LIVE CASE STUDY1. KARUNASHRAYA HOSPICE (of a connect with nature and the outside world, of realising the value of the smaller things, by small interventions in a major medical setup).
LOCATION- Bangalore ARCHITECT- Sanjay Mohe YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION- 1997-1999 A centre for treatment of cancer and palliative care, Karunashraya is a space which is representational of its true meaning, ‘an abode of compassion’. The hospice has a capacity to accommodate 300 patients, divided among 6 wards along with residential facilities for 120 volunteers, nurses and doctors. Though equipped with all the paraphernalia required by a healthcare facility, its spatial experience revolves around empathy and positivity towards life. In an environment where the major users of the space are suffering from an incurable disease like cancer, the euphoria of life still exists in every nook of the premises. And it is the architecture which stimulates this aura.
Figure 133-(Facing Page) View towards the central pool of water and the wards beyond (Source: Author) Figure 134 & 135-(Overleaf Bottom Left) The pool of water binding the built form together (Source: Author) Figure 136 & 137-(Overleaf Bottom Right) The administration office and the Prayer area.(Source: Author)
Humble in scale, accessible in all regards, the centre is nestled between lush greenery with its nucleus in the form of a large pool, an automatic visual focus at all points through the journey. The beds of the patients are all facing the outside, opening out towards the central water body or a green garden, imbibing in every user, a sense of connect to the outside world. Karunashraya goes beyond the general notion of a hospital, providing the opportunity to connect with nature, to be comfortable, and most of all to hope for a better tomorrow.
Advaith Mani / Fifth Year B.Arch / L.S.Raheja School of Architecture
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