Ladies Common room, KEM Hospital, Mumbai

The Ladies Common room at Seth G.S. Medical College, Mumbai This conservation project in Mumbai is in one of the busiest hospital in the world with a medical school attached. The Ladies common room is heavily used, and will be for decades to come. Studio pomegranate, along with Studio Mumbai set out to design this space keeping in mind everything we could learn from the larger hospital, and make it much better. Funded by the Indira Foundation, the process started in 2016 with a conversation with Studio Mumbai, who were then working on the space. The Seth GordhandasSunderdas Medical College (GSMC), attached to the King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital at Parel, in Mumbai is the foremost centre for medicine, and medical education in the country. Designed by George Wittet, and completed in 1926, the institution is alma-mater to some of the best and brightest doctors in the world. GSMC was the first medical school in India, and was the incubation ground for several firsts in medical innovation. The planning of the buildings included beautiful airy lecture rooms sitting atop each other fixed like a jigsaw puzzle, open courtyards, modern laboratories, and a full array of sports and leisure spaces. The most frequented of these are the Girls (Ladies), and Boys common rooms. These rooms are designed for students to take time off, rest, and eat lunch. The Ladies common room is used by about 1000 female students daily. The architects were tasked with renovating this room with a simple brief- to upgrade facilities, increase comfort, and ensure a relatively maintenance free space. The room is comprised of four volumes- (1) the main space, 30'x40' (2) Verandah 20'x10' (3) Attached Toilet 10'x10' (4) Main toilet14'x10'-6". All spaces are 16' tall. A 9' wide hallway separates spaces 1,2&3 from 4. The outer windows were built in cast iron, with patterned [bajri] glass, each window had a pivoted ventilator on top, a fixed glass, and two windows at sill level. Large doors of teakwood, with beautiful moulding running in the panels. The floor was Kotah stone, and walls- originally lime plastered, are now oil painted. Several teakwood, and steel lockers were haphazardly spread out in the space. The attached toilet had been removed, and a washbasin installed, the larger main toilet was "upgraded" in the 2000's and was in poor condition. Studio pomegranate started measuring the space in May 2016, and very quickly was drawn to the immense beauty of the proportions and details;so much that over two weeks every moulding, detail, and screw were documented. The occupants of the space were also interviewed over the next six months, and time-lapse photography was used to understand usage patterns. The two studios had several discussions about the way forward, the consensus was -a mezzanine would add about 50% area to the main spaceand would be useful to either move all the lockers into, or to provide various spaces for the girls. Studio pomegranate set out to work on several iterations of mezzanine, and locker arrangements. The simplest was finally chosen, with a rectangular mezzanine at the start of the main space, with a few lockers placed above. The stair would be a straight flight up from the left side as you enter. It however was never finalised, and remained a contentious issue between the studios for the remainder of the project. A spiral stair came in later in the central zone, with a dainty handrail.It was decided that the space would be kept congruous with the larger campus, and hospital, and studio pomegranate spent considerable effort in reading, and documenting the buildings around the school. Details that were missing in doors were repeated from doors from the department of anatomy, stairs from the library were used as prototype, and sleek surgery cabinets were used to produce details for carpentry. The toilets were demolished, and curved tiles, produced in Portugal were used for the toilets. Every detail, and every mould is from the original palette at the hospital, only put together to make better use of the detail. The space was reopened for the students on June 22, 2018. The girls have loved their new common room, which gives them more space, efficient locker arrangements, and better facilities. The renovation was funded by Avinash Manudhane, and Dr. Sindhu Manudhane of the Indira foundation, and built by SPE build, the design-build arm of Studio pomegranate. The design team is immensely grateful for the special efforts put in by Dr. Lopa Mehta- who helped the architects navigate the project, and is a constant source of inspiration, wit, and wisdom. Dean- Dr. Avinash Supe, Dr. Anita Agarwal, the Diamond Jubilee Society Trust, and all the wonderful students of G.S Medical college who faced tremendous hardship, and being mindful of the design process that Studio Mumbai, and Studio pomegranate follow. This relationship has led to an amazing space that can be fully utilised by generations of students to come.

Studio Mumbai:Bijoy Jain, MimoShirazi, Alba Abiad, VatsalBharmani, KashyapBhagat.

Studio Pomegranate: Pranav Naik, Shweta Shah, Neel Davda, AnvitaBalakka,

Other design collaborators:RameshwarBhadhwa, Pokaram Jasol, Aslam, Dr. Lopa Mehta

Engineer: Nitin Doshi, Dwijen Bhatt, GautamChande

Metal Fabricators:Shayona Drilling Engineering, Patel, Bharat Panchal

Carpenter:Pokar Ram Jasol

Civil Works: Mortar Constructions

Tiles:TopCer

Electrical contractor: KK Interior

Painters:RajenderNirankari

Steel lockers: Panchal

Budget: INR 1,05,00,000/- Time: Design - 25 Months, Construction- 8 months

This conservation project in Mumbai is in one of the busiest hospital in the world with a medical school attached. The Ladies common room is heavily used, and will be for decades to come. Studio pomegranate, along with Studio Mumbai set out to design this space keeping in mind everything we could learn from the larger hospital, and make it much better. This room is used by about 1000 female students daily. The architects were tasked with renovating this room with a simple brief- to upgrade facilities, increase comfort, and ensure a relatively maintenance free space.

500 word:

Studio Pomegranate embarked on a transformative conservation project for the Ladies Common Room at Seth G.S. Medical College, Mumbai. Situated within one of the world's busiest hospitals, attached to the historic King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, this revered medical institution, designed by George Wittet in 1926, is a cornerstone of medical education. The Ladies Common Room, a vital space for over 1000 female students daily, underwent a renovation funded by the Indira Foundation. Commencing in 2016, the architects were inspired by the existing hospital's architectural nuances and sought to enhance the room's facilities while ensuring minimal maintenance. Comprising four volumes—a main space, verandah, attached toilet, and main toilet—all 16 feet tall, the room boasted intricate details, including cast iron windows, teakwood doors, and Kotah stone flooring. Studio Pomegranate meticulously documented every molding, detail, and screw over two weeks in May 2016. Extensive interviews with occupants and time-lapse photography further informed the design process. Contemplating a mezzanine to augment space, various iterations were considered. The final design featured a rectangular mezzanine at the main space's entrance with a contentious spiral stair. The studios aimed for congruence with the larger campus, incorporating details from existing buildings, such as doors from the department of anatomy and stairs from the library. Demolishing the existing toilets, the renovated space showcased curved tiles from Portugal, echoing the original palette of the hospital. Reopened on June 22, 2018, the Girls' Common Room received acclaim for providing more space, efficient locker arrangements, and improved facilities. Funded by Avinash Manudhane and Dr. Sindhu Manudhane of the Indira Foundation and constructed by SPE Build, the design-build arm of Studio Pomegranate, the project owes much to Dr. Lopa Mehta's guidance. Acknowledgments extend to Dean Dr. Avinash Supe, Dr. Anita Agarwal, the Diamond Jubilee Society Trust, and the resilient students of G.S. Medical College. The collaborative design process with Studio Mumbai resulted in a remarkable space poised to benefit generations of students.

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