Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining Spaces of Final Honour

Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour

CERTIFICATE MUMBAI UNIVERSITY L. S. RAHEJA SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

This is to certify that Adhiraj Chandrakant Gorule has successfully completed his design dissertation (Part 1) on the topic “Architecture for the Deceased: Redefining Spaces of Final Honour� under the guidance of Ar. Mridula Pillai Gudekar.

The dissertation is undertaken as a part of academic study based on the curriculum for Bachelors of Architecture programme conducted by the University of Mumbai, from L. S. Raheja School of Architecture, Mumbai in the academic year 2018-2019.

Seat Number: _________________

:

Ar. Mridula Pillai Gudekar Thesis Guide [L. S. Raheja School of Architecture]

Ar. Mandar Parab

:

I/C Principal [L. S. Raheja School of Architecture]

External Juror 1

:

External Juror 2

:

Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour

DECLARATION I hereby declare that this written submission entitled “Architecture for the Deceased: Redefining spaces of Final Honour” represents my ideas in my own words and has not been taken from the work of others (as from books, articles, essays, dissertations, other media and online); and where others’ ideas or words have been included, I have adequately cited and referenced the original sources. Direct quotations from books, journal articles, internet sources, other texts, or any other source whatsoever are acknowledged and the source cited are identified in the dissertation references.

No material other than that cited and listed has been used.

I have read and know the meaning of plagiarism* and I understand that plagiarism, collusion, and copying are grave and serious offences in the university and accept the consequences should I engage in plagiarism, collusion or copying.

I also declare that I have adhered to all principles of academic honesty and integrity and have not misrepresented or fabricated or falsified any idea/data/fact source in my submission.

This work, or any part of it, has not been previously submitted by me or any other person for assessment on this or any other course of study.

Signature of the Student: Name of the Student: Adhiraj Chandrakant Gorule Exam Roll No: Date: 1st November, 2018

Place:

*The following defines plagiarism: “Plagiarism” occurs when a student misrepresents, as his/her own work, the work, written or otherwise, of any other person (including another student) or of any institution. Examples of forms of plagiarism include: acknowledgement; presentation, without appropriate and correctly presented acknowledgement;

iagrams, designs, charts, photographs, musical compositions and pictures, from all sources, including, for example, journals, books, dissertations and essays and online resources.

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The satisfaction and euphoria that accompany the successful completion of any task would be incomplete without the mention of people who made it possible and under the constant guidance of whom, I was able to complete this paper.

My parents Ar. Chandrakant Gorule and Veena Gorule for supporting me all ways possible.

My elder sisters Ishani and Shriya, for vacating the bedroom for me, my nephew Vihaan and my pet cat Shiro Mo-ne as a constant source of cuteness, playfulness and entertainment through the stressful times.

My guide and mentor Ar.Mridula Pillai Gudekar for her constant support, advice and encouragement, not just through this thesis but since the day I stepped foot in this college.

Ar.Anuj Gudekar for all the laughs, sarcasm and support through the design studios.

Ar.Sachin Vedak for being a friend more than a faculty.

All my faculties at L.S.Raheja School of Architecture, Ar. Arvind Khanolkar sir, Ar.Mandar Parab, Ar. Meghana Patil, Ar. Anmol Warang, Ar.Neeta Sarode, Ar.Shraddha Geevith, Ar.Arun Fizardo, Ar. Sachin Prabhu for teaching me everything that I know today.

My Ahilyabai gang, Shouvik Maiti and Purti Hardikar for all the gossips, parties, competitions, trips and trips (pun intended), Goa and North-East adventures. My gang Namita Chandrashekar, Karen D’Mello, Shruti Simpi, Esha Shetty, Sneha Chandiramani, Sharmin Wade, Ishant Ghai and Manan Lakhani for the fun, drinks, outings and memories. Badde logg Ashwini Gawli and Abhishek Ajwani for being my lifeline during the internship in Goa. Swati Balasubramanian, Abhinavv Singh for being the most friendly and helpful seniors, to all the parties and drinking we had. Anshika Srivastava and Rucha Phadke for making a memorable trip before thesis possible. My whole 2016-17 NASA crew for the support, teamwork that won us the trophies. My cousin Divyesh Fatarpekar for being the most positive source of encouragement and entertainment through Chelsea- Football-Food.

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour

ARCHITECTURE FOR THE DECEASED: RE-DEFINING SPACES OF FINAL HONOUR

ADHIRAJ CHANDARKANT GORULE L.S.RAHEJA SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE FIFTH YEAR B.ARCH (2018 - 2019)

Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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ABSTRACT: A DIALOGUE ON DEATH Humans are constantly plagued by the thought of their mortality. We avoid addressing it in any form and physically steer away from spaces that signify death. As a child, I was always kept distant from death ceremonies or places for the dead. Even after reaching my adulthood, I was always told it was a tabooed and a morbid area to visit. Why do we fear it so intensely when it is a reality we all have to face? This is what sparked my eagerness to comprehend such places.

It was on the 28th of June, 2017, at the age of twenty-one, that I first experienced a death ceremony of a dearly close family member, my grandfather. I still remember my family and me taking the lifeless body on our shoulders, walking towards the crematorium with such desolation. The cremation took place at Chandanwadi Crematorium, Marine Lines, Mumbai.

The structure was dilapidated with very basic and ill-maintained facilities. As a final year architecture student and my ability to percieve the importance of quality of space, seeing a final physical memory of a close person in such an ill-environment compounded the grief.

The spatial character neither seemed to respect the final memory of a human body nor comfort the family of the deceased in such despair. The whole experience of the ceremony conducted was something which later made me contemplate the spatial and architectural character related to parting ways with a deceased in India. Can architecture honour the deceased for a final time? Can it help a person overcome grief and provide him solace over making him wallow in it?

The diversity and cultural contrast span across our city fabric. Each community has its own specifics of final rites performed for the deceased which have been adapted and reshaped over time, considering the environmental and cultural changes in the society. These structures encourage the addressal of issues of mortality. But can it be a place that mitigates fear, instead facilitating celebration of life over death? Can architecture make it a symbol of life and not just death?

LINK: Death – Space – History – Architecture – process – sustainable ways of disposal – secular solutions – the act of remembrance – memory – solace – celebrating death – experience – the utopian idea of death architecture.

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AIM OF THE PROJECT This thesis begins with an intent to honour the body of the departed for a final time and understand the value of emotions in terms of built form and its perception. It focuses on studying and analysing the relation between the death processes, environment and the city to navigate the changing role of religion in modern society. It then explores a whole utopian perspective of architecture related to spaces for dead, considering the diverse communities prevailing in a metropolis.

OBJECTIVES The concept of parting with the dead brings in a lot of cultural, sociological, religious and environmental aspects, which lead to various expositions. Considering these aspects, the framework under which the aims of the project are to be achieved are as follows : 

To understand the current scenario of spaces for the dead in a city.



To understand the rituals and ceremonies performed for the deceased through the culture of various communities and to analyse the changing role of traditions through time and place.

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To explore upcoming singular method of disposing of a body that can qualify as sustainable and that could possibly be accepted in the Indian context. Then enhancing its experience through architecture, thus mitigating the obsolete methods and giving the inclined people a new direction towards more efficient death processes.

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To rethink the form architecture assumes to honour the departed body and console the family.

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To redefine the relationship between a city and its architecture for the dead, by redefining the experience of death funeral as a final act of remembrance and transforming it into a landscape of memories.

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To shift the public perception of these structures from morbid spaces to peaceful landscapes.



To explore the idea of amalgamating the aspect of memory and public space with architecture for the dead, while determining feasibility for the same.

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Final death rituals are based on sociological, cultural, anthropological and spiritual standpoints. The entire dissertation can be broadly divided into six section as follows:

The study of history of death processes – Death occurs with the existence of life. Each living organism encounters death at some point in time, and therefore it has been dealt from the very start of life existence. This section deals with the analysis of how death has been dealt with in different ways in various regions of the world, adapting and evolving from the past to the present.

The study of the process of death rituals – The diverse religions in India follow their dictated process of conducting the whole death ritual for the deceased. A set of religious procedures is followed between an individual being declared dead to disposing of the body. The study of these numerous processes becomes very necessary before finding solutions for secular death spaces.

The study of rules and regulations – The Government of India have enforced a set of policies, rules and regulations that need to be critically analysed before designing.

The study of ways of disposal of a body – After the religious procedures followed, the final step is to dispose of the dead body again differs between religions and castes. The pros and cons of each method needs to be analysed and discussed.

The study of the current scenario in India – This section revolves around the present scenario of the ways and process followed in India and the issues faced by the users, public realm and employees due to the infrastructure of these spaces.

The study of relation between death processes and environment – Understanding the effects of different death processes on the environment and finding solutions through modern technology and designs towards a sustainable approach.

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour

NECESSITY OF RESEARCH Every living species has to go through this final stage of life. As we have progressed our way through technology, urban development and metropolitan lifestyle, these spaces for the architecture of the dead have gotten masked into the backdrop of the city. These structures have lost their significance and architecture and functionality to the urban crisis of a metropolitan city. Various reasons together have led to the downgrade of these structures.

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Large population leading to space crunch in a city.

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Exorbitant land prices.

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Public notion of structures being a “social taboo”.

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Environmental hazards caused to the context by ways of disposal of a body.

These spaces for casting-off of a deceased body have been pushed into the darkest corners of a city. The ones that exist have lost their spatial and experiential quality and lie down as neglected, dilapidated structures merely existing as unpleasant cramped spaces. According to the Census of India 2011, Metropolitan cities like Mumbai and Delhi resides a population of around 1.9 crores. As per the report prepared by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics (Increase in death rate & infant mortality rate in Delhi, 2016), the death rate in Delhi worked out to 6.82 per thousand population during 2015 as against 6.77 during 2014 while the infant mortality rate was recorded at 23.25 per thousand live births in 2015 as compared to 21.66 in 2014. Delhi and Mumbai face at least 250 deaths per day for which the quantity and quality of space is hardly adequate. Considering these prevailing problems faced by a metropolis for the disposal of departed bodies, the coming future holds an even more severe degrade of these structures. Wood is a primary natural resource used for cremation, which can no longer be used indiscriminately as it was before. The source of wood is obtained through felling of forests, and burning escalates the existing high alert pollution levels. Other practices like burial, sea disposal and excarnation add up to the problems of space crunch, water pollution and harm to the surrounding ecosystem respectively. Can death processes be evolved and enhanced through architecture to reduce the environmental impact it causes? Will we be left with enough space in the near future to carry out these rituals for casting off the dead effectively? Which method can possibly be the best sustainable solution for efficient disposal of a deceased body?

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour

LIMITATIONS AND CONSTRAINTS The study involves some cultural and religious aspects of tradition, such as the procedure of rituals, ways of disposing of a body and beliefs on death. This brings in the factor of uncertainty of solutions.

The concept of death is multifaceted, resulting in the outcome of contrasting ideals and interpretations of death rituals of a deceased.

The memory of a deceased through object/ architecture is not widely inspected in the Hindu context which is the dominant religion of India.

The study deals on a very modern idea of disposal of a body which considers essential factors like environmental hazards and secularism. Due to lack of such existing planned structures in India, the study will have to rely on secondary sources of data.

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour

LIST OF CASE STUDIES 1. Ashwinikumar Ghat Surat, Gujarat: Designed by Matharoo Associates in year 2000 The Ashwinikumar Crematorium is located at the banks of River Tapi in Surat. The site has great mythological references, and the crematorium has been designed with the intent of rearticulating the essential identity of the crematorium in the context of its urban setting. The project not only attempts to find a valid architectural expression for a crematorium in an urban context but also attempts to navigate the changing role of religion in modern society.

Although it connects ritually to Hinduism, the building is designed secular in nature, open to all, irrespective of religious beliefs.

2. Mahaprasthanam Smashan Bhoomi, Hyderabad: Designed by DA Studios in 2000 The site is located on the sloping and natural landscapes of Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad. It uses contextual topography of the land to create quality spaces and connect them to the surrounding. The functions serve all local religions of area and homes a crematorium as well as a graveyard. It is a relevant example of how death processes are interpreted into an architectural narrative.

4. Hofheide crematorium, Belgium: Designed by Shultes Frank Architecktenin year 1999 Studying the approach towards designing crematoriums abroad is necessary to navigate and compare designs for differing needs of people from place to place. The Hofheide crematorium designs multifunctional spaces for all communities within an intriguing natural setting of grasslands. The structure tries to respond to the context to create peaceful ambience for the mourners.

5. Treptow crematorium, Berlin: Designed by RCR Arquitectes (Pritzker winner 2017) in 2013 The study is to understand the translation of poem interpretation into architectural narratives. The design approach is monumental where the architect tries to recreate the lost identity of death architecture. The architect’s imagination of transition from life to death has been abstracted into spaces

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour

ORGANISATION OF RESEARCH The thesis to efficiently explain the aim, objectives and justification of the dissertation has been divided into 5 chapters: CHAPTER 1 : The first chapter gives an introduction to the meaning of death in a scientific as well as philosophical context and provides an overview on the timeline, starting with the history of architecture of the dead and its significance in that context. The beliefs and understanding of the ancient civilisations in India had about the concept of death and understanding the adapting timeline of these processes.

The chapter then provides an overview of the current scenario of architecture for the dead in India. It discusses urban level issues of space areas, environmental impact and infrastructure, considering the present conditions and also determining problems to be faced in the future through statistics.

CHAPTER 2 : The second chapter provides an insight into the contrasting methods of disposing of a dead body followed through India’s diverse fabric. It comprises of comparative discussion of the death rituals followed by significant religions in India and it’s relation with environment.

CHAPTER 3 : The third chapter discusses various intangible aspects associated with a funeral like emotions, memory and grief and converting them into architectural expressions through experiential spaces and sensory architecture. It explains the significance the structure holds on a city’s macro level.

CHAPTER 4 : The fourth chapter analyses various case studies related to architecture for the dead to understand the standards of spaces and circulation and zoning required for a death procession. It also studies some of the relevant overseas designs to compare the quality of architecture for the dead prevailing globally.

CHAPTER 5 : The fifth chapter resides a study of a possible site for design intervention and justification for the selection of same. The design programmes to achieve the desired aims and objectives of the research are discussed.

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Table of Contents CERTIFICATE ..........................................................................................................................................1 DECLARATION ......................................................................................................................................2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .........................................................................................................................3 ABSTRACT: A DIALOGUE ON DEATH ..................................................................................................6 AIM OF THE PROJECT ...........................................................................................................................7 OBJECTIVES ...........................................................................................................................................7 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY................................................................................................................8 NECESSITY OF RESEARCH ....................................................................................................................9 LIMITATIONS AND CONSTRAINTS ......................................................................................................10 LIST OF CASE STUDIES .........................................................................................................................11 ORGANISATION OF RESEARCH .........................................................................................................12 TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………………………………………..14

Chapter 1: The Story of Death: Metamorphosis of Customs 1. INTRODUCTION TO DEATH ............................................................................................................21 1.1 What is Death? ........................................................................................................................21 1.2 The Death Philosophy .............................................................................................................24 1.3 Associated acts after Death .................................................................................................26 2. HISTORIC TIMELINE OF DEATH PRACTICES ...................................................................................31 2.1 Ancient India ...........................................................................................................................31 2.2 Propagation of New Cultures in India ..................................................................................33 2.3 Historical Association of Architecture with Death ..............................................................36 3. CURRENT SCENARIO IN INDIA .......................................................................................................38 3.1 Conditions in a Metropolis : A Lost Dignity in Death ..........................................................38 3.2 A Case of Unethical Departure’s : Chandanwadi Crematorium, Mumbai ...................42 3.3 Determining Future Conditions .............................................................................................45 4. INFERENCE: Adapting to Change ...............................................................................................50

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Chapter 2: Death in a Medley of Cultures 5. CURRENT METHODS FOR DISPOSAL OF A CORPSE ....................................................................52 5.1 CREMATION .............................................................................................................................53 5.2 EARTH BURIALS .........................................................................................................................57 5.3 DISPOSAL AT SEA .....................................................................................................................60 5.4 EXCARNATION .........................................................................................................................61 5.5 INFERENCE: ADJUST, ADAPT, EVOLVE ...................................................................................63 5.5.1 INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT 1 (Translated from Marathi to English) ..................................64 5.5.1 INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT 2 (Translated from Marathi to English) ..................................65 6. EMERGING METHODS FOR DISPOSING OF A HUMAN CORPSE ................................................68 6.1 Composting .............................................................................................................................69 6.1.1 Case Study: Urban Death Project by Katrina Spade ..................................................69 6.2 Solar Cremation ......................................................................................................................73 6.2.1 Case Study: Muni Seva Ashram at Vadodara, Gujarat ..............................................74 7. PROCESSES AND RITUALS OF MAJOR SECTS IN INDIA ..............................................................77 8. INTERPRETING “SUSTAINABILITY”…................................................................................................78 9. DEATH ARCHITECTURE FOR ANIMALS/ PETS ................................................................................80 9.1 Need for Animal/Pet Crematorium ......................................................................................80 9.1.1 NEWSPAPER ARTICLE: REST IN PEACE, PET .....................................................................81 9.2 Method of Disposal for Pets ...................................................................................................82 9.3 Case Study: The Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Pet Crematorium, Mumbai .......................83 9.4 Case Study: Paws to Heaven Pet Crematorium, South Delhi ...........................................85

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Chapter 3: Death, Emotion Architecture 10. DEATH’S ASSOCIATION WITH EMOTION, SENSES & SPACE .....................................................87 10.1 What is an Emotion? .............................................................................................................87 10.2 Architecture of Emotions .....................................................................................................89 10.3 Sensory Architecture ............................................................................................................96 10.4 Case Study for Multisensory Architecture – THERME VALS, SWITZERLAND .....................99 10.5 Emotions associated with a Funeral .................................................................................104 11. MEMORY AND ARCHITECTURE .................................................................................................105 11.1 Understanding Memory .....................................................................................................105 11.2 Cemetery vs Crematoria ...................................................................................................106 12. DEATH ARCHITECTURE AS A PUBLIC SPACE ............................................................................107

Chapter 4: Study of Death Architecture Designs 13. ASHWINIKUMAR GHAT CREMATORIUM, SURAT, INDIA ..........................................................109 13.1 Introduction .........................................................................................................................109 13.2 Site Context .........................................................................................................................110 13.3 Objective .............................................................................................................................111 13.4 Form and Concept .............................................................................................................111 13.5 Processional Axis .................................................................................................................113 13.6 Volume and Massing ..........................................................................................................116 13.7 Material expression .............................................................................................................117 13.8 Inference: .............................................................................................................................117 14. MAHAPRASTHANAM CREMATORIUM, HYDERABAD ..............................................................118 14.1 Introduction .........................................................................................................................118 14.2 Site Context .........................................................................................................................119 14.3 Concept ...............................................................................................................................119 14.4 Form ......................................................................................................................................120 14.5 Processional Axis .................................................................................................................122

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14.6 Volume and Massing ..........................................................................................................125 14.7 Material Expression .............................................................................................................125 14.8 Inference ..............................................................................................................................125 15. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CASE STUDIES ...........................................................................126 16. HOFHEIDE CREMATORIUM, HOLSBEEK, BELGIUM ...................................................................127 16.1 Introduction .........................................................................................................................127 16.2 Site Context .........................................................................................................................128 16.3 Concept ...............................................................................................................................129 16.4 Form ......................................................................................................................................129 16.5 Zoning and circulation .......................................................................................................131 16.6 Material expression .............................................................................................................132 16.7 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................................132 17. TREPTOW CREMATORIUM, HOLSBEEK, BELGIUM.....................................................................133 17.1 Introduction .........................................................................................................................133 17.2 Site Context .........................................................................................................................133 17.3 Concept ..............................................................................................................................134 17.4 Form and Volume ...............................................................................................................134 17.5 Material expression .............................................................................................................134 17.6 Zoning and circulation .......................................................................................................136 17.7 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................................137 18. INFERENCE: THE MISSING ASPECTS? .........................................................................................138

Chapter 5: Site Study and Design Intent 19. PARAMETERS FOR SITE SELECTION: ...........................................................................................141 20. WORLI CREMATORIUM, MAHALAXMI, MUMBAI .....................................................................143 20.1 Introduction .........................................................................................................................143 20.2 Site Context .........................................................................................................................143 20.3 User Profile ............................................................................................................................144 20.4 Issues on site .........................................................................................................................144

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20.4 Scope for selection .............................................................................................................145 21. OSHIWARA CREMATORIUM, ANDHERI, MUMBAI ....................................................................146 21.1 Introduction .........................................................................................................................146 21.2 Site Context .........................................................................................................................146 21.3 User Profile ............................................................................................................................147 21.4 Issues on site .........................................................................................................................147 21.5 Scope for selection .............................................................................................................147 22. THANE MULTI-FAITH CREMATORIUM, THANE (PROPOSAL) ....................................................148 23. DESIGN INTENT AND INTERVENTION .........................................................................................150 I.

