U. N. Gunasekera
U.N. Gunasekera (BSc Eng. London, MI. Struct. UK, F.I.E.) is considered to be Sri Lanka's greatest civil engineer of the 20th century. He is said to have revolutionised engineering in Sri Lanka through his construction of high-rise buildings, including Sri Lanka's first five-star hotel (the Ceylon Inter-Continental) and its largest five-star hotel (the Cinnamon Grand), among various other projects.
Projects
Gunasekera is the most successful Sri Lankan civil engineer of the 20th century, with an unprecedented market share in construction. He was the first Sri Lankan engineer to build high-rise buildings, and therefore was single-handedly responsible for the development of the engineering level in Sri Lanka. His projects include:
- Bank headquarters
- Hatton National Bank
- Hotels
- Ceylon Inter-Continental
- Lanka Oberoi aka Cinnamon Grand, including all 3 stages and 600 rooms
- Habarana Lodge and Mount Lavinia Hotel Extension
- Political party headquarters
- SLFP
- UNP
- Places of worship
- Cathedral of Christ the Living Savior
- Shopping malls
- Welikada Plaza
- YMBA
- Apartment complexes
- Police
- Office complexes
- People's Park Complex
- Auditoriums
- Bishop's College Auditorium
- Office buildings
- Hemas
- Headquarters for the Armed Forces
- National Armed Reserve
- Air Force
- National Intelligence Bureau
- Factory buildings
- Ceylon Glass Company
- Academic headquarters
- Institution of Engineers
- Institute of Chartered Accountants
- Institute of Business Management
- University buildings
- Science Faculty, University of Colombo
- Arts Faculty, University of Colombo
- Warehouses
- Aitken Spence
- Ferntea
- Houses
- Sirimavo Bandaranaike's
Prominence
Gunasekera became a household name in the late 70s and was known to be one of the richest men, arguably the richest, of the 80s and early 90s in Sri Lanka, and one of its first billionaires. He was named one of the five billionaires of Sri Lanka as recently as 1998, prior to his retirement.
By initiating the construction of high rise buildings in Sri Lanka, he played a role in the economic and social development of Sri Lanka. It was said that Gunasekera set the standard for construction in the country, as his projects were considered to be among the highest quality in south-east Asia.
He was the President of the Institute of Engineers in Sri Lanka and later the chairman of its Board of Trustees.
Influence
He developed many influential friendships, including one with the world's first female prime minister of the world, Sirimavo Bandaranaike. He was also friends with the late Hon. Premadasa, ministers, heads of armed forces, and many leading businessmen. He was one of the most well-connected and powerful businessmen in Sri Lanka prior to his retirement.
Wealth
Gunasekera owned other commercial enterprises, such as the Glass House Health Center and Diagnostic Laboratory, a printing press, and a food manufacturing company. He was a prominent real estate mogul, having invested in a famed billion-rupee multi-acre property in Sri Lanka's capital. He accumulated vast wealth, placing him among Sri Lanka's richest people for many years prior to his retirement. He owned many houses in prominent areas of Colombo, as well as warehouses, office buildings, bungalows, stocks, resources, land and plantation estates.
Services
Other than his philanthropy and representation of Sri Lankan engineers (as President of the Institution of Engineers and later chairman of its Board of Trustees) and providing health care services through the Health Centre Glass House, Gunasekera proved the potential of local contractors. He thereby saved millions of dollars for Sri Lanka on contracts which would have otherwise gone to foreign contractors.
Even as recently as 1995, he was the only pre-qualified Sri Lankan engineer to bid for the 2.6 billion Marriott renovation of the Galle Face Hotel.
He was also the President of CR&FC Club, Vice-President of SSC and Vice-President of the Old Boys Union of Royal College. In 2006, he was awarded membership of the British Institution of Structural Engineers and life membership of the National Construction Association (whose presidency he declined), in recognition of his professional excellence. He was the only person who was not a former president of the association to be bestowed with such an honour. He also received an award for 50 years of construction activity from the World Institute of Engineers.
Faith
Gunasekera is a strong Buddhist and one of the largest contributors to charities in Sri Lanka, though in a silent manner, and is known for contributing to a vast number of temples, hospitals and charities. He constructed the Sambodhi Vihara in Colombo. He is arguably the most generous contributor to temples in Sri Lanka. His approach to life, where he lives as an unassuming and courteous man, on par with the Buddhist way of life, makes his vast wealth and power seem unapparent.
Early life
Gunasekera was educated at the prominent Royal College, where he played for the rugby team, winning the coveted Bradby shield. He was also a member of the cricket and athletics teams. He also played for the Sri Lanka Public Schools rugby team and was known to be one of the best young rugby players of that era. He held the All-Island Public Schools record for the 220-yard hurdles.
He obtained his degree in Engineering from the University of London after completing the University of Cambridge Higher Diploma.
Family life
He married the daughter of Sir Ernest de Silva, the Cambridge-educated Founder-Chairman of the Bank of Ceylon, making the lineage one of the most prominent traditionally-rich families in Sri Lanka. He is the grandson of Gate Mudaliyar Abraham Mendis Gunasekera Wijaya Sri Wardana, a leading literary figure and the founder of the Sinhala-English Dictionary, and the great-grandson of Mudaliyar Bastian Mendis Gunasekera. His mother was the philanthropist Mrs. H. M. Gunasekera (OBE, CBE) who, together with Senator Lady Evadne De Silva, started the Gamini Matha Home For Elders in 1938. She also formed the Mrs. H.M. Gunasekera Trust, which mass prints Buddhist books for free distribution and constructed the Sambodhi Vihara in Colombo 7. His grandmother constructed a temple, the Abeysingharamaya, which he expanded and maintained.
Gunasekera's younger daughter, Sushila, was a prominent tennis player in the early 1970s before attending university to study architecture. His elder daughter, Srimani, became a doctor, and his son, Dhammika, an engineer. [1]