Here’s a look at how poor planning and botched renovations have plagued Goa’s premier arts institution for over half a century
February 28, 1970 – Goa govt establishes Kala Academy to promote the arts. The iconic building is designed by renowned architect Charles Correa
2004 – Upgraded to serve as a venue for International Film Festival of India
October 30, 2017 – Minister Govind Gaude announces major facelift for Kala Academy
May 23, 2021 – Techton Buildcon Pvt. Ltd. awarded contract for renovation work. Performances come to a standstill
July 17, 2023 – A large portion of open-air auditorium collapses, raising safety concerns
November 10, 2023 – Building reopens after repairs, but concerns about construction quality persist
April 22, 2024 – Part of newly-renovated false ceiling crashes due to water leakage
May 20, 2024 – Heavy downpour causes auditorium roof to leak during a performance of the Konkani tiatr ‘Girgirem’
July 8, 2024 – Heavy rains inundate Kala Academy
September 27, 2024 – State govt forms task force led by theatre artist Vijai Kenkre to assess state of building and recommend improvements
October 25, 2024 – Charles Correa Foundation withdraws from offering assistance, citing lack of structural audit
April 13, 2025 – Technical failure in stage lighting causes temporary stoppage of a Marathi play starring Sharad Ponkshe, who apologises to audience
The famed Kala Academy has faced several ignominious setbacks, including flooding from a roof collapse during rains and the partial collapse of its open-air auditorium.
The Charles Correa Gold Medal is an award initiated in 1998 by Indian architect and urbanist Charles Correa. Through the format of the Gold Medal, the Charles Correa Foundation intends to not only challenge students and schools of architecture to focus on pressing issues, but also to emphasize the role that architects can play in society as “agents of change”.
For the next 3 years, the Charles Correa Gold Medal will focus on thesis projects that address ‘Equitability through Design’. By raising the question, ‘Who are we designing for?’ the Gold Medal seeks to reflect on the opportunities and responsibilities that we as architects have in creating spaces that are equitable and inclusive. This encompasses equal access to space, shelter, infrastructure and the commons.
The thesis projects will be evaluated in terms of how they address current spatial injustices through design, and how they approach equity and inclusion at different scales.
This year, the Gold Medal will be awarded along with a cash prize of ₹25,000.
Join us for the Charles Correa Gold Medal Award Ceremony 2025! The proceedings feature three events – the book launch of ‘Designing Equitable Cities’ (proceedings of the Z-axis 2018 Conference), a talk by Samir D’Monte, the Principal Architect of SDM Architects, Mumbai, and a discussion with the jury members on this year’s theme, ‘Equitability Through Design’.
Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Time: 06:00 to 08:00 pm IST
Venue Partner: Ice Factory Ballard Estate, Mumbai
Discussion with Jury
Join us for a discussion with the jury, as they deliberate this year’s theme ‘Equitability through Design’ and the thesis entries that most accurately addressed the prompt, tackling spatial injustices through design.
Talk by Samir D’Monte
Join us for a talk by Samir D’Monte – “My journey as an architect, and how to save Mumbai city.” – on the occasion of the Charles Correa Gold Medal 2025 Award Ceremony.
Book Launch – ‘Designing Equitable Cities’
We are happy to announce the book launch of ‘Designing Equitable Cities’, proceedings of the Z-axis 2018 Conference. The book will be launched by Mr. Amit Chandra, Cofounder – A.T.E.Chandra Foundation, Chairperson – Bain Capital India Advisors at the Charles Correa Gold Medal Award Ceremony 2025 tomorrow, 16 September 2025 at IFBE, Ballard Estate, Mumbai.
Ahmedabad: Demolition work began on Monday at the Navrangpura bus stand, which was built in 1962-63. It was designed by the master architect Charles Correa. The civic body began this hectic work at what was intended by Correa to be “a prototype for other bus stain the country”.
Set on the convergence of architecture and filmmaking, the competition spotlighted India’s urban mobility issues, awarding the Mumbai-centric film Sundari as the winner.