TABLE OF FIGURES .....................................................................................................................151

II.

BIBLIOGRAPHY ...........................................................................................................................156

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour

CHAPTER 1

The Story Of Death Metamorphosis of Customs

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour

1. INTRODUCTION TO DEATH 1.1 What is Death?

Mortality is a universal phenomenon, an ultimate reality of life. Its existence is one of the defining characteristics of what it means to live, yet dialogue on that matter is often avoided.

Each living organism has a specific range of lifespan, after which it is subjected to natural death. “Everyone and everything has to die.� Death is inevitable. (D. Gardiner, 2012) A scientific definition of death is, the irreversible cessation of organismic functioning and human death as the irreversible loss of personhood, as manifested in humans by the loss of heartbeat, the absence of spontaneous breathing and brain death.

(BJA: British Journal of Anaesthesia, 2012) Bereft of life, the dead body of a living organism is called a corpse. In most cases, the corpses begin to decay shortly after death due to the process of decomposition. The organic breakdown of the corpse starts giving out a very pungent smell into the environment.

Depending on the cause of death, inappropriate disposal of a corpse may lead to environmental contamination like spreading of diseases due to the release of toxic byproducts of chemical reactions. Therefore It becomes essential to dispose of a corpse efficiently. The causes of death in human biengs are listed as preventable and nonpreventable deaths. (Roser, 2018) 1. Senescence: Biological aging refers to a scenario wherein a living being survives all calamities but eventually dies due to natural causes relating to old age. All organisms who survive external hazards eventually die due to biological ageing. It is a nonpreventable type of death. The range of period for senescence differs Figure 1 Total number of deaths in the world with causes (OurWorldinData - Causes of death)

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between

organism

every

living

(Gil, 2017)

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2. Infectious Diseases: infection Diseases refer to the invasion of body tissues by external toxic infections resulting in illness. The leading cause in developing countries are deaths due to heart diseases, cancer and other diseases related to obesity and ageing. In case of some diseases, the method of disposal of the corpse become very consequential to prevent its transmission into the atmosphere.

3. Natural Calamities: These refer to adverse events resulting from natural phenomenon.

These include earthquakes, floods, tsunami, hurricanes, etc. These cause a large number of deaths depending on the severity. There have been examples where entire civilisations have been terminated due to natural calamities. The life damage caused by it becomes a substantial part of the story of the affected area. Death is dealt on a very large scale of identified and unidentified corpses where sometimes its difficult to dispose of the corpses efficiently. (Roser, 2018) 4. Accidents: It refers to the unplanned, undesirable and incidental event leading to the death of a body, which may have been prevented had the conditions leading to the accident been recognized. These account to transport related mishaps, sports injuries, work and house accidents, etc. Sometimes the corpses retrieved after accidents remain unidentified. These bodies are kept in mortuaries till a specific given period of investigation and then disposed of by the government officials (mostly by cremation) if yet not recognized.

Figure 2 Percentage share of various accidental deaths during 2013 in India (SAP)

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5. Man-made Disasters: These include deaths due to human-caused hazards like radioactive nuclear destruction, wars, terrorist attacks, criminality. These result in unplanned, undesirable loss to a large number of innocent lives which could have been prevented. These result in mass disposal of identified and unidentified corpses resulting from disasters.

Other infrequent causes of death include suicide, capital punishment, euthanasia, sacrifices, etc. (Roser, 2018)

Figure 3 Natural and Unnatural causes of deaths in India (Indpaedia)

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Figure 4 Leading global causes of death

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1.2 The Death Philosophy Apart from the biological understanding of death, human beings have been trying to interpret the different aspects of deaths since the known existence of life. The concept of death of a physical body and after death remains very philosophical, with theories leading to the formation of various dogmas of understanding and beliefs regarding birth, death, afterlife, death processes, rituals, etc. which are followed by the convinced communities.

This gave rise to doctrines which have its own philosophy of creed governing the set of final rites performed for disposing of a dead body.

Some definitions of death by famous philosophers: [Death], “Is this something that the separation of the soul from the body? It died when the body is separate from the soul remains alone, apart, with himself, and when the soul, separated from the body, left alone, apart, with itself “…

– Plato

“Death, if we want to name and this unreality, is the most dangerous thing […]. This is not the life that recoils in horror at the death and preserves pure destruction, but life is death, and remains even in death, which is the life of the mind. ” – Hegel “This means that one end by the death does not mean, for human reality, being-in-mypurpose be-finished, it means the end for a being who is the being that exists. Death is a way of being human reality that assumes, as it is: When a human comes to life, it is already old enough to die. ” – Sartre (DEATH: PHILOSOPHY DEFINITIONS, 2008) Even after much research by philosophers and other experts, there's still no solid basis to these theories and therefore individuals follow the death beliefs they have been accustomed through their community. These philosophical understandings have lead to some common beliefs on death and soul which include the set of birth, death and afterlife, reincarnation, redemption, good deeds and sins, though some believe in nihilism. Two of the greatest existential thinkers- Martin Heidigger and Kart Jespers explained their thoughts about death.

(Death, Faith & Existentialism, 2000)

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HEIDEGGER’S ANALYSIS OF DEATH According to Martin Heidegger, death demonstrates that there is no hope in becoming what we are essentially because we eventually cease to exist in physical form. He thought that we should not place hope for our eternal existence in our accomplishments of life.

Accomplishments in life, according to Heidegger, have no effect on one’s assurance of an existence after death. This awareness

can

cause an individual to become fearful

and anxious since many people judge the value of their lives, and their expectations of life after death, by what they have accomplished and how we are remembered.

Heidegger's perspective supports two of the common themes of the fear of death, that is, that death is a threat to the meaningfulness of life and to the realization of one's goals in life.

Tomer (1992) states, Heidegger's position implies that death is on one hand a threat of nonexistence. On the other hand, according to Heidegger, a realization of our future nonexistence is a precondition of a fuller understanding of our life and, eventually, a precondition for freeing ourselves from anxiety. The fear of death can, therefore, be reduced by the acknowledgement of our eventual nonexistence and the acceptance of death's inevitability. (Philosophical, Psychological & Spiritual, 2006) KARL JASPER’S ANALYSIS OF DEATH Jaspers says that when the death of a loved person occurs life may become a lonely worldly existence for the one who stays behind. The grief and pain we feel lead us to hopelessness and may take us into the boundary situation of death. Although death destroys the loved one phenomenally, existential communication is preserved, it is eternal.

Jaspers goes on to say that human beings understand the inevitability of their future deaths and the concept of nonbeing. Man thinks that as long as he is alive he cannot experience his own death, and once he ceases to be alive he cannot experience it either. So, the experience of one’s own death seems an impossibility. As a result, he does not perceive death as a cause for concern.

(Death, Faith & Existentialism, 2000)

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1.3 Associated acts after Death Death refers to the permanent termination of life-sustaining processes in an organism, i.e. when all biological systems of a human being cease to operate. Once a person is declared dead, there are a specific set of portals that the deceased and his family/ closed ones go through, which are discussed below:

Figure 5 Tangible and Intangible aspects of Death (Alamy Graphics)

Legal Aspects – The legal process commences with the declaration of death by the medical authorities at the place of occurrence. The certification by the medical authorities is necessary for the subsequent steps in this process. Proper documentation of the death event is required to ascertain the cause, time of death and such other details necessary to obtain the death certificate. In case of accidents or murders, post mortems are conducted. The process to obtain the certificate is relatively easy to obtain in a hospital than in any other place such as home, public or private spaces, wherein the medical authorities need to be called to determine the details of the death. This certification is very important for further processes of the death ceremony, it is a proof of death and is required by the administration to facilitate the process of disposal of the body at the respective organisation.

(I-2 Medico-Legal Aspects of Death)

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Rite of Religious Passage – Every individual believes in some faith that rules the process existing between the declaration of death and preparation to the disposal of physical remains. Therefore most dead bodies move through a religious portal which dictates the specifics of the procedure. Once a person is pronounced dead, its final rituals then belong to the family/ close ones of the deceased. It differs between individuals about how and which segments of these customs need to be reformed in order to carry out the best possible way of disposition of the remains while considering the cultural, financial and religious background of the deceased.

Figure 6 Intangible aspects of emotions attached with death (Alamy Graphics)

Grief and Mourning – Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss. With the loss of a someone's close one, the bereaved not only goes through the emotional response of loss but it also has physical, behavioural, social and philosophical dimension. The response to loss varies upon the degree of attachment with the deceased. Mourning is the process of expression of sorrow related to a person’s death. The customs of mourning again vary between different cultures and evolve over time, though many core behaviours remain constant. These cultural dogmas dictate a diverse process of mourning which includes the specifics of the clothing code, the act of remembrance, and ways of expression of desolation. (Boston, n.d.)

Disposal of Remains – Disposition of human corpses is a practice of efficient dealing with the remains of a dead body to mitigate the sanitation and public health risk the emission of foul odour and body decay causes to the environment. After the fulfilment of the last offices and before the onset of significant biological decay, the bereaved arrange for ritualistic disposal of the corpse. The deceased body needs to be cast off as sooner as possible after the declaration of death. There are different methods used to dispose of the remains of the dead, the broad terminologies of these methods are discussed below: (Infoqueenbee, 2015)

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Figure 7 The Stages of Decomposition of a Corpse (Pintrest)

1. Destruction – There are various sub-methods of destroying human remains, depending on religious or spiritual beliefs, and upon practical necessity. These methods vary vastly in the duration taken to dispose of the body, from immediate destruction through elements like fire, excarnation and chemicals. to gradual destruction which may take years through decomposition. These methods can be further divided into commonly and less commonly practiced methods: COMMONLY PRACTISED METHODS : 

Inhumation – Burials of the entire body beneath the ground/ earth, often in coffins or shrouds. This method is comparatively slow due to the duration taken by a corpse to decompose completely.



Immurement – It is a repository of the remains of a corpse in any structurally enclosed interment space above the ground level. Similar to burials its slower process of disposition. The structures of above ground storage are called as tombs, mausoleums and crypts.

(Infoqueenbee, 2015)

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour



Cremation – The fastest way of disposing of a body is through cremation, it completely burns the soft tissues and delivers most of the skeletal structure to ashes. These ashes are mostly stored in an urn which is then sometimes scattered on land or water.

Figure 8 Mass Graves / Plague Pits (Wikipediam)

Figure 9 Illustration of Sky Burials in Ancient Times (Nexus News)

LESS COMMONLY PRACTISED METHODS : 

Disposal through Exposure – Most traditional examples are the Parsi Tower of Silence, where the corpses are exposed to be scavenger birds (usually vultures) and the Sky Burials in Tibet where the corpse is placed on a high mountaintop to decompose while exposed to the natural elements or to be consumed by carrier birds/animals.



Burial at Sea – A form of burial often used in a Navy context, where the body is suitably prepared and weighted with an object to be disposed of underwater. In case of ship burials, the corpse is laid on a boat and set adrift into the water body.



Dissolution of the corpse with the use of acids or solution of lye, succeeded by disposition as a liquid.



Body Bequest – is the anatomical donation of the whole body after death to an organisation for education and research.



In case of wars, natural disasters including epidemics and genocides, large groups of affected corpses have been buried in plague pits and mass graves. These mostly occur due to the breakdown of social infrastructure which would disable efficient method of disposing of the remains.



Rituals like cannibalism.



Dismemberment, where the body parts are dealt with separately to use as relics.

(Infoqueenbee, 2015)

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2. Preservation – Though infrequent in the current scenario, this method was quite conventional in some regions of the world in ancient times. The bodies were preserved for years to come due by treating the corpse in a process to prevent the action of decomposition of the body. There are different methods of preserving corpses: 

Mummification – is the process of preserving a corpse through intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, very low humidity, extreme cold or lack of air supply. Mummies of humans and other animals have been found preserved on every continent, both as a result of intentional retention of the corpse as cultural artefacts and also as accidental natural preservation through unusual conditions. The most wellknown examples of intentional mummification are from Ancient Egypt and area around Africa and Asia, where the dry climate benefited the process of mummification circulation which prevents the decaying of the dead body.



Cryopreservation – is a process where organelles, cells, tissues, organs or any other biological components which are susceptible to damage after death are preserved by cooling at very low temperatures. (typically −80 °C using solid carbon dioxide or −196 °C using liquid nitrogen). These low temperatures prevent any bacterial decay activity in the body.

(List of Different Types of Disposal of Dead Bodies / Corpses in India, 2015)

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2. HISTORIC TIMELINE OF DEATH PRACTICES 2.1 Ancient India In ancient periods, the tribes in India were known to practise endocannibalism. The ancient tribes were also known to bury their deceased in burial mounds called barrows, containing physical remains and other embellishments. Neolithic Pastoralists inhabiting in the Indus Valley buried the dead in a manner suggestive of spiritual practices that incorporated notions of an afterlife. (Asian Funeral History, 2017) VEDIC PERIOD – The predominant religion in early India was Hinduism. Its roots can be traced back to the Vedic period, with its origin in parts near Northern parts of current India. The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age Civilization (3300-1300 BCE). It was during this period that cremation is first attested in the Cemetry H Block ( from c. 1900 BCE ), which is considered to be the formative stage of the Vedic Civilization. The Rigveda refers to cremation, in the 10th Mandala, 15th hymn and 14th verse, where it invokes the Figure 10 Burial practiced in Early Harappan Period (ResearchGate)

ancestors

who

(agnidagdhá-) (ánagnidagdha-)". In

are "both and the

cremated uncremated

Cemetery

H

culture, bodies were burnt, and bones were placed in burial urns, the contrasting part that lies is that in early Indus Valley Civilization, people buried the dead in wooden coffins.

(Source, Cremation History, 2017) Figure 11 Urns containing cremated ashes retrieved from Cemetery H Block (Wikipedia)

The Cemetery H culture came in the later phase of Indus Valley, and it gave credence

to the theory, that there was a change in the settlement pattern of earlier Harappan Civilizations. Some nineteenth-century writers claimed that cremation originated in India, with the “Aryans” or their non-“Aryan” predecessors. Originating at a time when India was still Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour

heavily forested, cremation may also have been environmentally more appropriate and sustainable than, for instance, the mummification practised in the dry desert air of ancient Egypt.

The probable reason for the shift from burial to cremation is because ancient India being predominantly known as an agricultural society, there was a belief that bodies rotting in the soil, would render it infertile. People preferred to dispose of the dead bodies immediately and also due to the core Hindu belief, that death liberates the soul from the body, and it is indestructible. Therefore burning the corpse, would help in detaching the soul, from the body, and help it in moving to the next destination. (Source, Cremation History, 2017) The latter formation of Vedas and growth of Hinduism as a fusion of various existing Indian cultures and traditions made cremation the major method followed in India for disposition of the deceased. The ancient Indian culture worshipped natural elements like water (in the form of rivers and lakes) and fire in the form of deities which made them a major part of religious death ceremonies. It gave rise to the practice of containing the ashes/ burnt remains in urns or pots to be later disposed of into the Hindu holy rivers like Ganga and Yamuna.

Jainism and Buddhism also originate from India, the method of cremation followed was similar

to

that

of

Hinduism

with

some

difference in the funerary processes during the disposition of the dead. These religions not Figure 12 Illustration of traditional cremation funerals influenced by the Vedic Texts (Facts and Details)

only allowed but prescribed cremation.

Cremation was practised from long in the

Indian subcontinent; the Vedic texts reinforced the practice further making it the dominant method followed for disposal of dead bodies since Ancient India.

(Source, Cremation History, 2017)

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2.2 Propagation of New Cultures in India The period from 1500 – 480 BCE was the time of advancement of Vedas; these texts contained some of the central philosophical concepts and ideas of Hinduism. Therefore Hinduism became the sole dominant leading faith followed in the Indian Subcontinent. The death practices followed in this period had shifted to cremation of dead bodies from the method of burials in cemetery followed by the Indus Valley civilization until their gradual desolation. After 480 BCE India experienced a miscellany of numerous cultures which either originated within the land or were propagated from outer lands through missionary activities, migration, refugee and invasion conquests. The diverse culture these faiths into a common ground lead to contrasting and continuously changing methods of death practices followed in the Indian Subcontinent. (The End-of-Life and Death in India, 2011) RISE OF SHARMANA RELIGION : Jainism and Buddhism are two of the most ancient religions originating within India, after Hinduism. The Sharmana religion too was influenced by the ancient scriptures of the Vedic Texts. The Upanishada’s, a part of the Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts whose central philosophy about the way of life and death is shared by Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The death practice followed by Jainism and Buddhism do not prescribe a precise method of disposing of a body, the body may be buried underground or cremated. The deceased is generally cremated, similar to the Hindu way of cremation due to the traditionally followed Indian culture. The death practice is distantly parallel to that of Hinduism due to the common belief in afterlife. The faiths differ in certain rituals and death proceedings carried out before the cremation, but the principle ideology remains parallel to that of Hinduism. Sikhism similar to these religions originating from the Indian subcontinent worked on a similar approach of death practices of cremation.

(The End-of-Life and Death in India, 2011)

ISLAMIC INFLUENCE : Islam arrived in India in the early 7th century with the advent of Arab Traders in the Malabar Coast of Kerala. Immigrant Arab and Persian trade communities from Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf began settling into the coastal parts of Gujarat. Though the propagation of Islam had started taking shape through these areas of immigrant communities, it started to become a dominant religion in India after the Muslim Invasions from the North, resulting in a long Muslim Rule in the Indian subcontinent. The Islamic faith spread mostly under the Delhi Sultanate (1206 – 1526) and the Mughal Empire (1526 – 1858), greatly aided by the Sufi tradition.

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The funerary customs and method of disposal of the dead body followed by Islam significantly diversified from that appreciated by the traditional Indian culture. The deceased were predominantly buried into the earth or sometimes above the ground in the form of tombs and mausoleums.

The ideology of memorializing after death can often be seen through famous examples all over the world. The practice of retaining a person’s memory after death was executed in the form of architecture which lead to the construction of structures like Taj Mahal, Gol Gumbaz, Humayun's Tomb, which are regarded as architectural wonders in the current day world.

These monuments indirectly not only retain the person’s memory but still describe the culture, traditions and architecture followed during this period.

(Ancient and Medieval History of India, 2001)

Figure 13 Tomb of Sher Shah Suri in Sasaram, Bihar (left) and the Mahabat Maqbara Mausoleum of Bahaduddinbhai Hasainbhai, Junagadh (right)are great examples of Islamic architecture for the deceased (walkthroughindia.com)

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EUROPEAN INFLUENCE : Christianity was introduced to India by Thomas the Apostle, who supposedly landed in Kerala in 52 AD. The Catholic faith was definitely established in India by the 6th Century AD. Though the religion was settled by missionaries through conversion of religion on the shores borders of Kerala, it became a dominant religion after the rule and conquest by the British, Portuguese, Dutch and other European colonies in different sections of India. The European influence imparted a medley of cultures to existing religions in India and the culture and traditions they followed. The final passage of rites appreciated by the Catholic faith differed from the traditional Hindu context of cremation prevailing in India but was most adjacent to the Islamic ideologies due to the common origin of Abrahamic Culture.

The method of disposal of the dead was through underground burial of a body within a casket/ coffin. This method was conducted in burial grounds called cemeteries, which were mostly associated with churches and the final rites included a religious funeral attended by the closed ones. The burial place of the dead was memorialized in the form of a tombstone or an epitaph.

Various other religions entered and established in India on different scales, bringing in a set of tradition and culture for the final honour of the dead. The Zoroastrians conducted the method of excarnation, Judaism operated their cemeteries and many other religions leading to a diverse set of beliefs followed by people inhabiting on a common piece of land.

