The project brief entailed the fitting-out and interiors of an auditorium facility for Chettinad Health city, to be used as part of the medical institute. The auditorium facility has been designed to cater to a diverse activities such as stage performances, lectures or seminars, projection of recorded medical information web-casts & broadcasts etc. Conventionally, auditoriums are perceived as simple, monolithic, box-like structures lined with internal acoustic paneling. The design intent was to shift away from the typical morphology in order to create a more visually dynamic space.
| At a Glance | |
| Project Name | : Chettinad Health City Auditorium |
| Location | : Chennai |
| Size | : 59,400 sq.ft |
| Design Company | : Morphogenesis |
To break away from the monotony of an unadorned environment of typical auditoriums, contemporary forms were used as insertions to create continuous surfaces which were conceived to be in the form of lines and planes that extended from the floor, to the wall and wrapped through the ceiling, thus visually connecting the three surfaces. Hence, the entire structure with the ceilings, walls and the floor of the auditorium gives a vision of being one whole surface. One enters the vast expanse of foyer spaces that are broken through geometric patterns. A similar pattern is reflected on the ceiling in multiple layers to endow the space with a sensation of enclosure and to reflect the dynamism similar to that which is shaped by the ceiling of the auditorium. The strong lines of the planes are illuminated by cove lighting and recessed light fixtures ensure that the purity of the forms and materials is accentuated, whilst enhancing visual drama within the space. The auditorium was envisaged using a similar approach, the three-dimensional geometric pattern to run through fabric-mounted, acoustical wall and ceiling panels, eventually creating a Three-dimensional envelope for the auditorium space. Wooden Slots devised as portals, were shaped as insertions within the wall to house HVAC, Lighting, audio-visual equipment and Acoustic services. To augment the randomness of the false ceiling, recesses clad in wood were used to puncture the ceiling. Materiality and palette is restrained, in order to let the continuity of the surfaces be perceived.