The Nagari Short Film Competition, an annual initiative by the Charles Correa Foundation, invites architecture enthusiasts, filmmakers and other creatives working on these intersections to cinematically respond to issues related to a dynamic and amorphous urban India. A “bioscope for the city”, Nagari directs focus on the frail realities of urban living in the country that surround us, often neglected, forgotten or simply ignored. Since its inception in 2020, the competition has coined themes for filmmakers to explore and respond to, including housing adequacy, people and their livelihoods, interactions with water and reclaiming urban commons. For its fifth edition, Nagari spotlighted Mobility in Urban India, emphasising topics such as connectivity and growth, choices in commotion and commute (or the lack thereof), gender and social roles, environmental impact, the people behind mobility, smart mobility and associated infrastructure, among others. While the festival saw several entries from all over the country, Sundari, directed by Sudarshan Sawant—a film capturing the social and environmental impact of Mumbai’s infrastructure development through an eponymous ferry as a fantastical vessel for storytelling—was announced as the winner, receiving the Golden Bioscope Award at the award ceremony held on December 14, 2024, in Mumbai.
Charles Correa Foundation prefers audit by IIT-Madras having expertise in working with and conserving old concrete.
The Charles Correa Foundation has demanded immediate audit of the iconic Kala Academy building post renovation, preferably by IIT-Madras having the expertise in working with and conserving old concrete and to ensure the building’s structural stability but also to ensure safety for the public.
The demand from the not-for-profit public charitable trust comes in view of the recent degradation and collapse of sections of the State’s premier art and cultural institution post renovation,
“Today, our nation is gradually beginning to realise that the process of urbanisation is much more than just the breakdown of Calcutta, or the overcrowding of Kanpur, or the traffic problems of Bombay—it is a phenomenon of unique scope and dimension, one which is going to change fundamentally the nature of our lives. From it will emerge the central, political, human and moral issues of our times, precipitated by the rising expectations of the millions upon millions of our people who want to find a better future.“
-National Commission on Urbanisation, 1988
The growing urban population, especially in medium-size cities! Image source : A New Landscape (1985) page 18.
Nearly 40 years later the report by the National Commission on Urbanisation (1985-1988) exists as a mere reflection of itself. It now lingers as faint murmurs within the syllabus for future IAS officers with fragments finding their way into Indian policy but failing to make a significant enough impact, as its vision remains unfulfilled.
“This is a story of re-habilitation — one of the most urgent needs in our cities and towns today.”
Drawing from the condition of Bostonian neighborhoods in the 1950s, Charles Correa made a 10 minute animated film titled “You and Your Neighborhood: The Story of Urban Rehabilitation”. Using hand drawn images and diagrams, he presented this film along with a 30-page report as his final Master’s thesis at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1955.
Inclusive, culturally rooted, and climatically appropriate—The Z-Axis Conference, held recently in Mumbai and organised by Panjim-based Charles Correa Foundation, critically reviewed the late architect’s thought and practice.
The agenda of the Z-Axis Conference, held in October 2024 at the NCPA in Mumbai, was to understand the life and work of Charles Correa as a way of addressing key issues concerning the future of India’s cities that are just as critical now as they were throughout his lifetime. It was organized by the Charles Correa Foundation based in Panjim Goa, which the architect established towards the end of his life in order to create an independent institution for citizens and professionals that would act as a catalyst for the improvement of the quality of human settlement of all scales in India. To this end, the Foundation supports excellence in the work of students and graduates of architecture, through awards and competitions, and also hosts bi-annual conferences making public the challenges of settlement today, bringing together the best practitioners and thinkers in the field of architecture and design, both from India and abroad.
At 5 pm today, the Little Theatre at the National Centre for Performing Arts will be screening an evocative film, Lovely Villa: Architecture as Autobiography, directed by Rohan Shivkumar. It is a testament to the fact that every house is a vessel for the experiences of the people who have inhabited it in the past, and those who will dwell there in the future. The film is set in Lovely Villa, an apartment building where Shivkumar-an architect, urban designer and filmmaker-grew up. This LIC Colony was designed by Charles Correa, and the film brings together an intersection of personal history with a broader narrative of visions for a modern India. “It is a film about the relationship between architecture, everyday life, family, coming of age and the memory of ‘home’,” states the director’s note. The screening will be followed by a dialogue between Avijit Mukul Kishore and Shivkumar.
Charles Mark Correa (born, September 1, 1939-died June 16, 2015) was one of India’s leading architects and urban planners. Awarded the title of “Indıa’s greatest archıtect,” by RIBA, Correa has been highly respected both nationally and internationally for his more than 100 constructed projects and architectural approach. Redefining the principles of modernism, the architect rejected cold glass and steel structures, emphasizing the use of local materials in his buildings and harmoniously developing tradition and modernity. Blending India’s cultural and climatic conditions with modern architecture, Charles Correa argued that buildings are not just physical structures, but also spaces that shape the relationship between people and the environment.