(Christianity in India, 2017)

Figure 14 Population divided as per the diverse religions in current India (Quora)

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour

2.3 Historical Association of Architecture with Death Death is often represented in the form of architecture to honour the dead/ ancestors and as an act of remembrance. The portrayal of death through architecture is seen very prominently during the Muslim Rule in India between 1206 – 1858 AD. The association of architecture with death has lead to the erection of some very iconic structures, some great examples of architecture include the Taj Mahal, Gol Gumbaz, Humayans Tomb, Tomb of Sher Shah Suri and Tomb of Itimad-Ud-Daulah. Would we in the current time have known so prominently about the culture and architecture existing in that era without these honouring structures for the dead? The structures not only depict the dignity in death but how architecture can represent a states background. Even though these powerful civilizations perished over time, their structures for the dead exist to pass on their legacy and still continue to stand the test of time.

Immurement through tombs and mausoleums were built in many areas which covered the Muslim Rule, showcasing the architecture present during the time.

TAJ MAHAL AS A STRUCTURE FOR DEAD: The Taj Mahal is one of the current most known structure constructed to honour the dead. The great Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the

Taj

mausoleum

Mahal for

as his

a wife

Mumtaz Mahal in the year Figure 15 Isometric view off the structure showing architectural elements used to honour the dead during the Mughal Period.

1653. It not only represents the culture and traditions of

the time but is also the finest and most sophisticated architectural example of Mughal architecture.

The architecture of the extravagant structure depicts vital design elements used during the Mughal rule. The structure reflects the Mughal culture and lifestyle through it spaces.

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour

Paradise gardens: The concept of the paradise garden (charbagh) was brought from Persia by the Mughals which formed a key element in Indo-Islamic architecture. They were the first architectural expression the new empire made in the Indian sub-continent and fulfilled diverse functions with strong symbolic meanings. These were designed to act as a buffer and recreation spaces before the large volumes of the structure for the dead.

Mausolea: The favoured form of both Mughal garden pavilions and mausolea (seen as a funerary form of a pavilion). These were a square or rectangular planned buildings with a central domed chamber containing the primary tombs, surrounded by eight elements. The structures are often topped with chhatris (small pillared pavilions) at each corner. The eight divisions and frequent octagonal forms of such structures represent the eight levels of paradise for Muslims.

Minarets: Minarets did not become a common element of Mughal architecture until the 17th century, particularly under the rule of Shah Jahan. Their increasing use was influenced the construction The Taj Mahal. The minaret is a tall, slender tower; it is surrounded by one or more projecting galleries from where the muezzin, the person who chants the call for prayer, announces the prayer to worshippers and pays their respect to the dead.

Figure 16 Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahals Tomb

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3. CURRENT SCENARIO IN INDIA 3.1 Conditions in a Metropolis : A Lost Dignity in Death According to the Merian Webster Dictionary, a metropolis is a chief/capital city of a country, state or region. It is regarded as a centre of a specified activity, an industrial, financial, administrative metropolis. Cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore can be regarded as the major metropolitan cities of present-day India. They serve as a hub for necessary functioning attributes of the country. These cities have been a subject of continuously changing human interaction through the test of time. A hub of diverse religions, castes, culture, financial backgrounds and philosophy, it keeps transforming according to the necessity of the city. Being a metropolis, the various factors of change the cities are subjected to include migration, overpopulation, reshaping culture, change in the way of lifestyle and thinking mentality. This makes the environment in a metropolis comparatively flexible and adjustable to change.

Considering the above factors prevailing in a metropolitan in India, the architecture for the dead has been gradually deposed to a neglected existence. The state of these structures remain affected by many factors, and negligible attention is provided due to its social persona in the society.

Space Starvation : The availability of land in metropolitan cities in India is exceptionally scarce. The increasing population due to migration and other factors results in higher average deaths per year, which poses pressure on the appropriate use of land for death practices and other functions. Structures for

dead

require

large

spaces

to

function efficiently, especially in the Figure 17 Mumbai, India ranking second in world’s most dense urban areas in 2012 (reddit)

case of cemeteries where these places cater to the burial of a large number of

deaths each day. Maintaining enough space with a limited surface area for burial becomes tough, while also considering the slow decomposition of the body in burials. This has induced the Inefficient practice of disposal of dead bodies in a metropolis.

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour

Environmental Concerns : The environmental threat that the current structures pose at the surrounding context remain hazardous. The extent of the effects varies from a macro to micro level, depending on the diverse methods of disposal of a body followed by the user. The existing structures affect the environment in many ways: 

Air Pollution – The emission of harmful gases from the cremation of bodies pollutes the environment. On an average 400Kgs of C02 per body into our atmosphere. Cremation also boils off heavy metals and toxic compounds such as mercury (from dental fillings) and toxins accumulated by a person over their lifetime. Cremation emissions include greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, pollutants and carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and sulphur oxide; as well as volatile acids such as hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride. (NDC, 2010) Emissions which are treated and filtered before being released into the environment have the scope to reduce its impact by a large scale.

Figure 18 India ranking second globally, behind China in deaths due to air pollution 2013 (BoilingWok)

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour



Visual Degrade – The design of these

structures do not consider the context of the site. In a metropolis, residents and commercial building around a structure for dead endure the visual outcome of the disposal process executed at the place. Constant visual connection to activities like cremation burial and Parsi Tower of Silence, make the people accessing the places near the structure Figure 19 Harmful Mercury Emissions for every 400 cremations (Wordpress)

displeased. Designing with consideration of the context can help design a visual barrier which benefits both the parties involved, to carry out their activities efficiently. 

Deforestation – A traditional Hindu

funeral pyre takes six to eight hours and burns 500–600 kilogrammes (1,102–1,323 pounds) of wood to burn a body completely. Every year fifty to sixty million Figure 20 Majority of the 35 flats from Rocky Hill Towers in Malabar Hill overlook the Banganga crematorium.

Source: Rocky Hill Towers near Banganga, meant for top bureaucrats, is ready but there are no takers for houses with a view of the crematorium

trees

are

cut

and

burned

during

cremations in India, which results in about eight million tonnes of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gas emissions. Providing an

opportunity to the bereaved for sustainable ways of disposal through new technolgies will help mitigate the use of wood in cremation completely. 

Water Pollution – The briefly used process of disposal of ashes after cremation into holy water bodies, mostly rivers like Ganga and Yamuna, resulting in degradation of river purity. The ashes are generally disposed with other ceremony related elements such as flower garlands, mud lamps with oil, food etc which result in contamination of these holy rivers.

(Polluted waters, deforestation complicate India's cremation rituals, 2013)

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour

Figure 21 Wood warehouse at Nigambodh (Author) Figure 22 Cremations at the water edge of holy Ganga river

Unpleasant Atmosphere : The spatial quality of the architecture existing in structures for dead is profoundly poor, and the structure that exists are ill-maintained. A structure for the dead is considered to be a place of final respect to the physical body of a person, where the architecture that needs to be followed is required to be aesthetic and peaceful for the user.

The architecture of the dead has the potential to be the identity of a city. Due to the nature of the function, these structures are unappreciated and are thrown back into the darkest corners of a metropolis. These unmaintained structures therefore sometimes become a grazing ground for dogs and illegal activities. (मृ त्यूशय्येवर असणारी पाटणची स्मशानभू मी नक्की कोणासाठी?, 2018)

Figure 23 The spaces in crematorium in Satara District, Maharashtra Source: Pudhari newpaper article: मृ त्यूशय्येवर असणारी पाटणची स्मशानभूमी नक्की कोणासाठी?

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Architecture for the Deceased: Re-defining spaces of Final Honour

3.2 A Case of Unethical Departure’s : Chandanwadi Crematorium, Mumbai

Where do we take our dead?

BMC runs 64 cemeteries and crematoria in the city, most of which are unsightly, thanks to filth, overgrown vegetation and unrestricted access for locals, many of whom drink and gamble there.

-

The Indian Express Newspaper, February 26, 2014

Figure 24 Hindu Smashan Bhoomi, Worli (The Indian Express)

‘Chandanwadi crematorium ‘severely damaged.’

-

Mumbai Mirror Newspaper, December 4, 2017 -

Colaba locals slam BMC for shabby Chandanwadi crematorium -

DNA Newspaper, July 8, 2016

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Located in the Marine Lines, Mumbai: the Chandanwadi Crematorium caters to all sections – rich to indigent residents of Southern Mumbai. The four-acre land has a section for cremation that runs of electricity and another section providing the traditional method of cremation through the wood. The site also compounds a burial site for Muslims (Kabristan).

The user profile varies in many aspects due to the economic, historical and cultural diversity existing in the Southern part of Mumbai.

According

to

members

of Colaba

ALM and

citizens’

group, My Dream Colaba, the entire property is in a shambles.

The

structure

remains

dilapidated due to frequent structural fractures. A portion of the slab had been collapsed in August 2017, and there have been incidents of power failures stretching to hours. A structural audit done in October 2017 by Figure 25 Prayer Hall at Chandanwadi Crematorium, Marine Lines (Mumbai Mirror Newpaper)

a BMC-appointed auditor has termed the structure ‘severely

damaged.’ The auditor had recommended for the crematorium’s northern part be pulled down and reconstructed while the southern part, including furnace building, to be repaired.

The prayer hall and offices were to be kept shut causing inconvenience to the mourners.

“Why is it taking so long to act? The entire building needs repairs and the BMC should do those immediately before mourners suffer any injury,” said Renu Kapoor, member of My Dream Colaba.

(Chandanwadi crematorium ‘severely damaged’, 2017) The BMC had shut a prayer hall where the slab fell and the office shut since August 2017 to prevent any mishap. “Yes, but because of that, people do not have a place to pray. Several dignitaries who come here have had to wait in the passage as the hall was shut. The least they can do is start work immediately. It has been more than a month,” said Cynthia D’Mello of MDC. D'Mello also demanded that the crematorium's capacity be increased with better infrastructure. "They should look at reconstructing it entirely,” she said.

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The entrances and the transition through the dilapidated and unfavourable spaces in the structure have left the mourners displeased.

"I had to literally tip-toe to dodge the cow dung outside the Chandanwadi crematorium.

Doesn't one have the right to mourn in peace?" exclaimed Renu Kapoor, an active member of the Colaba Advanced Locality Management (CALM), who has written an online letter to the C ward department, complaining about the pathetic condition of the Marine Linesbased facility.

Talking about her experience at Chandanwadi, Kapoor said, "I had gone there to conduct the last rites for a close relative. We could see women grazing their cows around a broken gate. The inside of the crematorium was even worse. The place was unkempt, with bottles, flowers and food thrown around. Benches had grease on them, and there was no shaded spot to take shelter during rains."

Sunil Paldal, who had a similar experience at the crematorium, said, “I felt sorry to see that our relatives were going to be cremated amid all the filth and stink.�

(Colaba locals slam BMC for shabby Chandanwadi crematorium, 2016)

Figure 26 Shivaji Park Crematorium, Dadar, Mumbai (Mid-Day.com)

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3.3 Determining Future Conditions The gradually increasing human disturbance caused over the natural resources has caused an effect of environmental degradation. Environmental degradation is a process through which the natural environment is compromised in some way, reducing biological diversity and the general health of the environment. This process can be entirely natural in origin, or it can be accelerated or completely caused by human activities. It is defined as a process wherein the natural environment of the planet is degenerated to such an extent, that the biodiversity and the general health of the planet are subjected to drastic reduction. The excessive exploitation of natural resources includes water, air, flora, fauna, land etc. Most of the resources on the planet are vulnerable to depletion. Exploitation of the fossil fuels is the best example of this phenomenon. Large-scale exploitation has depleted the fossil fuel reserves across the world, thus leaving with no option but to find an alternate source of energy. Other human activities which have been contributing to environmental degradation include urbanization, overpopulation, deforestation, pollution, hunting, etc. Prevalent Death practices in India have been adding up as a cause of the environmental degradation, due to numerous effects. The following effects can determine the future of death architecture in India: 1. Population Explosion - India is the second most populous country in the world after China.

Recently, the population of India has crossed the one billion marks. According to the Census of India 2001, the population of India on 1st March 2001 was 1027 million. At the time of independence, the country's population was 342 million. The number has multiplied threefold in around five decades The rural population of India has increased around two and half times from 298.7 million to 741.7 million during 1951-2001, whereas the urban population had grown 4.6 fold from 62.4 million in 1951 to 285.3 million in 2001. The decadal growth rates of the population are irregular, as it increased from 13.31 % in 1951 to 24.8 % in 1971. It declined to 24.7 % in 1981, 23.8 % in 1991 and 21.35 % in 2001.

(POPULATION GROWTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN INDIA, 2015) The rural decadal growth rate of the population varies from 8.79 % in 1951 to 17.97 % in 2001, whereas the urban decadal growth rate of the population varies from 41.43 % in 1951 to 31.11 % in 2001. There are various reasons for this variation in the trend of population growth rate in various censuses. The increase in population has been due to the improvement in health conditions and control of diseases.

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Figure 27 Projected statistics of increasing populations from 2015 to 2030 (Economic Intelligence Unit UNCTAD)

The rapid urban growth and development have resulted in the increase in the share of India’s urban population from 79 million in 1961 that was about 17.92 % of India’s total population to 388 million in 2011 that is 31.30 % of India’s total population. The population growth in major metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, etc is high due to factors like migration for job opportunities as an economic hub, better medical facilities and standard of living. Every life necessarily leads to ultimate death. In the coming future, the structures required to cater to the daily deaths resulting from prevailing high populations are accounted to be inadequate and inefficient. Overpopulated metropolitan cities are also subjected to sudden mass deaths due to terrorist attacks, accidents, epidemics, urban calamities etc. Such situations pose even higher pressure on the required structures for the disposal of the dead.

(Urban sprawl and its impact on landuse/land cover dynamics of Dehradun City, India, December 2017) 2. Land Pressure – The land pressure and population growth of an area are inter-dependent.

One important resource that often gets overlooked is pure space. The planet only has a limited surface area of land available. The ever-increasing population rate in Indian metropolitan cities puts high pressure on availability of land. The need for land for the use of residential, commercial, recreation and hospitality purposes inflates land costs. It adds pressure on availability of land, especially for unappreciated functions like disposal of the dead bodies. The scarce land that exists is unable to execute the process of disposal of bodies efficiently for such high populations of a metropolis.

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3. Pollution – According to the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) global air pollution database released in Geneva, India has 14 out of the 15 most polluted cities in the world in terms of PM 2.5 concentrations – the worst being Kanpur with PM 2.5 concentration of 173 micrograms per cubic meter, followed by Faridabad, Varanasi and Gaya. Other Indian cities which are registered with very high levels of PM2.5 pollutants are Delhi, Patna, Agra, Muzzafarpur, Srinagar, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur, followed by Ali Subah AlSaleem in Kuwait and a few cities in China and Mongolia. India’s financial capital Mumbai is the worlds fourth most polluted megacity. The period considered for the study was from 2010 - 2016. (India T. T., 2018) Some death practices are largely adding up to the causes of pollution for the environment decay caused in Indian cities. India being a country primarily populated by Hindu’s, the traditional method of wood cremation is most prominently used for disposal of human corpses. Each traditional cremation consumes nearly 900 pounds of wood; it also emits hazardous pollutants in the environment. Death processes produce half a million tonnes of ash and also releases 8 million tonnes (mt) of pollutants which increase the carbon footprint.

Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is considered to be the single most critical cause of the rise in global temperatures.

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Union Environment Ministry and the Delhi government to initiate programmes to provide alternative modes of cremation of human remains. A bench headed by Justice U. D. Salvi said there was a need to adopt environmentfriendly methods like electric crematoriums and use of CNG and change the “mindset of the people”.

(Shapiro, 2016)

4. Deforestation –Millions of acres of forest wood is chopped down to satisfy the high demand for the wood used in corpse disposal methods in India. The use of the wood in the methods vary in functionality as per the various death practices followed. The requirement of wood in the traditional method of cremation through wood increases the demand by a large scale.

To burn a body completely, it will take 400-500kg of wood, says Kalu Chaudhary, a bodyburner at the Harishchandra ghat in Varanasi. About 50-60 million trees, covering 1,500-2,000 sq. km of forest land, are cut every year to burn the dead in India, says Anshul Garg, director of Mokshda, a New Delhi-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that is developing a technology to make cremations more environment- friendly. Some parts of India are also affected by deforestation for the production of funerary objects like caskets and coffins.

(India’s cremated leave ashes, carbon footprint, 2008)

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Figure 28 An article from The Indian Express Newspaper : Not so HOLY SMOKE

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Figure 29 An article from The Indian Express explaining space scarcity problems faced by architecture for the dead. It determines future conditions.

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4. INFERENCE: Adapting to Change Since the development of human lifestyle from the Ancient civilizations till the Modern era, the death practices have experienced a significant and continuously occurring change in its customs, beliefs and processes. The progressing eras have led these practices to adapt and evolve as per the culture and needs of the times. Though the changes have occurred slowly, the generations have accepted and adapted to the reform by time.

Would the people of early ages in India have accepted or even envisioned the cremation of bodies in machines, without the use of traditional wood? The various effects of the traditional processes have lead the generation to come up with new methods with the use of modern technology to enable humanity to co-exist with the environment. In current times, a majority of people have started to opt for sustainable ways of disposal due to the “need of the hour�.

Some death practices have therefore wholly changed over time, whereas, some have just adjusted themselves according to the generations requirements and beliefs of sustainable living while keeping the principle idea of disposition intact. The continually occurring change in the practices reveals the adjustable nature of people with given time, in regards to culture and traditions.

Though the current generations have reached the peak development of technology, we have started experiencing just the beginning of upcoming environmental issues. The outcomes of the environmental disturbance pose a threat to the existence of life on earth, which is the reason co-existing with the earth becomes of utmost importance. Sustainable methods of disposal of remains can mitigate a significant number of causes of environmental degradation. The death practices followed in earlier periods did not face the environmental issues which are being faced currently. It has become a significant need for sustainable functioning of structures for the dead, where architecture can play an essential role in enhancing death practices and also mitigating its impact on the environment.

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CHAPTER 2

Death in a

Medley of Cultures

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5. CURRENT METHODS FOR DISPOSAL OF A CORPSE Disposal of human corpses is the practice and process of dealing with the remains of a deceased human being. The improper disposal of a human corpse poses both, a sanitation and a public health risk. The body gets decomposed in a two stage process: 

Rapid decay of soft tissues in the body.



Slow decomposition of bones (hard tissues), which remain intact for a prolonged period under certain circumstances.

India, unlike other homogeneous countries, is a culmination of many ethnic communities and traditions. Religions have originated within the country whose traditions then formed the common cultural base for ancient India. India is a known country of the oldest civilisation in the world where people of many ethnic groups live. Over the years, multiple communities from discrete parts of the world migrated in and out of the country to explore new lands, preaching of religion, trade, war, refuge, etc. Some communities settled into the land which created a racial diversity, setting a land of contrasting religious beliefs co-existing within a country.

Due to such heterogeneity, a city has spaces whose design caters only to the death rituals of the specific community. According to the beliefs of various religions existing in India, the following traditional methods of disposal of a body are primarily practised: 

Cremation



Burials: Encased Burials and Shroud Burials



Disposal At Sea



Excarnation

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5.1 CREMATION Cremation is the most commonly used method of disposing of a body in India, due to the dominant percentage of Hinduism. Cremation is the combustion, vaporization, and oxidation of cadavers to basic chemical compounds, such as gases, ashes and mineral fragments retaining the appearance of dry bone.

(Cremation Equipment Operator Training Program, 2006) Cremation dates from at least 20,000 years ago in the archaeological record, it’s the oldest form of known process of disposing of a body in India. Hinduism and Jainism are stern followers of cremation. The controlled use of fire was one of the most ancient and elementary technologies known to humans therefore fire is used as an imperfect instrument of purification and destruction of a human body. Traditional cremation is the process of reducing a body at very high temperatures until it is nothing but brittle, calcified bones. These are then processed into what we commonly call ashes. Returned to the family in a temporary urn (or a more personal urn selected by the family), these ashes can be kept, buried, or scattered. Cremation is predominantly carried out close to a water body, due to the sacred aspect of rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada are used for cremation purposes. Hindu’s till date follow these rituals. However the rituals have been adapted and transformed to cremate the body from a conventional way of wood pyre burning to the use of electric burners, due to the needs of the prevailing times.

