The Senate House was built on the site of the Nawab of Carnatic's artillery park from where salvoes were fired to greet visiting dignitaries. It was in 1869 that the foundation stone for the Senate House in Chennai was laid down and was completed in 1873. 

The Senate House in Chennai comprises of a central hall with corridors, which is on the ground floor. These corridors stand on six firm pillars standing on either side. Also the four sky-touching towers standing at each of the corners of the building are heaped with an exquisitely shaped vibrantly - colored domes which gives a dazzling look.

There are six porches, two each on the Eastern and Western sides of the building and one each in the Northern and Southern sides of the building. Each porch has three segmental arch openings in the East, West and South sides of the porch. The roof is of brick shell with lime mortar. 

The main entry to the building is provided on the Northern side with an entry porch with a vault type roof of brickwork supported on brick pillars. The north wing has two floors and is provided with partition walls to accommodate office rooms and toilets. The staircase is provided on the northern wing of the Great hall. The stairs provide access to both cellar and first floor. The southern wing has an entry porch identical to that of Northern wing porch. This has a smaller hall at two levels one at the ground level and the other at the first floor. The access to first floor is provided through a staircase in dome. The flooring of the first floor is of timber planks supported on steel joists and columns. The roof above this wing is of wooden truss, zinc sheets and Mangalore tiles.

There is a convocation Hall, beautiful porticos, a parapet that surrounds these porticos, halls for meetings, a library etc.  The Senate House initially housed offices of the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar and the University Departments of study and Research. The building was used for meetings of the senate, syndicate and academic departments of the University. Its main hall was used for convocations for over a hundred years. It has also been used as a convention center in the days past when many modern facilities were not available. It also housed administrative offices of the University. In some of the smaller halls the meetings of the Senate, Academic Council and of the faculties were held.

The building was the venue for many functions. The grand convocation used to be held in the massive central hall with cluster lamps and fans on pedestals adding charm and beauty to the occasion. Convocations were held with dignity and charm till 1965, even after the Centenary Convocation Auditorium was built.  Apart from convocations, the Hall was used as the meeting place of the first elected Madras Legislative Assembly when it was convened in 1937. It was also the venue for the Madras Music Academy's music sessions in the first years of that institution. But after the construction of the new departmental library building and later on the centenary building, the use of Senate House was limited to the holding of the convocation and examinations, besides being used as classrooms for teaching foreign languages. However, since 1965, convocations have been held only at the massive centenary auditorium, built in 1960.

Renovation work at the stately Senate House in the University of Madras Chepauk campus, was done in the year 2006.

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