Ferry at the Gateway of India in Mumbai. I Photo credit: David Brossard via Wikimedia Commons 2.0
Navi Mumbai architect Charles Correa thought a lot about ways to build efficient cities around the three key ingredients of jobs-housing-transportation, with adequate attention to social, cultural and educational institutions. The Charles Correa Foundation’s Nagari Film Festival 2024 was all about urban mobility.
Few people realize that Goa, too, is a land of five rivers: the Mandovi, Zuari, Sal, Terekhol and Chapora. This, in addition to Goa’s access to the sea routes via Mormugao and Panjim Minor ports, makes Goa one of the premier destinations for developing water-transport infrastructure in India.
Currently, ferries and bridges like the Atal Setu over the Mandovi take people across, on their way to school, work and other day-to-day activities. But there are chokepoints and limitations. For one, the bridges typically only connect the two banks where the river is the narrowest, rather than taking people as close as possible to their final destination over water. Two, as the population (domestic and tourist) grows, the pressures on infrastructure rise too.
An obvious fix, says Harvard University Graduate School of Design-trained architect Nondita Correa Mehrotra, is running water buses that can hit the sweet spot between affordability, accessibility, efficiency and lower climate impact.
The Charles Correa Gold Medal is an award initiated in 1998 by Indian architect and urbanist Charles Correa. Through the format of the Gold Medal, the Charles Correa Foundation intends to not only challenge students and schools of architecture to focus on pressing issues, but also to emphasize the role that architects can play in society as “agents of change”.
Looking at the world around us, we believe it is crucial for everyone to understand how to build sustainably and use our resources judiciously. Continuing the theme from the previous year, the Charles Correa Gold Medal will focus on thesis projects that address climate concerns through architecture design. Charles Correa coined the phrase ‘Form Follows Climate’ and often said “to build in India is to respond to climate”.
PANEL DISCUSSION
ARCHITECTURE THESIS PROJECT – WHAT CAN THEY SAY, WHAT CAN THEY DO?
As a part of the Charles Correa Gold Medal 2024, the Charles Correa Foundation organized a panel discussion on the present and future of the graduating thesis projects at architecture schools in India titled, Architecture Thesis Project – What can they say, what can they do?
The discussion was led by Dr. Kaiwan Mehta, and the panel consisted of Ainsley Lewis, Vandana Sinh and Mustansir Dalvi.
Jury
The jury for the Charles Correa Gold Medal 2024 is Sameep Padora (Architect and Author), Edoardo Narne (Architect, Academician and Author), Vyjayanthi Rao (Anthropologist, Writer and Curator), Melissa Smith (Architect and Urban Planner) and Kaiwan Mehta (Architect, Academic and Researcher), where they mainly looked for entries that consider the site and context of the proposed project with clarity in the formulation and addressal of real-life issues.
Gold Medal 2024 Winner
‘Water Edges: Navigating Inequity and Dilemmas related to Urban Water’ by Dweep Jain
The project is laudable as it works on multiple scales, addressing complex challenges at the urban scale as well as very detailed solutions to everyday problems, such as street furniture, building envelopes, and toilets. It is a sensitive response to the cultural framework, and incorporates astute observation into its design framework. As a result of this intensity, it sets an example of flexible thinking in its loose structure that allows change over time. It is putting the same importance on sacred space, scale, and the quality of details on a human scale. It also takes into account the larger time scale, placing it not only in the present but perhaps also in the future.
Honourable Mentions
‘Land.Water.Life: Majuli’s Symphony of Survival’ by Abhay Rajesh
It is evident from this project that a good student can control the scale, the section, details, and the environmental environment inside the projects using only a limited number of materials, underlining an architectural intelligence. The design is sensitive to the materials available and to the traditional architecture, but also projective, in the way it imagines how this format can be expanded to create new spaces and forms. It effectively creates spaces for livelihoods while simultaneously addressing how spaces could be used at times of catastrophes. It is a project that efficiently communicates a high quality of architectural space and structure.
‘Re-imagining Social Housing through everyday infrastructures’ by Neha Dalvi
The project responds both practically and sensibly to a need for rehabilitation housing that is ubiquitous in Mumbai. It highlights certain qualities of sociality, which is connected to work, care, and maintenance, as opposed to an imagined social life of leisure. This design is contrasted well with the surrounding high rise landscape. The way the exterior spaces connect the houses and the pathways adds to the value of the design by creating a sense of community. The design is well considered within the space constraints that exist. It understands the way small spaces are used temporarily, and imagines the function that might take place in small spaces at the level of the unit as well as in its aggregation at the level of the settlement. The planning here is not only sensible but makes the project economically viable, adding another layer to the design.