(CORBELSOFT, 2017)

Figure 30 Traditional Woof Funeral Pyre at a river bank

Figure 31 Illustrations of cremation rituals bieng performed

(DailyMail)

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(Vigyanam.com)

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PROCESS OF CREMATION : ( "How Cremation Works", 2009)

Figure 32 The traditional wood cremation process

Source: Author

Temperature - Cremation uses extreme heat (the cremation temperature ranges from 1400 to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit) to reduce the human body from its familiar form to fragments of bone. In essence, then, the cremation process advances a natural process, that of decomposition; accomplishing in just a few hours what would have taken months or even years to occur. Today, the cremation process involves the use of very specialized equipment called a retort, which is basically a furnace fueled by either propane or natural gas.

Preparing the body for Cremation - Preparation include wrapping the body in a linen sheet and a type of plaster...then covered in herbs, spices, pine branches and flowers in an attempt to mask the scent during burning. Today, the individual's personal effects and surgical appliances (such as a pacemaker) are removed, and the body is then placed on the wooden pyre or the platform of electric burners. A metal identification tag is added, to ensure proper identification throughout the cremation process. Jewellery and ornaments are sometimes left on the body of the deceased as a mark of honour.

Duration for Cremation – An amount of 500-600 kg wood is required for the traditional funeral pyre. It usually takes about six to eight hours for a body to be reduced entirely to just the bone fragments by the traditional method of cremation process and about two to three hours by an electric cremation. (the time involved is largely dependent on the age of the retort being used, but the size and weight of the physical remains is also a factor). Factors that affect the length of cremation time include:

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

Size of and weight of the body



Percent of muscle mass to body fat



Performance of the cremation equipment



The temperature at which the cremation equipment is operated at



Type of container in which the body is placed.

Post-Cremation Process - Once the cremation is complete, there needs to be a cool-down period, so the bone fragments are sufficiently cooled before handling. When cooled, the cremated remains are respectfully removed by being carefully “swept” from the retort.

Afterwards, all metal debris (such as a surgical pin or titanium joint) is removed manually from the cremated remains. The residue remaining from unburnt wood is separated from the bones ashes.

What remains is then put into a special processor designed to pulverize the bone fragments to a finer consistency. This material, commonly known as "ashes", is then placed inside a plastic bag or cloth within a vessel cremation container. Which is then handed over to the family of the deceased. ( "How Cremation Works", 2009)

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CREMATION : PERCEPTION SHIFT AND PRACTISE EVOLUTION Burning the bodies of the dead was an ancient rite and practice in India. It was observed among Buddhists, Hindus and Jains from well before the start of the Common Era, and was later adopted by Sikhs. While the primary rationale was religious—to free the soul from the defunct body—and grounded in sacred text and ancient custom, sanitary arguments were sometimes made for cremation, especially the rapid decomposition caused by a hot, humid climate. Originating at a time when India was still heavily forested, cremation may also have been environmentally more appropriate and sustainable then.

Until the 1870s cremation was widely regarded in the West as inhumane and abhorrent, unChristian, and evidence of Hindus’ “heathen” ways and “barbaric” customs. It is possible that the rite of sati, or self-immolation, by which a Hindu widow was burned on the funeral pyre of her husband, added to the sense of horror and repugnance that cremation engendered.

But in the Modern era of open minded thinking and approachable mentality, cremation is proving to be most close to efficient disposal of corpses. Considering the problems faced by other methods in an urban context, there has been a significant shift to cremation, not only in India but also in the West.

(Burning Issues: Cremation and Incineration in Modern India, 2017)

Figure 33 Even though its early to document a prominent acceptance of cremation in India by other religions, cremation has become quite popular in other countries on its way to becoming universal (Induced.info)

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5.2 EARTH BURIALS Burial, or inhumation is the ritual of disposal of human remains, in the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by digging a pit or trench, placing the person or object inside, and replacing the soil on top of the site. The most common use of the term burial refers to human burial or the placement of a body into a tomb or grave within the ground. Humans have been burying their dead for at least 100,000 years. Burial is often seen as indicating respect for the dead. It has been used to prevent the odour of decay, to give family members closure and prevent them from witnessing the decomposition of their loved ones, and in many cultures, it has been seen as a necessary step for the deceased to enter the afterlife or to give back to the cycle of life. The first use of human burial can be traced back to the Paleolithic period and is believed to have originated in European caves. The location of the burial may be determined to take into account concerns surrounding health and sanitation, religious concerns, and cultural practices. Some cultures keep the dead close to provide guidance to the living, while others "banish" them by locating burial grounds at a distance from inhabited areas. A lot of religions still follows the process of burial. As a result, burial grounds are found throughout the world. Through time, different methods of burial were evolved through temples, mounds, tombs, pyramids and underground crypts which used to store dead bodies of the ancestors. In modern times, stone markers or some form of epitaphs are installed on top of burials to indicate the burial place. Different aspects of burials are as follows: 1. ENCASED BURIALS – A coffin or casket is an enclosed wooden funerary box, used for viewing or keeping a corpse. These encasements are generally designed to be decorative and comfortable as a final resting place of a deceased. Different forms of coffins have been used dating back from the Egyptian civilizations, when corpses were stored inside decorated caskets called sarcophagus. A coffin may be buried in the ground directly, placed in a burial vault or cremated. Alternatively, it may be entombed

above

ground

in

a mausoleum,

a chapel,

a church,

or

in

a loculus within catacombs. With this method the corpse placed in a biodegradable coffin is returned back to the earth to decompose slowly. It is a very slow process of disposing a body.

(PureHistory, 2013)

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2. SHROUD BURIALS - Shroud usually refers to an item, such as a cloth, that covers or protects

some

other

object. The

term

is

most often

used

in reference

to burial sheets, mound shroud, grave clothes or winding-cloths. Traditionally, mound shrouds are made of white cotton, wool or linen, though any material can be used so long as it is made of natural fibre. Corpses are wrapped in shrouds and buried underground. The shrouds promote faster decomposition than encased burials due to lesser protection from decaying agents. It also consumes lesser area due to the elimination of extra coffin space. .

PROCESS OF BURIALS: Body Positioning - Burials may be placed in a number of different positions. The burial of bodies in the extended position, i.e., lying flat with arms and legs straight, or with the arms folded upon the chest, and with the eyes and mouth closed. Extended burials may be supine (lying on the back) or prone (lying on the front). However, in some cultures, being buried face down shows marked disrespect. Other ritual practices place the body in a flexed position with the legs bent or crouched with the legs folded up to the chest. Warriors in some ancient societies were buried in an upright position. In Islam, the body is placed in supine position, hands along the sides and the head is turned to its right with the face towards the Qibla. Many cultures treat placement of dead people in an appropriate position to be a sign of respect even when burial is impossible. (PureHistory, 2013) In nonstandard burial practices, such as mass burial, the body may be positioned arbitrarily.

This can be a sign of disrespect to the deceased, or at least nonchalance on the part of the inhumer, or due to considerations of time and space.

Inverted burial - For humans, maintaining an upside down position, with the head vertically below the feet, is highly uncomfortable for any extended period of time, and consequently burial in that attitude (as opposed to attitudes of rest or watchfulness, as above) is highly unusual and generally symbolic. Occasionally suicides and assassins were buried upside down, as a post-mortem punishment and (as with burial at crossroads) to inhibit the activities of the resulting undead. But due to the current space scarcity in many urban cities, the burials are required to be done vertically to consume less surface area and therefore meet the high demand for graves.

(RAGHAVAN, 2008)

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Duration - Decomposition is well underway by the time burial or cremation occurs. However, the exact rate of decomposition depends to some extent on environmental conditions.

Decomposition in the air is twice as fast as when the body is underwater and four times as fast as underground. A corpse left above ground is rapidly broken down by insects and animals. Left above ground the main body cavities burst open and the tissues become liquefied after about a month or so.

When buried six feet down, without a coffin, in ordinary soil, an un-embalmed adult takes typically eight to twelve years to decompose to a skeleton. However if placed in a coffin the body can take many years longer, depending on type of wood used. For example, a solid oak coffin will hugely slow down the process. A lot also depends on the state of how deep the coffin is buried, the soil and the local water table.

(FACTS: WHAT HAPPENS TO A BODY AFTER DEATH , 2005)

Figure 34 Diagram of a Coffin Grave with its epitaph and other defining elements (MountPleasantGroup)

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5.3 DISPOSAL AT SEA Burial at sea is the disposal of human remains in the ocean, generally from a ship or boat. It is regularly performed by the Navy and is done by private citizens in many countries.

Burial-at-sea services are available at many different locations and with many different customs, either by ship or by aircraft. Usually, either the captain (or commanding officer) of the ship or aircraft or a religious representative (of the decedent's religion or the state religion) performs the ceremony.

The ceremony may include burial in a casket, burial sewn in sailcloth, burial in an urn, or scattering of the cremated remains from a ship. Burial at sea by aircraft is usually done only with cremated remains. Other types of burial at sea include the mixing of the ashes with concrete and dropping the concrete block to form an artificial reef such as the Atlantis Reef.

All other religions prefer bodies to be buried under soil than water due to the quick decomposition and hygiene involved. In Hinduism traditionally, the deceased are cremated, the bones and ashes are collected, and the ashes/remains are immersed in the Ganges River if possible or in any other river if not. Though in some cases, several conditions disallow cremation of a body and require that it be immersed in a river instead. At Delhi’s largest cremation ground, Nigam Bodh Ghat, many of the about 500 bodies brought in every day are returned because they are considered “unfit” (due to superstitious beleifs) for cremation, said Himanshu Sharma, a priest there. (Jain, 2015) Snakebite: Some Hindu sects do not permit a person killed by a snake bite to be cremated.

Snakes are a manifestation of Shiva, according to a belief. “When their bite kills someone, the person is not considered dead because he has achieved immortal life in another world.”

Sadhus: Hindu saints too are not cremated. “Sadhus are revered as next to the supreme being,” said Bhanu Shankar Sharma, another priest at Nigam Bodh Ghat. “We cannot cremate a manifestation of the higher being in fire. They either take samadhi or have to be immersed in Ganga.”

Skin diseases: Those with visible skin diseases or smallpox are regularly returned from the cremation grounds. “Chickenpox and smallpox means that devi maa is in possession of the body, so we cannot cremate the dead,” said Sharma.

Infants: Young children and infants are required to be either immersed in a river or buried.

(Why did 100 decomposed bodies float back up in Ganga?, 2015) Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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5.4 EXCARNATION In archaeology and anthropology, the term excarnation (also known as de-fleshing) refers to the practice of removing the flesh and organs of the dead before burial, leaving only the bones. Excarnation may be precipitated through natural means, involving leaving a body exposed for animals to scavenge, or it may be purposefully undertaken by butchering the corpse by hand. Only some specific faiths on the globe still practice this method of disposition. Zoroastrians and Tibetian provinces perform excarnation.

(Defleshing The Dead, 2011)

Figure 35 Inside view of the Parsi’s Tower of Silence (AminoApps)

PREPARATION AND VIEWING OF THE BODY: The body of the recently deceased is washed in gomez (unconsecrated bull’s urine) and water. Meanwhile, the clothes he will wear and the room in which he will lie before final disposal are also washed clean. The clothes will be disposed of afterwards as contact with a corpse has permanently defiled them. The body is then placed on a clean white sheet and visitors are allowed to pay their respects, although they are forbidden to touch.

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PLATFORM FOR DISPOSAL: Practices

making

processes

for

use

of

excarnation

natural are

the

Tibetian sky burials, Camache platform burials, and the traditional Zoroastrian funerals conducted at the Tower of silence.

Archaeologists

believe

that

in

this

practice, people typically left the body exposed on a woven litter or altar. When the excarnation was complete, the litter with its remains would be removed from the site. Since metatarsals, finger bones and toe bones are tiny, they would Figure 36 Plan and Section of a typical Tower of Silence (Pinterest)

easily fall through gaps in the woven structure or roll off the side during this

removal. Thus, a site in which only small bones are found is suggestive of ritual excarnation.

The platforms used to expose the corpses are generally on high altitudes to attract scavenger birds. Tibetian sky burials involve isolating the corpse on high altitude mountains to attract decomposers and other predators. Whereas Parsi conduct their funerals in Tower of Silence which are tall circular towers whose atop are used to expose corpses to predators, mostly vultures. (Beyer, 2017) DURATION: The duration taken for the body to be disposed-off completely varies due to its dependency on external factors such as decomposing agents. In many urban

scenarios,

due

to

the

vulnerability of vultures in a city, the dead bodies lie unattended and left Figure 37 Illustration of the top platform bieng used for attracting scavengers (Compiko.info)

to decompose for long periods.

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5.5 INFERENCE: ADJUST, ADAPT, EVOLVE The twentieth century has seen a significant shift that has occurred in attitudes towards cremation in both India and the West. The major social elements related to massive increases in the population of industrial towns and major cities, whose cemeteries were increasingly hard-pressed to cope with the volume of the dead in an era of heightened concern with public hygiene—corpses buried near the surface of the ground were seen as a potential health risk. This was also a period of considerable interest in freedom of thought and creative engagement with ideas of progress. Traditional religious constraints were not viewed as impossible barriers to progress. Societies were established to promote cremation in many influential cities, including London and The Hague in 1874, Washington, D.C., in 1876, and New York. Even though it is early to document a prominent acceptance of cremation in India by other religions, there has been a significant rise in its acceptance.

Here are some of the main reasons that most deaths now elect cremation as the final disposition. (Burning Issues: Cremation and Incineration in Modern India, 2017) 

More Efficient



A Greener Earth Friendly Option



Less Time Sensitive (Freedom of Time)



Endless Memorialization Options



No permanent land.

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5.5.1 INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT 1 (Translated from Marathi to English) Venue: Chandanwadi crematorium, Marine Lines, Mumbai Conducted on: 25th October 2018 Interviewee: Mr. Sawant (Furnace Operating manager) Q1. How many furnaces does the crematorium have?

Ans. We have two electric furnaces, and the facility for traditional wood cremation is provided on the adjacent plot.

Q2. Is there any facility to reduce pollution?

Ans. Wood cremation creates a lot of pollution. These electric furnaces are quite adequate in helping reduce the pollution. We have installed new filter machines recently which create less noise and filter the emissions through many layers of filters of water and other material.

Q3 Which cremation method do most people prefer?

Ans. Most people opt for wood cremation, but electric cremation has seen a significant rise due to the lesser period of time taken to cremate. Time is very precious for people here in Mumbai.

Q4. What is the average cremation statistics per day?

Ans. It varies largely from 4-12 per day, but on an average 8-9 including day and night.

Q5. You have worked here for 5 years, Have you witnessed cremation carried out by other communities other than Hinduism?

Ans. Yes. I have conducted cremation rituals of Muslims, Christians and Parsi’s communities. I have seen the numbers gradually rise over the years. Less Muslims opt for cremation from about 3-4 per month, only in the case that that individual is too poor to pay even a minimal price for the burial plot. But I have carried out the process if cremation of a lot of Catholics and Parsi’s. On an average 10-12 cremations of other communities are done here Q6. Do the communities carry out any ceremony for the deceased?

Ans. Yes. I have noticed that their ceremonies are carried out for a long period of time from 2-3 hours. They get their own priests to carry out the funerary customs. You can go to Worli crematorium to get larger numbers. It is the own facility in Mumbai’s crematorium for long funerary ceremonies for all other communities.

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5.5.1 INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT 2 (Translated from Marathi to English) Venue: Worli Parsi and Hindu crematorium, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai Conducted on: 25th October 2018 Interviewee: Mr. Mohan Karade (Furnace Operating manager) Q1 What are the statistics of Parsi and Catholic cremations at the crematorium?

Ans. On an average, 20-25 Parsi’s per month and 8-12 Catholics per month.

Q2 Do you know why Parsi’s have started cremation?

Ans. The Towers of Silence have almost shut down due to lack of vultures and scavenger birds, the bodies just lied to eventually decompose. They started to cremate 5-6 years back and the numbers have rose since then. Two towers of silence who remain is in Walkeshwar and Malabar hill.

Q3. Which method of cremation do the Parsi’s prefer?

Ans. Once they are done with their funerary traditions in the ceremonial hall, we ask them which method they would like to opt for because they are open to both. They have most of the times selected electric cremation.

Q4. Can you describe the functioning of the ceremonial hall?

Ans. Yes. Parsi’s conduct their funerary customs and processes in a different manner. Since other crematorium didn’t have a provision of a separate ceremonial halls, a hall was built here from the donations provided by the A. H. Wadia trust. Ervad Framroze Mirza now helps conduct funerary rituals and customs before the cremation. The Parsi’s cremate only in daylight i.e. 7am – 7pm.

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Figure 38 News Article from The Times of India describing the acceptance of cremation.

Published: Gautam Siddharth, September 17, 2017 Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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Figure 39 Article from NDTV Website showing the shift to the adoption of cremation

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6. EMERGING METHODS FOR DISPOSING OF A HUMAN CORPSE After analysing the currently practised methods of corpse disposal, we can definitely conclude that there is a strong need for reform to sustain efficient disposal practices. This change can be brought into by two ways: 

Introducing entirely new sustainable methods of disposal of a corpse



Reforming the current practices through innovation and technology to reform into sustainable means of disposal.

Due to religious, cultural and traditional constraints prevailing all over the world, these reforms seem to face the factor of unacceptance, but the deterioration of the relation between humans and nature is enforcing us into innovating new techniques for the coming future.

Therefore initiating these small changes gradually helps mankind to sustainability.

In the current generation of liberal thinking and environment conscious mentality, it has been deemed to be the right time to initiate such innovations into society. Therefore, engineers, architects and designers abroad have not only started to develop strategies and techniques for sustainable disposal of corpses but also implemented it on an initial smaller scale. Some of the worlds emerging methods for disposal of human corpses are listed below: 1. Human Composting 2. Solar Cremation 3. Eternal Reefs 4. Promession (freeze-drying human remains) 5. Bio Urns

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6.1 Composting Traditional burials and cremation are infecting the environment, but urban dwellers could soon have a new option for their bodies when they die, by turning them into compost.

Human Composting is a green approach newly developed in the U.S. A green funeral movement is initiated to push for eco-conscious burials and cremations in natural environments, but it still distances the living from the dead. For urban dwellers, architect Katrina Spade has come up with a surprising solution.

Human bodies are full of potential due to high amounts of nutrients. Decay and decomposition are amazing processes of nature, through which The Urban death Project (initiated in the U.S.) has tried to connect sustainable corpse disposal practices and the environment. This new process is called as “re-composition.” It’s a “gentle” way to relate human composting without its association with garbage and food. Re-composition is about giving death a chance to re-grow into new life.

6.1.1 Case Study: Urban Death Project by Katrina Spade Seattle-based designer Katrina Spade (holds a master's degree of architecture from the University of Massachusetts Amherst) has developed a building proposal that offers an environment-conscious alternative to burying or cremating the deceased.

Called the Urban Death Project, Spade's proposal calls for a structure in which corpses wrapped in linen would be deposited in a three-storey core that contains

high-carbon

materials

to

eventually decompose the corpse to become soil. The Urban Death Project creates a meaningful, equitable and ecological urban alternative to existing options for the disposal of the corpse by utilising the process of composting to safely and gently converting our deceased into the soil-building material.

Figure 40 A rendering of the re-composition prototype, which will be built at Washington State University. (The Seattle Times)

(McKnight, 2016)

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Figure 41 Section through the structure showing the composting core with ramps and mourners area

Spatial Quality The structure is an spiritual, nonchalant place where the bereaved can carry their deceased to a peaceful

final

rest

and

put

those

corpses'

decomposition to an eco-friendly use. The facility described by Katrina Spade is a part funeral home, part place of memorial, and part public park. “I think there’s value in creating places where we’re thinking about death and its role in our lives, and the fact that it’s coming for all of us,” Katrina Spade says. (Ross, 2016) Transition Spaces for Mourners Figure 42 The bereaved carrying the deceased up the ramp (Dezeen)

Funerals would be conducted within the building, where

the

invited

members

can

oversee

its

placement within the core of the composting area. The closest to the deceased meet the body in the shrouding room, where the corpse is wrapped in simple linen with the assistance of supportive staff. Mourners carry the shrouded body up a ramp that winds around the core to this room. Here, the family members lower the body onto a bed of wood chips inside an open door in the floor. That door is the top of a 6-foot-by-10-foot concrete bay that adjoins multiple other bays, like a grid of elevator shafts. Mourners cover the body with additional wood chips and close the door. (Ross, 2016)

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Process of Decomposition The

structure

acts

like

a

three-story

rectangular silo filled with wood chips, with a room on top. After the bereaved have placed

the

shrouded

body

into

the

composting core, within the next four to six weeks, the body will move slowly downward as it decomposes, and as the material below it condenses and is removed. There is no embalming

required

because

natural

decomposition is an essential part of the design. That timeline is based on the livestock mortality composting experience of Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, Figure 43 The view of the core composting pit (Dezeen)

a

soil

scientist

at

Washington State University. When animals used in the university’s agriculture programs die, the school composts them in specially designed piles, where a large carcass can decompose even the bones start breaking down in one to two months.

