Symbiosis Hospital and Research Center, (SUHRC)

IMK Architects

Short description

Established on the lower slopes of a hill, amidst the sprawling 40 acres land of Pune's renowned educational institute Symbiosis, SUHRC has been developed on a forested hill, in a discrete and quiet location. Envisaged as a Multi-Specialty Hospital to provide excellent health care facilities and a State of the art - Centre that would enhance Skill development in the Field of Medicine, the development envisions to educate and empower medical students. Conceptualized to cater to the needs of all the stakeholders, the hospital caters to the nearby population of Pune and its neighboring areas, while providing Tele-Medicine services to ensure outreach services to peripheral, far-flung and access-compromised settlements. Amidst today's context, currently, the hospital is being used for Government welfare as COVID 19 hospital.


Sitting along a slope, the building is strategically positioned to minimize the cut-and-fill of the hill site. Planned as a robust curve along the contours of the land, it forms the façade of the project. Imbibing the client brief of 'grandeur' being a key element, two significant and symbolic entrances have been designed, distinct in approach to cater to the client brief of unique identities for the hospital and the academic block. While the entry to the hospital is welcoming, peaceful, it also provides a sense of grandeur along with a structure that expresses Solidarity, resonating care, and shelter for the patients in distress. A large open-to-sky courtyard separates the Centre from the hospital. The entrances for both these blocks lie on either side of the building, making them seem like two completely different entities.
The entrance for the Skill Centre draws inspiration from the stainless steel surgical instruments used in hospitals. A mammoth silver steel bird, with wings wide open, welcomes the visitor into the building. Supported by steel pipes, a futuristic roof under the sun beaming brightly, is symbolic of a contemporary architectural response. The roof sits above the large semi-circular staircase that leads the visitor to the entrance. In contrast, the response to the other block is humbler. Split into two entries, where one is for casualties and the other for regular populous, the base of the entrance is lifted to be in line with the interiors. The tip of the entrance is stretched upwards, thus letting in more light to create a deeper canopy so that at least two lanes of vehicles could be parked along the length of the building under it. The canopy was stretched to the complete width of the building and gave it a smooth curvilinear shape in the front, which mellows down the impact of the sheer size of this structure. A balance between light and shade has been achieved with smaller skylights within the roof, and a larger opening towards the upward bending tip.Two large courtyards in the building create buffer zones that help in healing patients, bring in ample light, and are overlooked by wardrooms and the Out-Patient Department. The OPD has no air-conditioning but allows for fresh, natural air while ensuring sufficient ventilation. All departments and spaces of the hospital are designed such to bring in daylight and natural ventilation. Even areas like OPD, waiting have courtyards on both sides and are naturally ventilated. Similarly, at all levels, there is a 3m wide corridor that abuts the central courtyard, which lets in natural light and ventilation, thereby reducing the AC load and power consumption for these areas. The terrace gardens are landscaped with flowering trees and plants to create a soothing effect for the patients around it, unlike any regular hospitals, which are much mundane, completely air-conditioned spaces without any daylight and natural ventilation.


The main central courtyard not only brings in the above features but also makes the space aesthetically pleasing, soothing to the eye creating a calm oasis. The space is completely transformed, unlike any regular hospitals, which are much mundane, completely air-conditioned spaces without any daylight & natural ventilation in significant areas. This also helped in simplifying the way-finding in the building, which otherwise in other hospital projects is a complicated affair for the users adding to their trauma in searching spaces/ departments within the structure.
Amongst the 900 beds in the general hospital block, 600 beds are for free patients and procedures, which are all taken care of and treated by the medical college students. This block has been connected to the procedure block, with services running along one side of the corridor. At the same time, the departments are situated on the other, allowing for ease of access without causing any disturbances. Further, the procedure block is well segregated from the ward block to ensure privacy to every patient, while being shared as a standard procedure block by paid and free patients alike.
The hospital is planned across five levels; departments such as the OPD, casualty, radiology, MHC, etc. which require easy ground access and are frequented by more patients every day have been planned at the ground level. The first-floor compromises of General, Twin, and Single bed wards, most of which overlook the garden space. The critical areas such as OT's, Pre-Op and Post Op, ICU's Cath, etc. are planned on the 2nd floor, making it the sterile zone and thus are also segregated from other areas of the hospital. The 3rd floor, which was earlier planned for future expansion, was also converted to a ward floor as the client decided to get a DNB Accreditation, which required 200 + beds.
The flexible grid is designed to synchronize the structural system at all levels. To enable a natural, original, and permanent finish on the building, which would be maintenance-free, brick was adopted as the material of choice for the double skin on the façade with deeper shading projections that would reduce heat gain. The resultant boxing forms were skewed, twisted, or tapered to achieve variations in shape to form a multi-faceted façade that reflects light in different tones in any part of the day.