Concessao Architects felicitated

Concessao Architects felicitated

Mangalore Today News Network

Chennai, June 5, 2023:  As part of Telangana Formation Day celebrated in Chennai, Tamilnadu Governor Shri. R. N. Ravi, felicitated  architects Dr. Ponni M. Concessao and Dr. Oscar Concessao, for the architects successful completion of the New Telangana State Secretariat at Hyderabad. They are closely associated with Mangalore.

Recap about the awardees:

Professionals connected to Mangalore have time and again gained renown and fame world over, Dr. Oscar  Concessao, has strong Mangalore roots and  is proud of it.  Professionally together the couple have contributed to the nation and world in their field for decades, winning accolades in every sphere of the profession.

In 2020 Oscar & Ponni won 4 National Awards from the Indian Buildings Congress for Architecture and built environment, and architect Ponni won 8 International and National Women’s achiever awards for Architecture.  In July 2020, chief minister of Telangana K C Rao awarded the Telangana State New Secretariat Building project through a National Design Competition.  Architect Ponni has recently completed the Dr Karunanidhi Museum & Convention centre at Tiruvarur near Thanjavur and is also completing the design of the Gaganyaan Space Centre facility at Sriharikota for ISRO.  Oscar & Ponni architects have also   won four Estrade awards in Singapore in January 2021 for their architecture & interiors projects in Malaysia and Havelock Islands.

For famed Architects Ponni M Concessao and Oscar Concessao, an architect’s role is nation building and one must have a strong sense of contributing to society to all levels especially the poor. Their work includes the school for children of leprosy victims in Tamil Nadu for the Rising Star Outreach, an NGO.  Both the architects Ponni and Oscar are involved in Social Service projects for past 30 years in National and International organisation in the field of women’s empowerment, leprosy eradication, built noon meal centers and toilets for underprivileged girl students, tsunami housing, and raised funds by organising her paintings exhibitions at ART Houz Chennai, and raised funds for Rotary, Round Table and Ladies circle India and Rising star outreach of India by conducting Ponni’s Painting exhibitions and the proceeds for these causes, specially leprosy eradication.

Oscar G. Concessao:  Born in the reputed history blessed coastal town of Mangalore, did his schooling from the famous St. Aloysius Institutions,  Mangalore. Hailing from  Valencia, in the Southern part of Mangalore, son of Late Richard Concessao and Mrs Celine Concessao, now retired School teacher from St. Aloysius School, Mangalore.

After his Pre University Degree from St. Aloysius College he completed his Bachelor’s degree in  Architecture at the prestigious National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli, University of Madras, in  June 1986. and graduated in Master’s in Architecture, Urban Design, magna cum laude, in 1987 from the   University of Oklahoma, USA. While at the University he won the William Van Allen International  Design Competition to design a University in Africa, a first for an Indian at a young age of 23. He worked with architectural firms Emery Roth & Sons in New York and Silver & Ziskind, New York, USA on large scale projects such as high-rise buildings, hospitals, institutional projects and campuses.

Ponni M. Concessao: Born  into a family of Chennai based professionals, graduated from the illustrious Church Park  Convent, Chennai. A pioneer in women’s technical education, Ponni Concessao was the first women  undergraduate student of the prestigious National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli, University of  Madras, graduating in June 1987. Architect Ponni Concessao completed her post-graduate studies in  Cornell University USA in 1989 with the JND Tata Endowment Scholarship and Scholarship from  Cornell University. She also won the College of Human Ecology Grant for Thesis Research in Cornell on  her pioneering work on conservation.

Architect Ponni Concessao worked with Edward Larabbee Barnes  Architect, New York City, USA, and with the National Trust of Historic Preservation, Washington D.C., USA.  Behind every successful man there is a super woman, isn’t it true in this case too. The lady Ponni, hails from a renowned architect family of Chennai and has excelled in this field scaling great heights, born in Chennai her education journey has been exemplary.

They are settled in Chennai, comfortable in  their architectural practice on 1996, designing versatile projects such as universities, engineering and medical colleges, stadia at Doha, Qatar, Malaysia several Information technology Parks, bio-tech  Parks, nano technology parks, townships, hospitals, apartments, hotels, resorts, malls, corporate offices,  luxury bungalows, factories, SEZ, several Government and State buildings with completed projects  footprints in over 100 locations all over India and Malaysia.  

Oscar & Ponni Architects have won more than 164 International, National and State Awards for   Architecture & Interiors. To highlight a few, in 2004, Oscar &  Ponni Architects won an award for  ‘Excellence in Built Environment, awarded by His Excellency, the former President of India Dr. A.P. J Abdul Kalam for the Satyam Technology Information Technology Park at Bhubaneswar, Orissa. It is impossible to fit in here the long list of awards they have won over the years.

In July 2020 the Honorable Chief Minister of Telangana Shri K.C. Rao awarded the  Telangana State New Secretariat Building project through a National Design Competition. Architect  Ponni has recently completed the Dr Karunanidhi Museum & Convention centre at Tiruvarur   near Thanjavur and is also completing the design of the Gaganyaan Space Centre facility at  Sriharikota for ISRO. Oscar & Ponni architects have recently won four Estrade awards in Singapore in  January 2021 for their Architecture & Interiors projects in Malaysia and Havelock Islands.  While Ponni admires celebrated Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, calling her an absolute innovator, who persevered relentlessly in the face of criticism and fearlessly conquered gender bias; Oscar considers Hadid’s project – The Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku, Azerbaijan – to be an iconic structure.