Solving Space Issues

Figure 44 Concept Diagram (Dezeen)

The system is particularly relevant in urban

scenarios, where growing population and limited burial space act as constraints to efficient practice of disposal. Instead of a single body occupying a surface area in the form of an urn or a cemetery plot, the Urban Death Project would compost several bodies in a shorter time through enhanced natural processes. Spade’s project is, in a sense, a communalization of death.

(Kiley, 2016)

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6.2 Solar Cremation Todays world has moved towards finding sustainable solutions through energy sources which are biodegradable and renewable in nature. There is also an urgent need to reduce our dependence on petroleum and other unrenewable fuels for better economy and environment which therefore limits our scope petrol based cremation techniques Sunlight is determined to be one of the most conventional energy source which is not only inexhaustible but also available free of cost. The radiant light and heat from the sun, especially in a tropical country like India, can be harnessed into Solar energy using a range of ever-evolving technologies. The energy produced is clean with no pollutants, therefore using the technology appropriately with architecture can help address the above environmental problems

Figure 45 Block diagram of solar crematorium, left and A human corpse being sent into the chamber (IJRSI)

Concept of Solar Crematorium The basic concept of the solar crematorium is to ignite the dead body locally anywhere and anyhow with the help of a huge concentrating reflector having very high CR and to maintain the combustion of a dead body by supplying the fresh atmospheric air with the help of a blower. Once combustion of the dead body starts within the cremation chamber, it also releases heat which automatically in combination with solar energy obtained from concentrating reflector maintains continuous burning of dead body until the complete dead body gets converted into ash. Based on above-mentioned concept, the system of solar crematorium can be divided into the following four components: Scheffler Reflector, Tracking System, Cremation Chamber, Backup system for non-sunny hours. .

(Kesari, 2014)

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6.2.1 Case Study: Muni Seva Ashram at Vadodara, Gujarat The solar crematorium at Muni Seva Ashram in Vadodara district of Gujarat is the first initiative commissioned in India towards a sustainable method of disposal of corpses. The project was developed in cooperation with Wolfgang Scheffler (founder of the Scheffler mirrors from Germany) and Ronnie Sabawala (partner of Vadodara-based Himalaya Engineering). The idea was conceived by Raman Panwala in 2005 when he was shown that a piece of wood starts burning when placed in the focus of sun heat, this concept was translated into burning human bodies as per final rituals.

(Epp, 2011) Geographical Suitability Since Gujarat state is situated in such a solar belt where average annual solar irradiance is 5.5 to 6.0 kWh/m2 /day. This quantity of solar irradiance is more than sufficient for solar powered equipment. The solar crematorium installed at Muni Seva Ashram is on the bank of Dev River which is basically a tributary of Dhadhar River. So this crematorium is suitable for performing the religious ritual of Antim-Sanskara.

Design and Development At the ecologically conscious Muni Seva Ashram, a 50m2 Scheffler dish will heat the oven which burns the dead bodies. The project was developed in cooperation with Wolfgang Scheffler (who designed the Scheffler mirrors from Germany) and Ronnie Sabawala (one of the owners of Vadodara-based Himalaya Engineering).

Opening Diameter of cremation chamber = d = 24cm Receiver Area = đ?‘¨đ?’“ = đ??…/ đ?&#x;’ x đ?’… đ?&#x;? = đ??…/ đ?&#x;’ (đ?&#x;?đ?&#x;’/ đ?&#x;?đ?&#x;Žđ?&#x;Ž) đ?&#x;? m 2 = 0.045238934 m2 CR = đ?‘¨đ?’‚/ đ?‘¨đ?’“ = đ?&#x;“đ?&#x;Ž/ đ?‘¨đ?’“ = đ?&#x;?đ?&#x;?đ?&#x;Žđ?&#x;“. đ?&#x;?đ?&#x;’đ?&#x;?đ?&#x;”đ?&#x;” (Kesari, 2014) As per the above calculations of CR, the target temperature is above 1000°C which can burn the human body very easily within approximately 40 to 60 min during a bright sunny day. The crematorium has been built as a chamber with special Scheffler reflector developed specifically for this concept.

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The special reflectors are designed to heat a 2m long crematorium chamber to above 800°C. The facility was made operational on an experimental basis only. As per our observation, size of Scheffler collector is 50m2 which doesn’t suit as per the design of Scheffler reflector described in preceding subsection. Since size (aperture Figure 46 The scheffler reflector and Solar Cremation chamber

area) of solar collector must be

equal to 197m2 otherwise, collector won’t be able to collect sufficient amount of solar heat energy for complete burning of the dead body within 2-3Hrs. The Chamber is designed in such a way that the solar radiation gets reflected from its inner wall and concentrates on the plate where the human body is kept. Thus, making full use of solar energy and increase the overall efficiency.

Backup System for Non Sunny Hours The actual harnessing of the solar energy is possible unless the location is in a very hot sunny climate day, but the need for energy is often higher in rainy, cloudy or, colder climates. So it can be unreliable. As per Hindu ritual practice, there is an established sentimental fact of cremating the corpse completely at one goes. And there must not be left any un-burnt portion of the body. Therefore, there is an arrangement of suitable and sufficient backup system to mitigate these situations. So the cremation chamber is designed in such a way that other alternate fuels like Biogas/Biomass/LPG/CNG can be connected when required. The cremation chamber is connected with a biomass cremator.

(Kesari, 2014)

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7. PROCESSES AND RITUALS OF MAJOR SECTS IN INDIA Architecture for death and rituals go hand in hand. Each space in the structure is allotted as per the ritual functions, therefore understanding these steps before designing a crematorium become necessary. The heterogeneous nature of the communities in India will be studied in a short summary to enable us to analyse the working of customs and beliefs related to death funeral practices.

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8. INTERPRETING “SUSTAINABILITY”….

Architecture is the combination of art and design for the construction of a building project (Hersey, 2008). Architecture has been developed by man to fulfil the basic need of shelter, the aesthetics and design should work together to create holistically beautiful buildings which co-exist with the surrounding.

However, the indirect effects of modern architectural development for the processes required for various functions have been resulting in the deterioration of the environment.

This brings out the need for the concept of “sustainable living” through architecture, which promotes the co-existence between the natural and the built environment. Sustainable design demands a balance between social, cultural, economic and environmental factors of the society, which consequently involves a study of the relation of dependency between these factors. (Babcock, 2016) Therefore, sustainable can be termed as a multifaceted concept in architecture design and analysis. This idea has led to the genesis of various concepts on human lifestyle and society such as Utopian living. According to my understanding of “sustainability”, these are the features it constitutes: 1. Architecture of Co-Existence: Sustainable architecture is a design philosophy that seeks to maximize the quality of the built environment while mitigating the functions negative impact on the natural environment through architecture. For example, necessary human activities like disposing of the dead, and the architecture existing for these functions have a lot of negative impact on the society, but these activities can be enhanced through various architectural solutions. Apart from reducing the negative impact from functions, the co-existence between the built mass and its surrounding can also be achieved through the understanding of human psychology.

Creating spaces which make the person conscious about the surrounding environment through design elements such as openings and form. The interaction between the two scenes grants certain emphasis to the surrounding, which would otherwise would have been ignored.

2. Forward Planning: Sustainability is described as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations in meeting their own needs.

Our developing world has caused many to be concerned over sustaining our resources, environment, and way of life. We face an escalating population growth

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and the concern over having enough resources for development to meet our needs in the present and that of future generations. Our society has created a business production paradigm that needs more planning to preserve our natural capital and to minimize waste in the process of development. Although growth is important, it must be done efficiently and with the mindset that many of our resources are nonrenewable. In terms of the increasing pollution levels though urban activities, and the threat it poses on the present and future generations are lethal. Focusing on reducing the creation of possible by-products through architecture will help the environmental impact on the future. (Babcock, 2016) 3. User-Friendly: Sustainable architecture seeks besides maintaining the balance in the environment, it also holds an efficient design for users through, focus on the human psychological needs which are generally neglected. The universal and multi-user friendly nature of a structure combined with the ease of dealing with the function helps inefficient utilization of the space.

4. Efficient: Building development in both the residential and commercial sectors represents an enormous opportunity to utilize sustainable principles for the conservation of resources, to promote the use of more efficient and healthy products, and to improve the living and working environment for people. Optimum utilization of space/ resource helps in generating less waste.

(FELTES, 2007)

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9. DEATH ARCHITECTURE FOR ANIMALS/ PETS 9.1 Need for Animal/Pet Crematorium Death is universal, and it comes to every living being. The death of our loved ones is always mournful and this period of grief and the memories is the final connection between the living and the dead. But, the categorised extent of the “loved ones” sometimes involves more than just humans. As studied, humans have been designing and constructing spaces for the deceased, where the bereaved can mourn peacefully, but do not pet owners deserve the same? To be able to witness an appropriate death ceremony for the lost “loved one”? Smaller animals are generally buried by the owners in their gardens/ compound areas, but what happens when the animals are large such as dogs? (Which are the most cases of pets). The close relation of humans and pets has been justified since history. The need for a final goodbye for the urban cities will continue to escalate.

Emotional Connect: The social nature and sensitive thinking of humans makes us vulnerable to not only get emotionally attached to humans but also animals as pets. The death of a loved pet can affect the person's emotions as much as the loss of fellow human, or sometimes even more, depending on the connection and relation with the owner. The category of pets includes a large set of species differing from domestic (cats, dogs, cows, etc) to zoo animals (bears, leopards, deer, etc). The term “pet parent” has become quite popular in the current urban culture. In which the connection with the pet is such that they are treated as the same status as humans. Thus in case of death, the owners wish to have a formal send-off.

Increasing Pet Population: Considering the current urban generation scenario, the ownership of domestic pets has become extremely common. For the solution to this recurring difficulty faced by pet owners and animal lovers, pet crematoriums are set-up in foreign countries like USA, Russia, England and most other European countries. The USA alone has more than 1,000 crematoriums across the country. London has more than 20 crematoriums that are dedicated for efficient disposal of pets and stray animal corpses. However, in the whole of India there are only 15 cemeteries, out of which Delhi has two, Mumbai has only one and Bangalore alone has seven. The pet population in India has grown from 7 million in 2006 to 10 million in 2014, on an average 6,00,000 pets are adopted every year (this includes only licensed ownerships). (ShauankGhosh, 2018)

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9.1.1 NEWSPAPER ARTICLE: REST IN PEACE, PET The newspaper article shows us the follow-up interviews with the residents of Delhi, on the rising demand for pet crematorium in the urban city. (Joshi, 2016) Case 1: Sombuddha Hazra Chaudhury, a resident of Rajinder Nagar, lost his German Shepherd Bozo in October 2017. “When he died, I wanted to cremate him like I would any near and dear one. But we couldn’t. I had to bury him in a small dump yard near my house.

He was an integral part of my life. But I treated him like a piece of trash”, says Chaudhury, with tears in his eyes.

Case 2: According to animal rights activist Ashu Nathani, “We need proper cemeteries and resting places for our furry friends. They become part and parcel of our lives and to treat them like garbage after they are dead, is nothing less than animal cruelty. We call a dog man’s best friend. Will we be able to throw our best friend anywhere when he or she dies?”

Case 3: For Aakriti Tiwari, a resident of Rohini, her rabbit Fluffy was her life. After Fluffy’s death, Aakriti was disheartened by the fact she had to bury him in a playground near her house without performing any ritual. “His whole life, I treated him like one of my own. So, it was really sad for me to bury him in a dirty corner of a playground. I felt I could not do justice to all the love he gave me”, she regrets. “Animals like humans have feelings. They feel pain; they feel love. So, it’s his right to be treated ethically after the bodily end.”

(ShauankGhosh, 2018)

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9.2 Method of Disposal for Pets Considering the Indian context of death practices, the two primary methods of disposal practised are cremations and burials. The practice of disposal of pets is generally not that restricted by religious sentiments and therefore it increases the scope for promoting sustainable methods of disposal.

Pet Cremation: Pet cremation machines, similar to the human method of disposal can work on different sources of energy (electric, CNG, Biogas, Solar).

The pros of using pet cremators involve fast and

efficient

disposal,

reduces

land

pressure and avoids land contamination.

Figure 47 Multi Chamber Pet Cremators (Matthew UK)

The cons of cremators involve air pollution through toxic gases are given out. The

impurity of the emission can be controlled through appropriate machine technology.

Pet Burial: Pet burial is the oldest way of dealing with animal corpses. A formal procedure involves digging up a grave as per the size and species of pet and overlaying it with a layer of soil, headed by an epitaph in the form of a tombstone.

The Figure 48 Epitaphs and tombstones used for graves of pets (BBC News)

rate

comparatively

of

decomposition

faster

than

a

is

human

corpse due to the difference in body mass

and density. The cons of burials involve the cost of booking the grave, and it increases the pressure on the land surface area available.

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9.3 Case Study: The Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Pet Crematorium, Mumbai With Mumbai bursting at its seams with the living, there is hardly a place to have a pet cremation and send these souls off in a suitable manner - apartment gardens are almost omnipresent, which also may have its own cons. Established in January 1997, Mumbai’s electric pet crematorium, located inside The Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals, Lower Parel, is the only place available in Mumbai for conventional funeral of animals/pets.

Figure 49 The cremation chamber with steel stand which acts as a base for the body. (Sacha Estelles)

Process of Cremation: The crematorium has a single electric cremation chamber. Wooden planks are placed on the steel stand, which acts as a base for the body. The body is then placed on top, with the functioning of a manual pedal lever the body is gently lowered into the cremation pit. Since it is an electric crematorium, the temperature needs to be above 550 degrees. At this temperature, the electric coils on either side heat up alongside bricks, and the heat travels evenly through the gaps of the bricks to ensure even burning. The entire cremation takes a duration from 20 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the animal. After the cremation, the emission is released into a filtration chamber that mixes it with water to help separate the carbon from the smoke that is ultimately let out of the chimney. This process similar to human cremation allows collecting the ashes for anyone who may wish to carry them back. (Inside Mumbai's Only Pet Crematorium, 2016)

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Figure 50 Left, Functioning of the Manual Pedal lever and Right, the smoke filtration system (Sacha Estelles)

Facilities: The pet crematorium is open from 8am until 4pm every day. In case the occurrence of death is beyond the open period, the body is transferred to an ice morgue in which the body is preserved until the next morning.

The cremation centre also has a small funeral room with a table that is set up for the pet to be brought in. The room is used to carry out the pre-cremation acts of adorning the body with flowers. “One thing which doesn’t have a real role to play here is religion - “each person just does as their heart desires,” said Sanjay Kamal, the worker employed at the cremation centre since its inauguration.

Number and type of cremations: On an average, there are about 10-15 cremations every day. The centre mostly gets in dogs, followed by cats, but then have also cremated two lions, one bear, pigeons and cows. Goats are not cremated due to a constituent in their digestive system which does not allow for them to burn like the other animals.

Cost of cremation: The price for the cremation depends on the size of the animal, but the expensive generally ranges anywhere from INR 2500 to INR 4500.

(Inside Mumbai's Only Pet Crematorium, 2016)

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Figure 51 Right, Entrance Bay and Left, Memory wall (Google Map Images)

9.4 Case Study: Paws to Heaven Pet Crematorium, South Delhi Paws for Heaven is located at 8th Avenue, Bandh Road in New Delhi; about six km distant from Chattarpur Mandir. Run in partnership with Pet Animal Welfare Society; it is one of the only two pet crematoriums in Delhi.

Cremation Facilities: It provides an electronic crematorium unit, a prayer room so that the family of the deceased can conduct prayer meetings and a small garden where people can plant trees in memory of their pets. A wall in the prayer hall, called the memorial wall, is used to display photos/ epitaphs of all the deceased dogs that have been buried or cremated at the premises. They provide both facilities of burying and cremating the pets.

The burial ground is currently under renovation, as it has been planned into a state of the art cemetery.

Cost of cremation: The cost of cremation is Rs 3,000 for an animal weighing 20 kg — Rs 500 is charged for every additional kilogram. The charge for each burial is around Rs 500, which is added to their animal care fund.

(Chauhan, 2014)

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CHAPTER 3

Death, Emotion & Architecture

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10. DEATH’S ASSOCIATION WITH EMOTION, SENSES & SPACE 10.1 What is an Emotion?

A variety of emotions are experienced by us as we progress through our daily lives. Emotions are a conscious experience that livings being encounter due to intense mental activity and a high degree of mental mapping that are stimulated by pleasure or displeasure. (Panksepp, 2005) Emotions have a profound origin even though they may seem arbitrary responses that are generated unconsciously. Emotion is often interlaced with mood, temperament, personality, motivation, and disposition. Emotions can be described as discrete and consistent responses to a set of internal or external events which have a particular significance for the associated person. Emotions differ from feeling and mood in the sense that emotions are the response to the latter. Emotions may be short or lasting in duration depending on the impact of the event on the affected person and consist of a coordinated set of responses, which may include a mixture of verbal, physiological, behavioural, and neural mechanisms.

Manifestations: According to the book, "Discovering Psychology," "An emotion is a complex, multifaceted psychological state that involves three distinct components: a subjective experience, a physiological response, and a behavioural or expressive response." These reactions are informed by our backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. Therefore, different people may encounter differing emotional responses even when situated in similar circumstances. These are the state of response that brings about physical and psychological changes in the form of existence.

Behavioural or Expressive reaction: (Eg. Running, seeking to contact) is an action that one engages in when experiencing an emotion.

Expressive reaction: (smiling or frowning) Is a facial or postural expression that represents a person’s emotion.

Physiological reaction: (activation or arousal, eg: increase in heart rate) the change in activity in the autonomic nervous system.

Subjective feeling: (feeling happy or sad) is the conscious awareness of the emotional state one is in, i.e. the subjective emotional experience.

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The Cognitive Perspective: Emotions are not caused but emerge from a process. Emotions occur through the process of cognition. Cognition is the stimulated mental processes and physical changes in the behaviour that is brought about by the knowledge and understanding through thought, experiences and sense. (Reisenzein, 2006) Effects are strictly biological and are felt as degrees of tension and changes of sensation throughout the whole body, but mostly through facial expressions.

Magda Arnold, the pioneering psychologist of cognitive view, argues that the process of formation of emotion involves the assessment of how an object may harm or benefit a person. According to Arnold, an appraisal, “The direct, immediate sense judgment of weals or woe, is the heart of every emotion.� Emotions are a result of awareness of the mind and the body to the context they thrive in a change in the physical and metaphysical environment my trigger an emotion.

The James-Lange theory suggests that when we see an external stimulus that leads to a physiological reaction, then the emotional reaction depends upon how we perceive our physical reactions to the event. The human brain responds to various external influences that are perceived through the sense that brings about a change in the present mental processing. For instance, if a person is scared, then they are frightened because they are trembling of fear. They feel happy due to the physical response to serenity in the surrounding.

(Abramson, 2012)

Figure 52 A basic model of emotione (Paul de Vries)

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10.2 Architecture of Emotions As we have analysed the causes, importance and effects of emotions on human psychology and behaviour, the need for understanding its relationship with architecture arises. Emotion is a connection that impacts the perception of architecture by occupants. So, how do we do it? How do we design for human emotion with architecture? Does architecture affect the stimulus to emotions in a person? Can an Architectural space affect the psychology of a person with an existing emotional state?

SPACE, PERCEPTION AND EMOTION: There always lies a link between the environment (built and unbuilt) and a person’s behaviour, which results from either the users own perception of the space (subjective) or an intended experience designed by the architect. Along with the functionality, each space is associated with the emotions of the user which provides a “sense of place”. Architecture has the potential to invoke emotions in its occupants. The scale of emotional impact that the space creates on the occupant differs as per the “quality of space”. The example of spatial experience through most of the memorials (Eg: Jewish Museum, Berlin) or Thermal Bath Vals, Peter Zumthor can itself describe the numerous felt emotions like suffering, sadness, or pride and amazement. Similarly, other building types can yield a surprise or can even mellow one’s mood. It depends on the spatial quality of space to trigger for an emotional response in its occupants. Thus an architectural space should not be a static denotation of its surrounding but the culmination of experiences that affect the users in the physical and psychological spectrum. (Lehman, 2016) The effects of space on the emotion will be studied below: Exploration: Human psychology urges the need to explore.