Award Ceremony
Watch the Award Ceremony of the Charles Correa Gold Medal 2024 above.
Mustansir Dalvi is Professor of Architecture at Sir JJ College of Architecture (retired). He is on the Board of Governors of the MMR-Heritage Conservation Society and a Trustee of Art Deco Mumbai.
Dalvi holds degrees in architecture and a diploma in Indian Aesthetics from the University of Mumbai. He received his PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay. He is the author of The Romance of Red Stone: An Appreciation of Ornament on Islamic Architecture in India (2011) and The Past as Present: Pedagogical Practices in Architecture at the Bombay School of Art (2016). Dalvi is the editor of 20th Century Compulsions (Marg, 2016), a collection of writings about early Indian modernist architecture. His latest book, Citizen Charles: a biography Charles Correa, by Niyogi Books, is scheduled to be published in October 2024.
Vandana Sinh
Vandana Ranjitsinh is an architect and educator who is a Founder Principal of Ranjit Sinh Associates. A graduate of the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad, Vandana began her career with prestigious firms like Atelier Dolf Schnebli Associates, Switzerland; with Kamu Iyer at Architects Combine, Mumbai and Kuenleg Professional Consultants, Bhutan. At Ranjit Sinh Associates – established in Mumbai in 1982 – her work focuses on a commitment to design and environmental sustainability. With over three decades of experience, the firm has been widely recognised and won competitions and awards, including the AESA Gold Award in 2008 for the Best Project in Group Housing for The Woods, Wakad. As an educator, Vandana has taught Architectural Design and Theory at the Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture, Mumbai since 1993, where she has previously held the position of Chairperson of the Academic Forum. She has conducted workshops and has been a juror across various universities. In 2011, she was awarded Best Architectural Design Teacher by the Maharashtra Association of Schools of Architecture.
Ainsley Lewis
Ainsley Lewis, Dean of M. Arch program at USM’s Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies( KRVIA)., is an urban designer and a distinguished academician for more than two decades. His pedagogical philosophy centers on the synergy between architectural research and manifestation, grounded in semantics and phenomenology. He has contributed significantly to architectural education through capacity-building workshops and lectures on Architectural Design, Informal Housing, and Conservation. Professionally, his firm’s exploration of spatial nomenclatures has earned him national and international recognition, including the UNESCO Asia Pacific Cultural Heritage Award of Merit in 2019 and IIA National Award winner 2021. He recently presented a paper at the UIA2024KL international conference of architects.His work is published in professional journals of architecture, conservation, urban design and interior design.
Kaiwan Mehta
Kaiwan Mehta is a theorist and critic in the fields of visual culture, architecture, and city studies. Mehta has studied Architecture, Literature, Indian Aesthetics and Cultural Studies. In 2017 he completed his doctoral studies at the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, Bengaluru, under the aegis of Manipal University. In April 2022 he was appointed as the Dean at Balwant Sheth School of Architecture, at NMIMS University. He was recently elected to the coveted International Committee of Architectural Critics (CICA).
Sameep Padora is an architect and author. Born in Chamba, Northern India, Sameep Padora established his Mumbai based practice in 2007 after graduating from the GSD, Harvard University. The studio’s work has been widely published and has in the past received the Wallpaper Design Award for Best Public Building, Beazley Architecture Prize, Wienerberger Brick Award, Archdaily Building of The Year, Wallpaper Design Award for House of the Year, as well as the Architectural Review’s Emerging Architecture and the AR Library Commendation Awards.
Besides the architectural practice, Sameep also runs a not-for-profit sPare that researches issues of urbanization in India with a focus on housing. sPare’s research publications; In the Name of Housing, How to build an Indian House and (de)Coding Mumbai are projects attempting to unravel the production of affordable housing in Indian cities. Sameep has presented the studio’s projects and built work at numerous forums including te Seoul Biennale and at various universities including the GSD, Cooper Union, Cornell and TU Delft amongst others.
Sameep serves on the academic boards of a number of educational institutes and is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at CEPT University.
