Abhijit Prasanth: The Design is a Post Covid Sanatorium [Medi Hotel], with a theatre at its core. With the site being New York City, theatres and Broadway shows are quite a well-known thing and the architectural language allows the building to become part of the performance. Bringing together two very contrasting uses is something the design intends to do. The typology of a quarantine residence and that of a theatre thereby create an intricate balance between public and private, with the residents’ becoming spectators to the theatre and the theatre becoming an experience for the residents who would otherwise have to spend a sombre quarantine stay in isolation.
At the street level, the public plaza becomes a major point of interaction, and the connecting bridge allows these users to enter the building, from where they can meet their loved ones who are currently quarantined. Although separated by a glass panel, the visual connection is sometimes all that is required to make these long quarantine stays bearable.
The design takes inspiration from the past tries to hold on to the old grand gothic styles of Architecture, which is slowly fading, and designers just don’t realise truly how beautiful it was. In cities filled with tall boxes, this design tries to create a sculpture which reflects the architectural past of New York City. The design language allows the structure to become a point of contrasting timelines – A historical sculpture within the intense regimentation in terms of the architectural fabric of modern cities.
The massive proportions transform this building into a symbolic gateway, which given the site’s location, is on the way into the heart of New York city.