Architectural spaces have the ability to trigger emotions related to exploration by creating elements of suspense, curiosity, fascination (anticipate a variety of possibilities) and a promise of a new experience. The city Orvieto, southwestern Italy creates a view of a space from a side street towards the Gothic Cathedral. Standing in a dark alley, a bright open space ahead is perceived, a promise of new information (transition). A curiosity of advancing into open space is created by the narrow dark opening visually connecting only a glimpse of the space that lies ahead. The Figure 53 A view from the side street towards the cathedral, Ovierto

user interprets its possibility of being an open square or

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landscaped with fountains. The feeling of exploration lasts only between the period of transition between the two spaces. (Vries, 2009) The Theory of Prospect and Refuge: The theory of "prospect and refuge" seeks

to

describe

why

certain

environments feel secure and thereby meet

basic

human

psychological

needs. Environments that meet such needs will often provide people with the capacity to observe (prospect) without being Figure 54 House of Can Felix by Jorn Utzon (Paul de Vries)

seen

(refuge).

A

common

example experienced by most is you surveying your local park to find the

most comfortable place to sit. Amount of shade, quality of grass, proximity to play areas for the kids, level of noise, all these play a part in your assessment. The house of Can Feliz made

by Jorn Utzon on the island of Mallorca. The house is built in rocky hills surrounded by pristine nature and with an open, serene view of the sea. The degree of prospect and refugee can be determined in the living room. On the left side in the Figure, we can see the enormous window opening out a wide view to the sea and bringing in a lot of light in that part of the living room. Whereas, on the right side, we see a low darker seating area achieved by raising the floor levels and thick walls without windows and a lesser floor to ceiling dimension.

According to Grant Hildebrand in his book “Origins of Architectural Pleasure�, the left side creates a prospect with greater volume and light, and the right side creates the refuge where the occupant can enjoy the view, light and volume provided by the space. (Vries, 2009) Thrill: Thrill is a combined feeling of fear and pleasure. Thrill is a cause for the need

for

exploration.

Example

of

architectural experience that invokes the feeling of thrill is reaching the highest accessible level in a tower (Burj Khalifa or Eiffel Tower). It enables the person to enjoy the thrill of viewing the surrounding areas from a great height Figure 55 Thrill invoked after reaching the top of Burj Khalifa (Blu-ray Forum)

which is experienced rarely.

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Dramatizing a Haven: The value of the shelter space is intensified by giving evidence of what it protects against, like being tucked in bed with the rain pouring on the roof.

The sense of security is dramatized by connecting the occupant to the discomfort. The emotion of comfort is brought in through the quality of space. (Vries, 2009) THE UN-BUILT PROPORTIONS: The un-built space in an architectural context refers to the naturally existing environment that the built responds to and vice versa. The unbuilt is a direct link between humans Figure 56 Safe Haven (Pinterest)

and nature. Nature itself was the first form of architecture

that the prehistoric man used and drew emotional and spiritual values from it or associated with it. Throughout the timeline of history, humans have regarded nature as the primary source, and the built masses were always made to correspond to the natural topography to flourish. Therefore not only did the natural landscape play an important role in shaping the form of architecture in the area, but it also created an emotional connection with its inhabitants. The unbuilt also moulded the vicinities culture and traditions. For instance, the form of architecture and the behaviour (activities) of the people residing near water bodies differs from that of people inhabiting the hilly areas. (Ar. Ashima Saxena, 2013)

Figure 57 The un-built acting as appreciation spaces for the built masses (Left) Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi (Right) Fatehpur Sikri Heritage (IJERT)

Figure 58 Relation between Un-built and Built forms affecting human perception of spaces (IJERT) Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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IMPACT OF BUILT SPACES ON EMOTIONS: It is surprising to find that most of our time is spent indoors (80-90%). Most of the daily functions are associated with the use and transition through built masses. Our lifestyles are shaped by the built environment around us. (Vats, 2017) The feeling and interactions of the occupants are highly correlated with the design elements and architectural features of the built environment. In other words, “the built environment provides the setting by which we live our lives, and impacts on our senses, our emotions, participation in physical activity and community life, our sense of community, and general well-being. Meanings are generated by buildings and spaces, which we ‘read’ as we pass through them. (Libeskind, 2015) “To me, there's nothing more important than architecture. It creates your world and influences how you feel both mentally and spiritually.

So, if you live in a horrible place, you'll be impaired mentally. Let's say you live in a dark environment with no windows and with nothing but a blank wall behind you. You'd be in a prison, and that would have a detrimental impact on your mental health.

The most neutral architecture is often the most aggressive. But in buildings that move us, there's an element of care. It's not a question of whether a building makes us feel good or bad. It's about being moved. That's what the word emotion means. What we feel is the sense of intensity, passion and involvement. It's something that goes very deep.

As an architect, it's my responsibility to make a personal connection -- not just with the physical environment but how it triggers our memories and emotional responses.

The metaphor of life is rooted in architecture. To be born, to grow, to be, is an architectural experience. It starts from excavation, from nothing, and has only a plan that in time comes to fruition. No matter how sad, how tragic a site might be, how abused by history, architecture has the notion of a future.

That sense prevents it from being something in a minor chord. Even erecting a monument to the dead, in any form -- writing a book or planting a flower or a tree -- has a sense of hope and redemption.

To me, that is the emotion of architecture.” : Daniel Libeskind, We mus’nt forget the emotional impact of the buildings around us, CNN style Interview 2015 (Libeskind, 2015)

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Interpretation: Emotions play an important part in how the user perceives a space. From Daniel Libeskind’s representation of a prison space, he wants to explain how architecture has the power to take the users psychological state to ranging levels of positive and negative emotions. Those buildings which emotionally connect to its users through it spaces define the passion and involvement of the design to mark its message onto the people. Regardless of the sites history, problems, architecture has the potential to bring out the best out of it.

Reaching for an emotional response through architecture can help impart a personality to the space and enhances their experience of the architectural narrative. A sense of space helps the architect to establish a lasting impression of the message that needed to be portrayed on the users. Successfully connecting the design through senses and emotions justifies the cause for constructing the structure and imparts a more intensely felt meaning on the user. Various strategies are implemented by architects to connect the user to the design. When it comes to the built form, formulation of planning and design come into the picture. (Lehman, 2016) There are various characteristics of built forms that helps to strengthen the link between human psychology and the architectural narrative:

Figure 59 The scale has been designed to make the user feel claustrophobic and confused in the Garden of exile, Jewish Holocaust Museum, Berlin (Flickr)

SCALE AND PROPORTIONS: The volume of a space influences the emotions of the user. For instance, the lower proportions between the floor and the ceiling can bring in a feeling of discomfort and make the user claustrophobic, whereas larger proportions can make spaces more approachable and welcoming to access. The scale and proportions define the quality of space. It directly affects the emotions of the users by controlling the environment around their physical body. (Vries, 2009) MATERIALS: are a composite of substance, texture, density and colour. The use of materials defines the characteristics of the space and evokes impressions of the textures that are intentionally felt. It also portrays the built quality of the structure. Different types of materiality

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can involve subtle reactions to stimulus from the users. Hard and slippery seats are used at railway stations to make them uncomfortable for homeless people to sleep for longer times.

Impressions of hardness and softness, or heaviness and lightness, are connected with the surface texture of the material.

The colour and visual feel of the material can be interpreted by the human mind. Bright colours are used to invoke positive emotions whereas dull colours signify negative emotions.

THE FORM: is the first architectural element that visually strikes the users attention. The form of the structure is a culmination of external and interior built and unbuilt spaces which imparts the very first impression about how the user perceives the overall image of the design.

Therefore, it can invoke the initial stimulus to emotion in the architectural narrative.

In the Trans World Airlines Terminal of John F.Kenedy International Airport in New York designed by Eero Saainen, The

streams

of

the

building

are

directed by the organic form. The buildings undulating shape was meant to evoke the excitement of high-speed flight. The architect himself says about Figure 60 The overall form of the airport (Яндекс)

the design- “a building in which the architecture itself would express the drama

and

specialness

and

excitement of travel…. A place of movement and transition… the shapes were deliberately chosen in order to emphasize an upward soaring of line.

We wanted an uplift.”

The

structure,

space

and

every

element were designed to be of the Figure 61 An interior space of the airport (Pinterest)

same family of forms. Every smallest element in the design was made to

relate to the surrounding objects. The organic forms swells, stretches, presses and pulls out.

(Vries, 2009)

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MOVEMENT: A transition from spaces of different characteristics can trigger changes in emotions and behaviour of the user. Movement from extremely closed to open spaces brings out a feeling of enhanced/ dramatized feeling of openness. Similarly, transitions between lighted and dark spaces bring changes in the emotions.

QUALITY OF LIGHT: Light is dependent on its association with various factors of design such asnumber of openings, orientation and size of the openings, the climate existing at the site and the material used in the opening. The quantity and quality of light affect the functioning of a space. The space is perceived in a different way with the change in light. Light acts as a medium of communication between the interior and exterior.

The intentional placement of the openings in a particular way into the planning and layout of the design can encourage or discourage interactive activities, circulation and access to spaces. The human mind can be manipulated to respond to a space with the change in light.

Figure 62 Light and shadow in combination with volume used to evoke emotions in the Jewish Holocaust Museum, Berlin. (Pinterest)

The amount of light entering can determine a function. For example, a classroom with efficient

light enhances efficiency in studying, whereas low lit classrooms discourage the student’s intention of studying. During exhibitions, focusing more light on a certain object puts more emphasis on it and gains attention from the visitors. (Vries, 2009)

Figure 63 (Leftf) Tadao Ando’s Church of the Light (Right Transition from a dark space to a lightened space to evoke emotions in the Jewish Holocaust Museum, Berlin (Unsplash) Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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10.3 Sensory Architecture Architecture is a multi-sensory experience. Architecture has the potential to serve a deeper function than just providing shelter. It acknowledges the feelings, desires and the pleasurable capacities of the human psychology. Many structures have become products that lack depth in its existential quality. Multisensory architecture finds its relevance in this context. As Finnish architect, Juhani Uolevi Pallasmaa quotes, ‘In memorable experiences of architecture, space, matter and time fuse into one singular dimension, into the basic substance of being, that penetrates our consciousness. [….]

Architecture is the art of reconciliation between ourselves and the world, and this mediation takes place through the senses’ (Pallasmaa, 2005) The built environment is designed to largely cater to the visual dimension and function of a space. Therefore, architecture creates a tendency for visual bias. When a person is inside a space his existence in the physical world is brought out by all his senses and not just one.

The senses are highly considered in most design services and products, so why is it that architectural practice and representation focus primarily on visual factors and why not integrate a more sensory approach into our designs? (Shailaja, 2014) The human body is merely utilized as a tool for dimensioning and proportioning. For architects to design, it’s not just the human sight that needs to be addressed but a whole body in action.

Our

perception

of

space

is

always

mediated by the amalgamation of various human

senses

surrounding

in

association

physical

to

the

environment.

The

senses give birth to the feeling of “sense of space”, which examines and compares the state of comfort in every space. The sense Figure 64 Various senses used for perception (Pinterest)

of space in a warm, comfortable indoor

space is different than in a cold, breezy open ground. The quality of space is analysed traditionally by four main stimulus- sight, hearing, touch and smell. (Maclachlan, 1989)

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The visual experience: The eyes are a primary source of how the user understands the quality of space. Eyes capture the visual imagery of a space as a series of frames. The frames are created by the combination of two components- focused vision and peripheral frame. The focus vision imparts emphasis on a certain element that needs to gain visual priority while the peripheral frame is the surrounding context of the focused vision giving a sense of existence.

The spectator first interacts with architecture through vision and then stimulates other senses in the body. Architecture is primarily an art of visual phenomenon. Most buildings are designed solely to please the visual stimuli, but fail to respond to the body as a whole.

The auditory experience: Vision is directional whereas sound is omnidirectional. A person can hear a sound while standing in different positions and directions within a certain radius from the source. (the intensity of sound may slightly differ with a change in position). Vision isolates while sound integrates. Sound enables the user to understand the basic essence of space with respect to its volume, openness and proximity to objects. The difference in sound reflections can easily be perceived by the human consciousness in an open space and closed space. For instance, the quality of space is distinctively perceived in a cathedral/monument or a narrow street due to the creation of echoes in larger volumes. This not only grants a character to the space but also connects it to the function and users. “Our ears have been blinded� (Pallasmaa, 2005) The olfactory experience: The smell fosters a memory of a space by granting each space its very own characteristics. The scent of a space is experienced either in the form of stagnant or gushing air(wind). The nose is able to recreate different spaces that had been repressed by the eyes. A heightened sense of smell can be achieved in a silent atmosphere. For instance, the human behaviour around a junkyard/slum/factory compared to a green park with flowers and wet soil contrastingly differs.

The tactile experience: The senses of skin enables a person to read and determine the texture, weight and density of a material in contact. The tactile sense is a way of interaction between the body and the external environment. The effect of architecture on the tactile stimulus depends on the period allowed by the function for the body to be in physical contact with the source. Touch isn’t merely limited to understanding the material and texture but also the volume and temperature existing in a space. Changes in either have the ability to affect the human behaviour. For instance, in winters a large space remains cold and in shade by thick opaque walls, but an opening allowing bright sunlight into a certain area brings in a different atmosphere. (Shailaja, 2014)

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Inference: The emotional state of the users during a death ceremony is very strong and intense. Even though the effect of emotion on every person is subjective, the feeling of grief and sorrow in varying amounts always exists. Therefore, the bereaved tries to find comfort in the external environment. The functioning of a crematorium enables to design spaces that can interact with the senses of the user through different forms and volumes. For example, the prayer hall (place of peaceful congregation), waiting areas (places of isolation and sorrow), processional axis (a final honour). A few visualizations developed to form the study of senses are listed below: 

Constraints to the visual sense heightens and promotes the use of other senses to perceive the environment.



Sudden changes in volume can stimulate senses.



Large volume isolated spaces for a peaceful environment.



Connecting to the natural environment through various forms to create healing/ relaxing spaces.



Due to the reason that death architecture deals primarily with providing solace for reducing sorrow, it might not be possible to activate all senses through architecture.

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10.4 Case Study for Multisensory Architecture – THERME VALS, SWITZERLAND Architects: Peter Zumthor, with Marc Loeliger, Thomas Durisch and Rainer Weitschies

Project Location: Graubunden, Switzerland Completion Year: 1996 “Mountain, stone, water – building in the stone, building with the stone, into the mountain, building out of the mountain, being inside the mountain

–

how

can

the

implications and the sensuality of the association of these words be interpreted, architecturally?”

Figure 65 The Therme Vals bath and spa (7132therme.com)

- Peter Zumthor

Need for Study: Built over the only thermal springs in the Graubunden Canton in

Switzerland, the intent of the structure was to create a contemporary thermal bath as healing spaces by offering a complete sensory experience to the users. Therefore, the motive is to understand how the design binds with the environment and natural elements on site while activating the user’s sensory capability to its fullest.

FORM: The structure merges into the landscape and textures of the mountain terrain, emphasizing its relationship with nature. Minimal emphasis is laid on the built mass with the primary focus laid on the context. This helps the structure to minimize the stimulus to vision and accordingly

prioritize

senses.

façade

The

other of

the

structure appears as plain stone Figure 66 Roof extending from the natural terrain to merge with the environment. (arch1101-2010kjb.blogspot.com

slabs native to the site with a flat roof acting as an extension of the grassy plains.

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Figure 67 Therme vals ground floor plan (Pinterest+Author)

SPATIAL MOVEMENT Transition spaces: The visitor enters through a deep-in terrain underground tunnel accessed from the basement of the hotel.

The walking paths are closed spaces with rock textures imparting a cave-like experience. The visitor is addressed by the sounds of water trickling from bronze faucets.

Exploration through Curiosity: The movement through the baths urges the person to pause, imagine and discover. The paths do not guide and therefore compels the person to Figure 68 Tunnel entrance (gk.co)

explore different baths. The spaces have been designed in a

way that the visitor is led to certain predetermined points. The central bath is connected by four staircases which direct the visitor out of the water. The secondary spaces are scattered around the sauna’s so that they are imparted an independent character which allows to restrict the view from any point along the path. (ArchDaily, The Therme Vals / Peter Zumthor, 2009)

Figure 69 Basic model of emotions (Paul De Vries)

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Bathing

experience:

Several

pools

of

distinguishing characteristics are housed on the main floor-sound bath, fire bath, cold and fire bath, sounding bath. These pools are also connected by indoor and outdoor pools to enjoy the experience in both environments.

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Figure 70 (Left) Frames creating safe haven (Right) Central bath connected to other saunas in four directions.

SENSORY EXPERIENCE Ar. Peter Zumthor has used the baths to his advantage to provide a multisensory architecture experience while transitioning through spaces and pools.

Transition: There is a sudden expansion and deduction that occurs in the transition

corridors leading to the cave. The transition from exterior to interior is accompanied with a transition in light from high to low volume.

Olfactory stimulus: The olfactory stimulus is triggered when the path leads to the flower pool. Set a 33 degree Celsius, petals of aromatic flowers are contained in the pool. The petals grant not only an olfactory sense but also the tactile stimulus as the skin reaches in contact with the floating petals. (ArchDaily, The Therme Vals / Peter Zumthor, 2009)

Figure 71 Representation of olfactory stimulus in the baths. (Dani Lalonde, 2012, Thermal baths- Peter Zumthor)

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Sound stimulus: Composed sound art music played on speakers resonates through the spaces whereas, certain spaces amplify the sound produced by the users, water splashes and walking taps. The quality of sound changes while transitioning from peripheral low volume to the large volume around the main pool.

Figure 72 Representation of auditory stimulus in the baths. (Dani Lalonde, 2012, Thermal baths- Peter Zumthor)

Tactile experience: the tactile stimulus is activated only after getting emersed into the water.

A contrast between the smoothness of skin surrounded by rough rock texture. The skin gets in contact with warm stone and damp quartz flooring. Contrasting temperatures are achieved at the baths-main pool 32 degree Celsius, Fire pool 42 degree Celsius, Ice pool 14 degree Celsius. A path also leads the visitor from the indoor to outdoor context through a glass portal.

In the external pool, the body gets exposed to the natural temperatures which may differ as Per the climate. (mist, sunlight, snow) (ArchDaily, The Therme Vals / Peter Zumthor, 2009) Inference: The structure demonstrates simplicity in form while creating a peaceful and serene environment within and beyond the built structure. Using natural elements such as water and rock to manipulate and trigger various senses establishes a religious narrative and justifies the impact created by architecture on Figure 73 Experience of a user recorded through a 5 senses graph. (Aastha Wadhwa)

emotions and senses. The design unites the modern world with traditional methods of bathing. A place to

heal mentally and physically by providing an exploration of outdoor, indoor and underground spaces.

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10.5 Emotions associated with a Funeral Emotions are the intangible aspect associated with death. Death of a close one reflects varying emotions whose duration depends on the scale of grief struck on the person.

Bereavement: It is a situation of being deprived of a close relation or friend through their death. Therefore the people associated with a death funeral are called the bereaved. The occurrence of death is unpredictable, and thus the flow of emotions during a death funeral are extremely strong when compared to most other events. Even though the flow of emotions during a death event is subjective, understanding the general state of human psychology becomes essential for the design of a crematorium.

Shock. The unanticipated nature of death brings in the state of shock, which make the bereaved numb and sorrowful. The first feeling of losing someone important gets in the initial stage of grief making the person feel disoriented.

Disorganization. As shock lessens, feelings of uncertainty, confusion or disorganization often set in. The thought of the event of death always remains in the memory in the initial stage.

The grief of this memory affects the human mind functioning either creating havoc or a shock silence.

Volatile emotions. Anger, bitterness, hostility and resentment are common emotions experienced by a grieving person. These emotions are a result of continuous stress on the mind due to unbearable grief, but they are necessary in the process of healing. Sudden outbursts due to sorrow.