Edoardo Narne
Edoardo Narne is an Associate Professor at the University of Padua. Visiting Professor in 2002-2003 in Architectural Design at the Alfonso X University of Madrid, in 2011 at the IUAV in Venice, in 2018 at the Goa College of Architecture in India, occupying the international chair Charles Correa, and in 2019-2022 at ENSTP Youndè, Cameroon. Since 2017 he has been Director of the inter-university Master, University of Padua and University of Catania, “Forms of Contemporary Living”. Member of the teaching staff of the PhD program “Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering Sciences” at the University of Padua. He is the author of about one hundred scientific publications. In many of his writings, the themes of living on an urban scale are analyzed with strong attention to the typology and morphology of buildings and to the experiments of social housing and cohousing. Since 2019 he is coordinator and Tutor for the G124 project on the suburbs of the Architect-Senator Renzo Piano.
Vyjayanthi Rao
Vyjayanthi V. Rao is an anthropologist, writer and curator, teaching at the Yale School of Architecture. Her work explores the role of culture and speculation in shaping built and living environments. Her understanding of speculation expands beyond the financial realm into practices that center around the imagination such as design and art. In addition to observant participation through fieldwork, her research draws on sound, image, mapping and collaborations with visual artists and architects. She has published extensively on these subjects, co-curated exhibitions for the Lisbon Architecture Triennale (2022) and the Center for Architecture in New York (2023) and participated as an artist in the Kochi Biennale (2016) and the Chicago Biennale of Architecture (2023). Since 2023, she has been one of the Editors in Chief of the journal Public Culture (Duke University Press).
Melissa Smith
Melissa Smith is an architect and urban planner based in Ahmedabad, India, and founding partner of BandukSmith Studio, an architecture and (urban) design practice which builds, and also asks questions of the way we make our built environments, and how this can impact the realities of practice. She completed Master of Architecture and Master of City & Regional Planning degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, USA, where she was a John K. Branner Fellow in 2010. At CEPT University, where Ms. Smith has been teaching in the Architecture and Planning faculties for the past decade, she served as the founding Program Chair to establish the first Bachelor of Urban Design program India. Her research interests are interdisciplinary, and generally follow how inhabitants tend to restructure their built environments over time.
Kaiwan Mehta
Kaiwan Mehta is a theorist and critic in the fields of visual culture, architecture, and city studies. Mehta has studied Architecture, Literature, Indian Aesthetics and Cultural Studies. In 2017 he completed his doctoral studies at the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, Bengaluru, under the aegis of Manipal University. In April 2022 he was appointed as the Dean at Balwant Sheth School of Architecture, at NMIMS University. He was recently elected to the coveted International Committee of Architectural Critics (CICA).
Author: Abhay Rajesh Site Location: Majuli Island, Assam Institute: Avani Institute of Design Advisor: Ar. Thushara K
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In response to the annual floods and relentless soil erosion on Majuli Island, this architectural thesis explores how spatial adaptation can enhance resilience and improve the inhabitants’ lives. The “Land Water Life – Majuli’s Symphony of Survival” project focuses on creating multifunctional community spaces that dynamically respond to the island’s ever-changing landscape. The design investigates architectural strategies that facilitate living during and after floods, aiming to extend the functionality and safety of the spaces on the island.
The project delves into the intricate relationship between land, water, and community, highlighting the resilient negotiations the people of Majuli undertake to coexist with their environment. By reimagining traditional Satra spaces and integrating essential healthcare facilities, the project preserves cultural identity while improving access to critical services. This holistic approach underscores the interconnectedness of cultural preservation, environmental resilience, and community well-being.
The thesis emphasizes creating structures that not only adapt to the island’s flooding but also support the community’s socio-cultural revival. Through innovative design strategies, the project aims to serve as a beacon of resilience and empowerment, ensuring that Majuli’s way of life can endure and thrive despite the challenges posed by floods.
Author: Dweep Jain Site Location: Nashik Institute: L.S. Raheja School of Architecture Advisor: Ar. Mridula Pillai
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‘Water edges or boundaries’ are challenging to define due to water’s inherently fluid and dynamic form. In the rapidly urbanizing society, water in the urban realm is increasingly vulnerable. Such is the plight of the Godavari River also known as the as the Dakshin Ganga, is India’s second-longest river. The river is enshrined in scriptures as one of the four sacred rivers worthy of reverence and worship. Godavari not only harbours a strong cultural significance, being the stage for the Kumbh Mela, but also is home to delicate ecosystems. Despite people worshiping the intangible idea of the river, its tangible form has been subject to abuse in the name of development. The inequities become especially severe at the source, in Nashik, where rampant concretization, illegal encroachment etc have severely compromised the river’s health and its ecological network, creating an alarming situation in need of immediate intervention.
