PREMASHRAYA

Having set up the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai in 1941, the Tata Group has been working tirelessly to provide unhindered support to cancer patients. Having observed an increasing number of cancer cases in East India, the group has seized the initiative to gift Kolkata its very own state-of-the-art hospital.

Part of this new facility is Premashraya, a unique group-housing facility that will provide economical and hygienic homes for patients and their relatives who cannot afford alternative accommodation during treatment, that more often than not goes on for months.

At a distance of about 500 meters from the hospital’s location, Premashraya offers basic amenities and free accommodation for patients and their families, with special attention towards the underprivileged.

Patients diagnosed with cancer are overwhelmed by a range of emotions: fear, anxiety and uncertainty are just some of those and they cannot be dealt with alone. Research over the years has proven that sharing the burden of this devastating disease increases the will of both patients and caregivers. Therefore, our proposal gives opportunities for interaction and exchange within the family and also with others in the facility.

It's a known fact, that large part of everyday life for an Indian is spent outdoors. Meeting each other on streets, sitting to relax, chat, share and observe, and also carrying out many other types of activities. The street is “where things happen”. Hence, a fundamental part of our concept is the transformation of plain corridors and circulation spaces into streetscapes full of life and interaction. In Premashraya the corridors are more than mere elements of access and circulation, they are places to meet and to socialize, planned avoiding the usual uniformity and dullness of normal double loaded aisles. In our design, rather than the corridor giving the rooms a defined location along it, the location and positioning of the rooms form a varied and multifunctional space very closely resembling an Indian street. Many of the guests’ daily activities will take place in these spaces, together and shared by everyone.

Clustering a limited number of cubicles around a common space will give the residents a feeling of belonging and help forming bonds between individuals. In addition, it will cut down distances to common amenities such as kitchen and bathrooms and will promote a feeling of responsibility towards these spaces.

Premashraya also doubles up as an educational centre, where residents will have the possibility to undergo vocational training. To this end we are providing an array of flexible rooms, where counselling, teaching and training can happen. There is also a multipurpose hall, where larger groups can gather for both educational and cultural functions such as yoga, meditation, arts, crafts, seminar, conference and the likes.

Team : Mariana Paisana, Tanya Chandra, Jose Benoy