Longing Solace. The strong emotions flowings through the mind makes the bereaved to find comfort from people and other external elements around him to reach a point of acceptance.

Loss and isolation. This involves acknowledging the significance of the loss. The bereaved feel depressed and would want to be in isolation within an own private space to find a closure. They may feel a sense of emptiness and lack of purpose. The memory of the person is strongest in this phase, wherein the bereaved might notice the tangible forms of the deceased’s memory.

Relief and recovery. Feelings of relief and a sense that the worst is overcome with the realization that life goes on. It is important to realize that feeling relief in no way diminishes the loss a person has experienced. It simply marks the beginning of recovery with the passed time. A bereaved longs for a closure. (Emeritus, 2015) Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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11. MEMORY AND ARCHITECTURE 11.1 Understanding Memory Memory is our ability to encode, store, retain and subsequently recall information and past experiences in the human brain. It can be thought of in general terms as the use of past experience to affect or influence current behaviour. It is the ability to remember past experiences, and the power or process of recalling events.

Our memories are a collection of perception of previous experiences, associated people, closed ones, places, buildings, etc. The focus of human life has always been on reminiscing past events and drawing them into our present lives to relish. Human life is governed by our conscious, subconscious and unconscious minds, i.e. our emotions which in turn are heavily dependant on our memories and the perception of our memories. These perceptions tend to change from time to time. Several architectural theorists regard memory as products

of our body’s experience of a physical space.

ASSOCIATION OF ARCHITECTURE WITH MEMORY:

Architecture is perceived by the human conscience and stored as an experienced event which acts as a connection in space and time. Memories are composed of ‘mental images’ of past events, and are not confined to only sight. . Frances Downing, in one of his lectures, described mental images as active, vital repository of information gathered through sensual experience – through sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. A translation of a person/objects /events memory into an architectural narrative through correct reference points can trigger the recollection of the past experience.

Memory of a deceased is dealt by the bereaved in different ways. The association of memories are also affected by the beliefs, culture and tradition of different community practices.

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11.2 Cemetery vs Crematoria Honouring the dead is a ritual more closely associated with the living than the departed.

These are places where people congregate to pay their respects to the departed soul. After analysing the various practices of disposal of the dead followed, we can determine cremation and burials are two primary methods followed in India. With this in mind, the distinction between crematorium and cemeteries arises.

While both serve the purpose of carrying forth the last rites of the dead, cemeteries are spaces where people congregate to interact with their deceased loved ones in the form of tangible aspects, whereas crematoriums act as places that people visit to perform the last rituals of the dead, without having a strong connect of the deceased memory to the space of cremation. Both serve as potent emotional stimulators, which deal with respecting the deceased and the consoling the family. The act of remembrance evoked in a crematoria are relatively temporary, owing more to the event of death as opposed to the space itself.

Crematoriums are structures visited not to preserve a memory but primarily to execute a ritual, while cemeteries can be visited regularly which creates a shift of importance from the actual event of the death to the space itself. The process and ritual of cremation is lengthier compared to burial. The users spend a long period in the crematorium till the ashes are recovered. Crematorium deals with memories only in a way which are brief only till the visit to the structure.

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12. DEATH ARCHITECTURE AS A PUBLIC SPACE

Figure 74 The TOI newspaper article on Burial grounds turn into public space by Pradeep Kumar

Inference: Crematorium act as a symbol of death. The existing dull and uninviting atmospheres makes a person sense negative emotions of his own mortality and how momentary life is. Why can’t the structure celebrate life and death? Be a symbol of life and not just death?

Metropolitan cities, especially Mumbai, abundantly lack areas of open space. A landscaped public space in an urban scenario holds higher potential of incoming users for refreshment activities such as jogging, meditation, playgrounds and spaces of congregation. The presence of a public space beside a crematorium promotes interaction with certain parts of the structure, wherein it can be made to reflect the significance of life and not just death.

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CHAPTER 4

The Study of

Death Architecture Designs

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13. ASHWINIKUMAR GHAT CREMATORIUM, SURAT, INDIA Site Area: 1200m2 Design Architects: Ar. Gurjit Singh Matharoo Opened in the year: 2000 Capacity: 3 wooden and 5 gas furnace Cremation Statistics: 10-14 per day

13.1 Introduction Ashwinikumar Ghat crematorium is one of the most well-known designs of modern crematoriums in Indian architecture. The structure is located on the banks of river Tapi in Gujarat. Surat is an industrial city on the western coast of India. It was hit by the effects of continuous natural calamities and human-caused hazards.

Tapi river floods 1994: About 5 million people inhabit along the coasts of Tapi river. The city has been developed along the river, but it also prevails as a repeating cause of mass destruction by floods. A catastrophic epidemic was caused in the year 1994.It led to a large number of deaths. Many identified the floods as a dreaded plague.

Communal Riots, 1995: Mass destruction of life was caused by communal riots. It led to deaths from various communities. The city was criticized for its filth and therefore needed reforms in the city’s condition.

The Narayan Trust in Surat ran a charity organization which provided the services of fire cremation. The crematoriums existing during the period of these epidemic’s deemed obsolete and insufficient to the scale of deaths occurring at the time. This realization of the city’s incapability to handle deaths led to an inclination of holding cleaner and efficient technology for cremation. The use of biogas systems in the city was first initiated by the trust.

They desired to have a crematorium with a better spatial character that served as a dignified environment for the bereaved to carry out rituals for their dead. A major effort for reformation and construction was undertaken by holding a national design competition with a respectable panel of jurors in charge of selecting a design out of 30 entries. As a result, the design by Ar. Gurjit Singh Matharoo was selected due to its simplicity in form and enhanced spaces for the functions which appealed to the jurors. The construction was completed in the year 2000. (MatharooAssociates, 2006)

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Figure 75 Plan showing location of Ashwinikumar Ghat Crematorium. (Google maps + Author)

13.2 Site Context Surat is a city that has been developed along the banks of river Tapi with the prominence of Ghats on both sides which serves the various needs of the city’s inhabitants. The oldest crematorium of the city was to be revamped into a new design. One side of the site is directly connected to the bank of the river with its opposite side is connected by the road. The site is a flat terrain which visually connects to the river, bridge and the other side of the river. Water bodies have always been regarded with great significance in the Hindu context, especially as a part of their death ceremonies. Therefore, the connection to the water’s edge acted as a key element on site.

Mythology: The site holds a significant mythical relevance in terms of Hindu cremation. At the bank of this river lies the site ‘ASHWINIKUMAR’. The Ashwinikumars were two brothers born of Surya and Sangna, daughter of Vishwakarma with horse faces. They are mocked by Lord Indra which makes them kill themselves. Naramundi, advises them, ‘a man must never forsake his body. How does one find moksha if one avoids one’s Karma?” and then asks them to bath on the bank of river Tapi. The mythology says that having bath in the river Tapi gives any individual “moksha”. The two brothers regained their beauty by doing so on the same location of the site. Therefore the site is named after the two brothers.

(MatharooAssociates, 2006)

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13.3 Objective The main aim of the design was to find a valid architectural expression in terms of the built form and its perception in an urban context. While respecting the traditional values and beliefs of cremation, the design also attempts to understand the changing the changing traditions of religion in the modern urban society. It aims at designing a building secular in nature which welcomes all irrespective of any persons religious beliefs.

13.4 Form and Concept The first design goal was to achieve the sensitive and emotional identity of a crematorium space in context to the prevailing urban environment. This was achieved by clearing a large center of the site which would be an amalgamation of all primary function that serves the essential rites if cremation. This plane was isolated from the road, the adjacent context of mechanic shops and buildings by designing large walls and structures that hosted the ancillary functions such as canteen, parking, administrative and service areas. This imparted an introvert nature to the design wherein the site creates a separate peaceful environment with the city for cutting itself out from the urban chaos and emphasizing solely towards the direction of the river. The cut-off from city life allows the user to perceive his own healing space in the emotional state of mourning. (MatharooAssociates, 2006)

Figure 76 Model showing overall form and context of the design. (build.in) Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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Figure 77 Cut plan of the design (architexturez.net)

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13.5 Processional Axis The circulation through spaces has been analysed in terms of the processional axis. Although the building is secular in nature and welcomes all communities, the design is ritually connected to Hinduism.

The Entrance: A shadowed closed space and a concrete blind wall with a narrow slit opening. The entrance is structured by skewed angles (in the plan) of the site, which completely obstructs the view of interior spaces to stress on the unknown.

The only space visible is a seating platform attached to the concrete blind Figure 78 Entrance to the crematorium (architexturez.net)

wall and the corridor spaces which guide the procession by a stream of light entering from a narrow slit on the roof.

The bereaved mostly need to long hours in the crematorium due to the duration taken by the funeral customs and cremation. The light falling on the blind wall is narrative of life shown as changing nature of the day.

Figure 79 Entrance corridor (Author)

Figure 80 Conceptual section through the entrance corridor showing play of light (Author)

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Figure 81 Conceptual section through the waiting area showing landscaped getting framed by columns (author)

Meditation plane: The space is suspended as a buffer between the spatial narrative of the known

(Furnace

Chambers)

and

the

unknown (entrance).

The meditation plane provides the mourner with both- open and closed healing spaces.

The closed corridors open out onto the green landscape through a series of columns. One Figure 82 Waiting area placed adjacent to the green area. (Author)

side visually connects a small view of the river from afar.

The open space is a landscaped area cut off from the chaotic environment by the concrete walls. The green space holds different types of designed seating’s around trees, mounds and peripheral walls. It is on the peripheral seating that we can perceive the elevation of the structure as a whole. The cremation ceremony demands for pandits to perform rites. Grass cover is maintained with mounds to act as ground seating areas for the pandits.

Figure 83 (Left) Corridor spaces opening out to landscape, (right )structure viewed from open area. (Author) Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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Figure 84 (Left)Gas Furnace within the crescent-like walls (Right)Private ritual spaces divided by walls (Author)

Furnace Chambers: A row of four enclosed cremation gas furnaces are separated by high crescent-like walls. The partition walls seclude the family from the outside environment and provide the mourners with a private space to carry out their customs with being or disturbing other functions. Narrow slits offset within the Figure 85 Light highlighting the curvature (Author)

inner curvature allows a strip of light which internally highlights the space.

Large volumes and in-situ seating facility provided as waiting areas around the furnace To even suffice large families.

The small path around the furnace glimpses onto the river where one can feel the breeze thus narrating the life beyond.

Figure 86 Rear corridors opening out to landscape and to the river before refill. (Author)

The Pavilion: The pavilion forms the rear part of the structure which is easily connected by the

four furnace chambers. The enclosed platform closely overlooks onto the river and leads to a lower garden that meets the river. The elevated platform above the bank turns the initial perspective upside down. The level difference achieved by the two platforms imparts a calm and serene healing environment where a mourner can find peace in the natural elements it connects. Similar to other functions, the garden too is isolated by walls and level difference to provide the mourner with a private space.

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Figure 88 (Left)Rear landscape area with traditional pyre (right))rear corridor spaces with ceiling openings (Author)

Exit ramp: The bereaved exit through a narrowly structured ramp that takes the user gradually down the slope and exaggerating the perspectives.

The user while transitioning through the ramps, sees a void through a narrow slit, and a tall thick tower at the rear.

13.6 Volume and Massing Throughout the entire process, the path that an individual takes is characterised by the difference in volume of the spaces that Figure 87 Skewed sloping ramps exaggerating perspectives.

is influenced by the proportions and the light it receives. The height from the entrance foyer to the working platforms has

comparatively lesser heights with a series of columns dividing the space. The area of where cremation takes place is marked with large volume spaces with opening closer to the ceiling to bring a shift of light and ventilation into space.

Figure 89 (Left) Rear landscaped area viewing water tank, (Right) Rear lower garden existing before renovation Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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13.7 Material expression The structure uses exposed grey concrete, wood along with the green landscape and adjacent river to create a delicate balance between the raw, exposed material and the natural elements existing on site. In relation to the openings and ceiling cut-outs, the material plays an important role in the effect it causes on the light and visual essence of the space.

The space along with the material and light makes the processional spaces very dull yet peaceful, depicting the nature of death.

13.8 Inference: The structure is a successful combination of spatial and experiential spaces into a traditional crematorium functionality through the firm of a simple pavilion.

Multifunctionality: The design understands the changing role of religion in the modern society and finds solutions for the same. The spaces created are multifaceted for the use by all communities who desire to cremate. The functions are segregated in such a way that the traditions and customs followed are provided with private spaces which can, therefore, be carried out without interfering with other functions and families. Even with such great design elements, it fails to tackle certain problems: Wear and Tear: After eighteen years in use, the structure shows the sign of wear and tear dye to ill maintenance. The concrete walls have been vandalized with scribbled chalk-work. The seating platforms are loaded with machines due to insufficient storage. The smoke has affected the texture and colour of the material.

Caretakers Shelter: Even though the design caters to the deceased and mourners, it fails to do the same for the caretakers. The structure does not provide any shelter for the family of the workers. Thus, they have set up temporary huts and canopies on top of the flat roof, completely ruining the elevation of the structure.

Floods: The design didn’t successfully tackle the frequent natural event. The level of the river rose due to floods and water reached the first level the crematoriums terrace.

The lower garden had to be abandoned and rebuilt. The Figure 90 Refiiled rear area cutting off the river view completely (Author)

gas furnace has been replaced by electric furnace.

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14. MAHAPRASTHANAM CREMATORIUM, HYDERABAD Site Area: 14800m2 Design Architects: DA Studios Opened in year: 2015 Capacity: 3 wooden and 10 gas furnace Cremation Statistics: 8-12 per day

14.1 Introduction The Mahaprasthanam crematorium was initiated as a joint venture between the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and the Pheonix Foundation to revamp an existing cemetery in the year 2015. The intervention aimed at changing the perception of cremation and to give the existing graveyard a facelift while retaining its essence. It was a welcome change being brought into the traditional way of crematorium architecture in India. It is an exquisite example of a blend of traditions and religious philosophy and its expression through modern architecture. (Hattangadi, 2016)

Figure 91 Plan showing the location of Mahaprasthanam Crematorium, Hyderabad. (Google maps + Author)

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14.2 Site Context The site was originally a conjunction for holding death funerary practices followed by different communities. The area consisted of a Smashan Bhoomi as well as a graveyard which catered the local population consisting of Hindu, Muslims, Christians etc. Thus the site was a land of congregation for all the inhabitants wherein they visited to pay their respect to the dead.

The site lies on a slope, at the base of a rocky hill. It is connected by Narne road leading to the Old Mumbai Highway on one side and natural landscape on the remaining edges. The slope existing on the two extreme ends of the site is around 9 meters.

14.3 Concept The design derives meaning from the death related philosophies of the Bhagwad Gita and tries to translate them into architectural narratives and symbols in the form of built and unbuilt spaces.‘Life’s purpose is fulfilled when one goes through the 16 phases called Shodasha Samskara. Death in Hindu Philosophy is but a journey in search of perfection and eventual Moksha’ and the prescribed ritualistic stages where ‘Antyesti, the final stage of life is the funeral ritual. Divided into 5 major stages- preparation, cremation, mourning, purification and commemoration- the last rite is fulfilled.’ The concept carries the responsibility of curating these interpretations into structural forms. (Hattangadi, 2016)

Figure 92 Concept translation to built form. (thearchitectsdiary.com)

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Figure 93 Aerial view of the design cluster (thearchitectsdiary.com)

14.4 Form The design does not follow a single building idea. The structures have been segregated over the site as per the circulation of functions. These forms have been derived from metaphorical reference to the Hindu traditional beliefs of Antyesti and Moksha. These forms have been connected by open-to-sky spaces. The overall structure of the design appears as a series of distinct isolated forms organically arranged over the hilly topography to enjoy open interactions and connections through the landscape and ambient spaces. Explaining the functional aspect of this layout, the architects say, “Due to building on an existing crematory, the open land pockets left a scattered layout to the built forms. This leaves an organic layout of spaces. A screen and stone posts and plants add further privacy to each pyre.�

(Hattangadi, 2016)

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Figure 94 Site plan of the design (thearchitectsdiary.com)

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14.5 Processional Axis The circulation through spaces has been analysed in terms of the processional axis.

The Entrance: to the site is seen as a minimal intervention to the natural topography of site and therefore merges the built and the natural environment.

Figure 95 Aerial view of the design cluster from the entrance (thearchitectsdiary.com)

The entrance path is defined by two inclined walls creating a partial canopy. The walls symbolically signify eternal embrace of life and death, the reality of life and its acceptance. This axis is completely open from the top as it acts as a fast transition space. The path ends at a coarse-textured wall with a mural of symbolic representation of Lord Shiva (triumph over death). The pathway then merges with the primary axis which extends along the whole length of the site, branching out onto other functions and landscape spaces in between to promote congregation and peace.

Figure 96 Entrance to the site (thearchitectsdiary.com)

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Office Block: The path leads us to the first structure which hosts the office block. It consists of all administrative functions such as the manager’s office, bookstore marketing hymn and holy books and a lockers room. The office block slightly inclines towards the entrance while the locker room plays with light entering through three narrow slits located on the ceiling.

Landscaped paths bordered by walls act as buffer spaces for a gradual transition into the functions.

Figure 97 Cut plan, Elevation and section through the entrance and office block (thearchitectsdiary.com)

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Traditional

pyre:

The

end

of

the

central

processional axis leads to the waiting area which is connected to the wood pyre pavilion. The wooden pyres have been adequately spaced apart from each other to allow privacy of space to hold the ceremony.

The

pathways

landscaped

have

areas

as

been

separated

by

spaces.

The

buffer

amalgamation of these elements with minimal built form grants a serene atmosphere around the Figure 98 Aerial view of waiting area and traditional pyre block (thearchitectsdiary.com)

pyre. The inclination of walls in the waiting area and the pyre have again been abstracted from

symbolical meanings from the Hindu journey of “antyesti�. The inclinations are designed to honour the final memory of the body and pay final respect during cremation.

Electric Furnace: The ceremonial yard is a space to conduct the pre-cremation traditions. The electric crematorium is situated opposite the office block, the closest function to the entrance.

The pavilion is designed to be very porous in nature, opening out in all four directions. The canteen has been located near the graveyard, Figure 99 Interior spaces of the electric furnace pavilion (thearchitectsdiary.com)

isolated from the central processional axis to avoid its interference with the primary functions.

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14.6 Volume and Massing The built mass intervention is largely only in the form of walls with inclinations abstracted from the Hindu procession of death. Since each function has been allotted its own structure, the heights, proportions and volumes continuously change. The volume dimensions in the waiting area are lesser than that of the wooden pyre pavilion. The inclination of walls plays an important role in determining the volume to be perceived by the human. For instance, the volume in the wooden pyre is made to perceive larger with the inclination of the wall increasing the volume at the human's eye level. The connection through open spaces adds up to the continuous change from open, semi-open to closed spaces, making the user acknowledge the character of each function.

14.7 Material Expression Since the site is located on a contoured rocky terrain, therefore the natural environment becomes prominent.

The design ensures that the material of the built form responds to such a context. The design primarily uses light colours with raw finished textures through a combination of precast concrete, stones, tiles and pavers. A significant contrast has been brought between the built and the Figure 100 Inscription of light plastered walls (ThinkMatter)

natural landscape composed of green and brown. The material has also been used to determine the quality of light falling on the walls. The walls are precast concrete of a very light grey shade. Therefore the quality of light falling on the surface gets highlighted and thus enhances the ability to perceive the space in its natural form.

14.8 Inference Figure 101 Material palette used in the structures (Pheonix Foundation)

The design primarily focuses on creating a symbolic expression for death through architecture. The vast

spanning design functions allows an experience of openness and closeness to the natural environment. A large emphasis has been laid on experiencing the context in its natural form by the minimal intervention of built mass. The design imbibes each function with an aesthetic quality and a respectful departure which may help an individual achieve some level of solace after completing the process of cremation.

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15. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CASE STUDIES The two case studies provide contrasting outlooks on interpreting death processes and function through architecture in a successful manner. Both designs deal with solving different elements of problems for a common aim- enhanced spatial and utilitarian experience than provided by the existing crematoriums.

CONTEXTUAL: Ashwinikumar Ghat crematorium was set up in the middle of a very urban context with the river proving to be the only element in its natural form. It dealt with the chaotic environment by cutting itself from the urban setting and creating an introvert healing space which only emphasized the river.