By conceptualizing the evolving riverscape as a “form,” this approach responds to the impending climate emergency in Nashik’s precinct. The form is designed to sustain and adapt to its ever-changing environment, creating a resilient and equitable realm. It revitalizes the riverscape, ensuring it nurtures the neighbourhoods and ecosystems that rely on it as their lifeblood. Here, the ghats and built structures are not static; they adapt dynamically to shifting climatic and cultural needs. This approach moves beyond mere preservation, establishing a sustainable and equitable framework that addresses contextual and climatic challenges, ultimately fostering a resilient and thriving precinct. Architecture, in this vision, transcends its physical form, becoming a living entity that adapts to shifting cultural needs as well as, integrates, and mitigates climate emergencies.
Film by Sudarshan Sawant & Dhanesh Gopal Mentored by Pankaj Rishi Kumar
Jury Citation:
Sundari is poetic, moving, and touching. It beautifully intertwines everyday life with local mythologies. Through its evocative visuals and compelling soundscapes, it addresses larger questions about what happens to the natural beauty of a place that becomes the detritus of urbanization. The film looks at an important issue for the communities living in close tandem with such environmental systems. Through the use of creative narrative devices, the film evokes a sense of longing and lament while asking pertinent questions about the city’s exploding infrastructure, its relationship with nature and how we think about climate change.
Film by Sabika Syed & Nikhil Mehrotra Mentored by Pankaj Rishi Kumar
Jury Citation:
Shab-Parak’s power lies in its cinema verite form. It constructs a compelling narrative using real people’s voices and beautiful images shot live on location; instead of relying on an external storyteller’s voice. The film draws attention to a major issue, accessing the city at night, that relates not only to Delhi where this story is set, but to all urban centres. It gives us a glimpse into one of the many unnoticed worlds that exist within a city, and shows how strangers form a community through the simple act of travelling together on a late night bus.
Film by Bhargav Prasad, Archanaa Seker & Pavithra Sriram Mentored by Bina Paul
Jury Citation:
Level Up highlights a very crucial and pertinent issue that cities today need to address, that of inclusivity and accessibility. It raises important questions about urban accessibility for people with disabilities, focusing on both the physical and social discomfort faced by individuals trying to navigate the city.
The film presents its differently abled protagonists as heroes, but it does not shy away from showing their raw struggles with simple, everyday acts. The viewer is led to an understanding of the gravity of the issues they face, and the urgent need to bring about change.
Film by Arundhathi& Sarah Zia Mentored by Bina Paul
In the bustling metropolis of Delhi, lies an unused suburban rail transit network. As the city continues to deal with problems such as traffic congestion, deteriorating air quality and the lack of an integrated, multi-modal public transit system, the film talks explores the potential of the Delhi Ring Railway system as a viable public transit system. The film tells the tale of an erstwhile rail network that offered an effective and affordable alternative to travel across the city but has now gone into oblivion due to the lack of planning and support by the government.
Fathima as she waits to climb the bus | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
It has taken 20 years to implement the law seeking the introduction of low-floor buses in Tamil Nadu. On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, these Chennai filmmakers speak about capturing this wait for the Nagari Short Film Competition.
Level Up! begins with a cacophony of horns from buses in Chennai’s traffic-ridden roads. The screen announces that about three million people board this form of public transport every day. In quick succession though, the camera takes Fathima’s perspective. This person with disability can be seen hoisting herself with crutches and making the arduous climb up nearly four feet of steps on the bus to finally get to her seat. It is the only way for her to access this now free means of transportation for women in Tamil Nadu.
Designed to blend seamlessly with its predecessor, the neighboring Cancer Research Centre designed by the late Charles Correa, the Botton-Champalimaud Pancreatic Cancer Centre in Lisbon, Portugal, opened in October 2023.
With a goal to improve treatment and the quality of life for those affected by the disease, the 392,700-square-foot project focuses on operational efficiencies to accelerate treatment and care, bringing together surgical services, research, and clinical trials under one roof.
Innovative architectural features—including round operating rooms with glass walls that change from transparent to opaque at the flip of a switch; infusion bays featuring contemporary pods with views of the water and built-in seating inspired by first-class airline seats; and natural elements such as water features, courtyards, and views of nature—reinforce this strategy while delivering a peaceful environment designed to inspire hope.
