Veteran Ar Christopher Benninger has created an ambitious Rs 700 Cr plan for the redevelopment of Sassoon Hospital, Pune out of which Rs 100 Cr has already been sanctioned by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for the initial phase. A report by SURFACES REPORTER (SR).
According to the hospital authorities, the Master Plan is created to develop the hospital for the next hundred years. The plan was submitted to the state and the phase-wise development will commence with the construction of hostels for postgraduate doctors and nurses.
The veteran architect who also resides in Pune has taken up the project as Pro bono (for the public good) and took three months to design the master plan of one of the oldest hospitals in the country. The redevelopment will also increase the capacity of the hospital by 1000 beds.
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Designing public spaces is one of the forte of the master architect with award winning projects including Mahindra United World College of India, Pune; Azim Premji University at Bengaluru, IIT Hyderabad, heritage campus of College of Engineering Pune and Pune University etc. Ar Benninger has also designed hospitals like KEM in Pune and a 200-bed facility at Life Care in Latur.
Commenting on the same, he said, "This is the largest public hospital and important healthcare facility in western Maharashtra. Not many can afford private hospitals and hence, this is a critical care facility."
“We did an audit of 1.9 million square feet of construction across six plots, identified the heritage buildings which need to be preserved and others that can be upgraded and some that can be demolished. We have planned a phase-wise construction over the next 10 years. The campus has heritage buildings like the David Sassoon Hospital building (built in 1869) as well as the Jacob Sassoon Hospital building (built in 1905). The plan envisages highrises to house doctors across the street connected with an underpass, new women’s residential enclave, hostels for nurses, paramedics and a 1,500-seater auditorium apart from a new sports facility,” Benninger said.
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As per the master plan, the campus encompassing seven land parcels requires to be zoned into a functional area that creates efficiency of operation and maintenance.
The phase-wise plan is to integrate the separate land parcels into a symbiotic walkable campus employing walkways, over and under road pedestrian tunnels and bridges and promenades. There is a need to create a rational and logical movement system of patients, healthcare workers, utility/maintenance vehicles and emergency vehicles according to the plan, which will also develop more parking spaces and remove obsolete structures.
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The plan involved vertical construction of the buildings. Special efforts have been planned to design ramp structures in the case of a fire. The plan also includes creating emergency (fire-fighting) access and corridors.
Presently, the 1296-bed hospital has a total area of 43 acres but in various locations, Chockalingam said. The focus initially of this master plan is to build hostel facilities for PG medical students/doctors and nurses/students.
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