelligent prefabrication that has enabled him to design economical, efficient and elegant shell structures of long spans.
Sundaram has been quite active in many International Forums/Associations like International Association for Shell & Spatial Structures [IASS], Madrid and SEWC etc. He has been attending their annual international conferences since 1982 in different parts of the world as a Keynote Speaker and Invited Speaker. He has been successfully conducting a number of International Conferences in India and abroad as well.
Some of his prestigious awards and accolades:
Winner of the prestigious “EDUARDO TORROJA MEDAL“ by the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures [IASS] based in Madrid, in recognition of his outstanding and distinguished contributions to design, construction, or research of shell and/or spatial structures”. IASS conferred the medal on him in Seoul, South Korea on 24th May 2012 during the annual IASS International Symposium. The first Indian to receive this prestigious International award.
Honoured by the Board of Directors of the Structural Engineers World Congress Inc., USA by conferring on him the International Award “SEWC Roland Sharpe Medal”.
Prestigious Award – conferred on him by the Construction Industry Development Council, New Delhi – the 5th CIDC Vishwakarma Award namely the “ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR INDUSTRY DOYEN” for the year 2013.
Honoured by the Prestressed & Precast Concrete Society, Singapore by conferring him a “Life-Time Honorary Membership” in Singapore on 27th August 2010.
Elected as President, Structural Engineers World Congress [ SEWC ] Inc. Worldwide for 2007 to 2011, again re-elected in 2011 for the period till 2015 and once again re-elected for the 3rd term from 2015 to 2019. SEWC is head quartered in San Francisco, USA. First time an Indian to become the President of SEWC and extended for the 3rd term.
Princeton University, USA published a Thesis by Meggie June Betancourt on “R. Sundaram & Modern Thin Shell Concrete Structures”
Recipient of a number of other National & International awards/accolades
Former President [ for two consecutive terms ] of Association of Consulting Civil Engineers [India] [ACCE(I) – 1993 to 1997.
Former Vice President of Indian Concrete Institute [ICI]
Former President of Rotary Club of Bangalore, 1995-1996.
Member of Council of Architecture, India
Member of American Concrete Institute
Member of American Society of Civil Engineers
Member of International Association for Shell & Spatial Structures, Madrid
Member of ACI Jt. Committee on Shells
He is a fellow of Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (India), Institution of Engineers, India and Indian Institution of Bridge Engineers.
He is a permanent member of the prestigious International Advisory Board of International Association for Shell & Spatial Structures [ IASS ], Madrid
Sundaram holds a Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA and a B.E. in Civil Engineering from B.M.S. College of Engineering, Bangalore
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