Mitra Youth Hostel is a facility designed to welcome visiting youth for short- and medium-term stays in Auroville. Located in the planned city centre of Auroville, and based on the architect’s urban design for the area, this three-storey building is situated in the habitat belt of the city’s central administrative area very close to the Town Hall Complex also designed by Anupama Kundoo. With single and double rooms, and two dormitories per floor, a total of 60 people can be accommodated during full occupancy.

The design arranges the various rooms along a singly loaded corridor, which bends along the assigned plot in an obtuse angle that encloses a paved courtyard that is shaded by the building and therefore usable by the residents as a public space. Terraces and spaces for occupation by smaller groups on various floor levels allow the hostel to have a social nature facilitating contact among residents.

Each room has a small private balcony. Common bathrooms and kitchens are provided for each floor as spaces that foster sharing and community living while also making the facility affordable for visiting youth from diverse backgrounds. An external staircase allows people to return to their rooms without having to enter by way of an office or administration desk. The building is constructed with plastered brick masonry and reinforced-concrete slabs.