Mahaprasthanam crematorium was located at the bottom of a rocky, sloping hill. It took advantage of the context by incorporating the existing natural landforms and enhancing its experience in relation to the built mass in order to act as healing spaces. The design laid emphasis on the complete context.

FUNCTIONAL: Ashwinikumar Ghat Crematorium failed to provide certain functions such as storage, caretakers room, etc. It couldn’t stand the test of time which resulted in shutting down the garden area. Ill maintenance has lea to degradation of the quality of space.

Mahaprasthanam crematorium has spilt out various functions across the large site. The functions cater to every need of the user consisting of bath areas, cold room, ceremonial yards and public cremation facilities which Ashwinikumar Crematorium failed to provide.

CULTURAL: Ashwinikumar Ghat crematorium has analysed and understood the needs of the changing religious traditions in a metropolis. Even though the design is dominated by Hindu rituals, it welcomes and allows all communities willing to cremate by providing them efficient secluded spaces for carrying out their processes and rituals. Even though Mahaprasthanam is revamped over a graveyard, it primarily caters to the Hindu religion and therefore designs spaces symbolic of the religions mythology, culture and traditions.

PSYCHOLOGICAL: The design of Ashwinikumar Ghat deals with secluded healing spaces by creating spatial and experiential spaces through ceiling openings and the play of light and shadow. It uses transition through closed corridors with a single large open spaces. Due to the abundance of open space and drier climatic conditions, the design if Mahaprasthanam crematorium facilitates transition through open landscapes and uses built form solely for functions. The design concept focuses more on abstracting the death process into symbolic significance.

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16. HOFHEIDE CREMATORIUM, HOLSBEEK, BELGIUM Floor surface: 3859 m² Design Architects: COUSSÉE & GORIS architecten / RCR Arquitectes (Pritzker winner 2017) Construction years: 2007 - 13 Capacity: 3 electric furnace Location: Holsbeek (BE) Award: Winner in the religious/memorial buildings category at the 2016 Architzer A+Awards

Figure 102 Hofheide crematorium, Holsbeek, Belgium (Dezeen)

16.1 Introduction Largely marginal in the 1970’s, cremation has experienced a slow but regular progress for the last 20 years in Belgium, reaching a 35% rate today. In 2030, cremation is determined to become the main funeral practice in Belgium, outreaching the symbolic 60% rate. This true reversal of traditions underlines the progressive spreading of cremation. If cremation is becoming a major practice on a strict number basis, some of its aspects are still influenced by former perceptions of death. (ArchDaily, 2014) The Hofheide inter-communal association (IGS) brings together 28 of the 30 municipalities in the district of Leuven as well as the Province of Flemish Brabant. A number of studies and statistics have shown that there was a need for a crematorium in the district of Leuven. In the continuity of what have been made in Northern Europe, a reflection on the architectural quality of crematoriums in Belgium was more than needed. Therefore, they selected the "Hofheide" location in Holsbeek. The crematorium offers a complete service under one roof.

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16.2 Site Context The crematorium exists on a dense naturally landscaped site prevailing in one of the large plains in Belgium’s Flanders region. The Plain’s landscape shapes a shallow swampy basin.

This basin is the setting for the crematorium. The architects described the location as a "gentle swampy basin". (Winston, 2016) "This basin is the setting for the crematorium, underscoring it and propitiating the permanent formation of a larger reservoir, part of a walk through the park that spreads across the entire precinct, at the ends of which are two cemeteries (one for burials, the other for niches)."

A backdrop of dense forest trees separating the plains from what lies beyond exaggerates the natural ambience.

Figure 103 Site plan of Hofheide crematorium, Holsbeek, Belgium (omgeving.be + Author) Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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Figure 104 North elevation from marshland park (dezeen)

16.3 Concept The architects wanted to design spaces that are as close to nature as possible. Bringing the users into the natural setting makes them conscious about being a part of the environment as a whole. The intent was for the design to not inflict any beliefs or traditions onto the mourners, but only create spaces that imparted peaceful ambience and provided solace by honouring the dead in a dignified manner. (Winston, 2016)

16.4 Form Being placed in the middle of open setting of the marshlands, the structure appears to hover over the shallow water basin like a sarcophagus. The different functions of a crematorium are housed within a single volume. The exterior form of the Figure 105 West elevation from platform (dezeen)

building

is

a

long

rectangular

structure,

predominantly built from concrete which is tinted to match the reddish colour of iron-rich stone native to the area. The concrete plinth offset from the buildings boundaries are screened by strips of vertical weathering steel whose narrow vertical openings create a contrast with the heaviness of the oblong volume of the cuboid.

Figure 106 (Left) View of the grasslands from interior space (right) Changing shadow casted by strips (dezeen) Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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Figure 107 (Above)Ground floor cut plan, (below) Basement cut plan (Author) Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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Figure 108 Section through the ceremonial hall (afasiaarchzine.com)

16.5 Zoning and circulation The parking is situated distant from the marshland garden, therefore cutting the mourners from the outside world. The structure and the natural landscape that surrounds it is such that they entice the user to contemplate- the long transition through the marshland park, entry Figure 109 Light and shadow casted (archello.com)

and passages to the functions, altogether accord a “sense of place�

for

the

mourners

to

efficiently carry out the funerary processes for their deceased.

A strip of concrete plinth bridges the marshland park to the building's plinth from over the swampy basin.

There is no distinct door or canopy for the entrance but more of an Figure 110 Ceremonial halls (coussee-goris.com)

opposite movement-wherein the

person is gradually guided by the shadows of the suspended steel strips. Narrow strips of openings and voids are intriguingly designed in the inner corridors to create different patterns of light and shadow. The internal movement through the building is guided by change if light.

The publically accessible functions through the corridors are a reception, two halls, family rooms, sanitary facilities, cafeteria, rooms for funeral meals and the furnace area which is zoned at the extreme end with separate waiting areas for witnessing the entry of the coffin Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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into the cremation furnace. The hall has a centrally

placed

vertical

box

tube

suspended from the roof onto a raised platform where the deceased is to be placed.

The

box

is

a

vertical

void

connecting the interior with the sky and letting in light onto the deceased to Figure 111 Entrance to the site (architizer.com)

emphasize it within the dark hall.

The service area for the furnace, sanitary facilities and cafeteria are placed in a partial basement connected by a separate entrance from the marshland park. (Winston, 2016)

16.6 Material expression The comprehensive choice of material for the main building is a rust-coloured concrete cast in layers which makes it monolithic. The crematorium was primarily built using native ironstone-tinted architectural concrete. Strips of weathering steel in irregular widths were screened on all the facades that covered the upper two-thirds of the external walls. Some of the steel lengths are gently twisted to create a textured pattern around the building.

Through the amalgamation of stone, water and light within the natural setting imparts an intense monumental intimacy.

16.7 Conclusion The strip of vertical weathering steel not only assist in hiding the oblong volume but its reddish tint merges with the backdrop of trees. The shadow cast by the strips completely change the perception of interior spaces. The design uses a different form of light in interior and external spaces and therefore grant a “sense of space� for healing. The design has analysed the funerary processes associated with death and catered to all the function with appropriate volume and areas which is lacked by most crematoriums.

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17. TREPTOW CREMATORIUM, HOLSBEEK, BELGIUM Site Area: 9339.0 m2 Design Architects: Shultes Frank Architeckten Construction completed in: 1999 Capacity: 7 electric furnace Location: Berlin, Germany

17.1 Introduction European countries are new to the tradition of cremation. The use of this method started only in 1966 and even after the religious constraints, has since then rose drastically. The design originated from an architect-design competition for a crematorium, held to address the growing statistics of cremation in Berlin. The objective of the competition brief was to design an extension to the existing building on the site, but Ar. Axel and Frank Schultes countered this constraint by designing a completely new building. The jurors went on to notice the effectiveness of the design and agreed with the architect’s vision, thus declaring it winner.

17.2 Site Context The site is located in Baumschulenweg, separated from the cities context by an inhabiting itself within a large area covered by trees. The structure is connected to the road by a large patch of open landscaped garden. The parking for the site is provided at the entrance of the garden. The site lies close to a small stream in the North West direction, flowing into the river Spree. The distance between the two is completely blocked by trees. (Berlin, 2008)

Figure 112 3D site location of the Treptow crematorium, Berlin. (Google earth + author) Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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17.3 Concept The journey after death is unknown to everyone, but Ar. Frank Schultes imagined

the

transition

beyond

death as per his comprehension. His imagination of a glorified, as silent and peaceful experience of the journey in the form of a poem, was translated Figure 113 Condolence area abstracted from a poem (ArchDaily)

expressions

into and

architectural narrative.

The

design envisioned creating a space of contemplation wherein; the user can embrace the experience of the deceased transitioning from this world to the next.

Figure 114 Form and entry of the structure (elephantinberlin.com)

17.4 Form and Volume

The building is a non-jointed 50m by 70m block that goes 10m deep into the earth (basement for furnace chambers and other services) and 10m above the ground. The solid concrete structure from the exterior appears to be monumental due to impression caused by the volume in relation to the landscape. The interior spaces have also been designed large in volume to enable the user to experience a divine journey.

17.5 Material expression A consistency of materials exist on the surfaces, which features exposed concrete (gravestone) and just one other colour- blue. The blue used in slat-steered casings of glass in combination with light concrete bestow a comforting and peaceful environment on the mourners. Schultes had stated that he wanted the architecture to possess a primordial characteristic. The concrete surfaces have therefore been left rough and unpolished to incorporate an appearance of “weathered purity of the past�. (Goei, 2011) The light shaded walls glorify the nature of death by reflecting soothing light on the walls.

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Figure 115 Plans and sections of Treptow crematorium (berlinarchitecture.com + author)

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17.6 Zoning and circulation The building has a geometrical plan- a large square that encloses various functions as small boxes to interplay addition and subtraction of volumes to produce an interesting form, internally.

Entrance: The user enters through a gateway-like structure, framing the front crematorium façade from afar. The distance between the two is an open landscaped area acting as an appreciation space for the built mass. The design provides two processional entrances which are recessed volumes running the full height of the structure, with a centrally placed narrow slit on the roof. The slit opening to the sky and the Figure 116 Recessed entry to the structure with slit on the roof (elephantinberlin.com)

changing shadow cast by it unintentionally guides the user towards the other functions.

Condolence Area: This high evocative space is a large vestibule enlivened by an irregular arrangement of 29 circular concrete columns, shaped in reference to the hypostyles of classical temples. The architect envisions the place the departed go to. It appears like heaven with lots of clouds and trees with a realm of light hence the spread out vegetation closer to the slat-steered casing of glass that brings in light.

The space is not only a transitional area for reaching other functions but also acts as a threshold that binds people together. The cluster can accommodate both- small and a large group of people. The circular columns allow celebrating the deceased’s life in one space while the next discreetly allows a person to bereave quietly. The centre of the hall possesses a

Figure 117 Interior view of the condolence area showing the volume and light.

(Archdaily)

pond with a floating egg, interpreting a symbol of new life.

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Figure 118 Internal spaces of the ceremonial hall (Archdaily)

Ceremonial halls: The crematorium constitutes two small halls accommodating 50 people and a larger hall with a capacity of 250 people. The halls are boxes of split stone, set open-fronted into a second, slat-steered casing of glass.

Both are placed on the opposite ends of the built mass. The funeral services are held in these halls. The two small halls form the central glass faรงade between the two entrances.

Furnace chambers: The cremation rooms on the basement floor are accessed through two ramps at the back of the building. Separated from the rooms where the funeral services are held, they are kept out of the mourners' view; the only sign of them visible from the outside is three stacks Figure 119 Only three chimneys are visible from outside (Archdaily)

aligned along one side of the roof.

17.7 Conclusion The design is one of the best examples of death architecture in Europe. It has effectively created evocative spaces by translating the architect's imagination of death and beyond into architectural narratives. Apart from the spatial and experiential quality, the volumes also develop a monumental intimacy. The design manifests how a structure for the dead can set a monumental example for death architecture prevailing in the modern era. The structure not only honours the deceased while creating peaceful spaces but also celebrates death in its own divine and glorified manner.

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18. INFERENCE: THE MISSING ASPECTS? India has been predominantly following the tradition of cremation due to the dominance of Hinduism. But the country still lacks the utilitarian, spatial, experiential and functional aspects of death architecture. The western countries on the other hand, who have primarily followed burials as a method of disposing of corpses, have started to accept and prioritize cremation due to its advantages in the prevailing urban scenario. Cremation is leading its way onto becoming universal. The high statistics of cremation in countries such as Sweden's 70% and Denmark's 76% and national average rate in the United Kingdom rising from 34.70% in 1960 to 77.05% in 2017. This has led to the demand of more crematoriums that serve all communities who wish to cremate. After studying the finest examples of prevailing designs of crematoriums in India and abroad, we can conclude on the basis of the following comparisons: MULTIFACETED: Even though Ashwinikumar Ghat crematorium has navigated the changing role of religion and traditions in the modern society, it fails to incorporate proper solutions for the same. Mahaprasthanam crematorium designs cremation spaces symbolizing solely Hindu culture and traditions, and therefore lacks the understanding of catering to all types of users.

The design of Treptow and Hofheide crematorium is based on terms of secularism. It invites and welcomes all communities and provides spaces accordingly for the efficient conduct of funerals for all.

MONUMENTAL: Architecture of death in the modern era has been pushed to the darkest corners of urban spaces. The vision of creating dignified spaces for death has been lost in the prevailing time. This situation is a contrast of what existed in previous eras of death architecture wonders. Ar. Frank Schultes has designed a structure that provides a monumental perception and a divine experience through modern architecture. The spaces not only intrigue the mourners but any individual who visits the place. The design makes the structure approachable and grants a monumental feature to a building with a function termed as “forbidden�.

FUNCTIONAL: The aspect of multifaceted and functionality are inter-related. Treptow and Hofheide crematorium designs understand all the types of users and provide functions accordingly. Ashwinikumar Ghat and Mahaprasthanam crematorium fail to provide several functions and design solutions necessary for efficient functioning, such as ceremonial halls, large waiting areas and barriers between functions. The quantity and quality of functions largely differ between the two types of case studies.

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CELEBRATING DEATH: Death architecture reminds an individual of his own mortality.

Crematoriums are presumed to be places of a “dark nature” while the irony being that every person goes through this structure as one side of the two faces (as a mourner or the deceased). The Treptow crematorium celebrates life over death. The spaces create peaceful, silent and heavenly spaces which makes the mourner gain a “sense of closure”.

SUSTAINABLE ASPECTS: The shift from burials to cremation has been due to the shortage of space in urban scenarios. But cremation has its own effects on the environment through the harmful smoke emissions. To counter the problem, Western countries have started to cremate by very sustainable methods. The machinery and technology used, processes the smoke given out from cremation through many stages of purification. Treptow and Hofheide crematorium have special floors for the huge machines. They have system back-ups and maintenance services installed into the service floors. By doing so, it also avoids the user’s visual connection to the huge metal machinery. Mahaprasthanam crematorium has focused on the use of traditional wood cremation and Ashwinikumar Ghat crematorium couldn’t provide enough barrier to the gas furnace which resulted in changing the whole system into electric furnaces.

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CHAPTER 5

Site study and Design Intent

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19. PARAMETERS FOR SITE SELECTION: Based on the research of death processes, rituals, customs and the architecture undertaken for the same, prevailing in the current scenario. The site search will be based on the following guidelines: URBAN CONTEXT: The design intent aims to cater to the problems faced by death funerals in a highly urbanized environment and find architectural solutions not only for the existing scenario but also for the upcoming periods. The problems of efficient disposal of corpses faced by an urban context and rural context differ extensively. The study conducted focuses on real-time urban issues, and therefore various headers under urban issues are required on the site: 

Relation of population and death: The population in a metropolis is higher due to migration for job opportunities, education and a better standard of living. Higher the population, larger the number of deaths for the crematoriums to cater. Population in urban cities such as Mumbai are frequently affected by natural and man-made calamities in the form of terrorism, accidents, floods, riots, etc, which lead to death in differing statistics. This aspect will allow the design to experiment design solutions catering to different scales of death.



Space crunch: Population and space scarcity are inter-related. Mumbai faces extensive space scarcity issues which can be witnessed through the ever-rising land prices statistics. Large chunks of the city’s inhabitants are without adequate living spaces. Mumbai faces an acute shortage of burials. Methods of re-using same graves have been incorporated and still fail to cater to the large population. The issue facilitates the acceptance of newer and effective methods of disposal such as cremation.



Pollution: Metropolitan cities like Delhi are highly affected by pollution. The process of traditional wood cremation aggravates this issue. The need for adopting new sustainable methods of cremation is highlighted by this aspect. This helps to promote solar, biogas methods with a larger scope of acceptance.

DIVERSITY: Diversity of community within the selected area promotes the aim of the design of understanding the changing role of traditions and customs in the current modern society and providing solutions for the same. The types of users the design needs to serve increases.

It will allow the design to experiment the incorporation of multifunctional spaces within a diversified environment while determining its feasibility.

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ACCEPTANCE TO CHANGE: Metropolitan cities undergo constant changes in culture, lifestyle and traditions. The urban populace is knowledgeable enough to understand the importance of sustainability, conservation and efficiency. The developing environment surrounding the inhabitants makes them used to “a change� towards the efficient conduct of customs. A site with a user context wherein new approaches are gradually accepted into the environment facilitates flexibility in the design.

With the basis of these parameters, metropolitan cities- Mumbai is a macro level area selected for the site search. Mumbai being the economic capital falls under all the criteria’s listed above.

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20. WORLI CREMATORIUM, MAHALAXMI, MUMBAI Visited on: 25th October, 2018 Established: 1970 Area: 48000 m2 Ward: G/S ward Cremation statistics: 200 cremations per month with 60% electric cremation and 40% wood Other communities cremations statistics: 20 cremations per month by electric furnace

Figure 120 Location map of the site (googlemaps + author)

20.1 Introduction The crematorium is located in close proximity to the Mahalaxmi Railway station and racecourse, Mumbai. It is comparatively a large plot with huge open areas lying in a barren state. The site consists if two structures for cremation in the neglected corners of the site. The state of the crematorium is dilapidated, with the provision primarily for wooden cremation and two electric furnaces with obsolete functioning.

20.2 Site Context The site lies in a highly urban context of south Mumbai. The large site is in close vicinity to residential towers, hotels, tall commercial buildings and defunct mills. Within this urban setting, the area is a culmination of death architecture due to its close proximity to a Catholic/Muslim burial and also one of the Jewish cemeteries in Mumbai. The large open Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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spaces within the site remain so unattended that the site boundaries have been subjected to extensions of cluster developments occupied by economically weaker sections. They use the open spaces for recreational activities, junkyard and an area for household functions (drying and washing clothes, cooking, etc).

20.3 User Profile The site holds a strong social structure out if all crematoriums in Mumbai. The site hosts two structures for cremation, both primarily serve Hindus, but one of the dilapidated crematoria has been provided with a separate newly built ceremonial hall to enable efficient conduct of death rituals and processes for the Parsi, Muslims and Catholic communities who wish to opt for cremating their deceased. A newly established cremation facility is provided as an alternative to the Tower of Silence and burials to facilitate quicker process of dealing with disposal of the dead. The hall is the primary reason for the site to be widely used. This is the only crematorium to provide facilities considering other communities needs for cremation.

Figure 121 The Parsi ceremony hall is the major reason for the crematorium to be used widely. (Googlemaps)

20.4 Issues on site Wastage of space: The site holds a large proportion of unbuilt space. This open land stays unmaintained, neither used for public activities nor any specified private function. As a result, it has become a hub for illegal activities such as gambling, drinking, drug peddling, etc. The minimal public elements that exist in the form of amphitheatre and seating platforms are unmaintained for efficient use.

Facilities: The crematorium lacks the provisions for basic functions such as toilets, changing rooms, landscape spaces, etc. To prevent the trespassing by the nearby slums, the site has been compounded, but fail to realize the actual need of construction.

Accessibility: The site is located on Dr. E Moses road which is a connector between Veer Savarkar road and Senapati Bapat Marg. Therefore, the road always remains congested

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during peak hours. Even though the crematorium holds large unused areas, the parking is provided on the road which adds up to the traffic.

Spatial quality: The structure is dilapidated and unrepaired. Instead of acting as a medium of comforting the mourner, the crematoriums condition aggravates the grief of seeing the deceased’s last memory in this structure. Even the minimal facilities that it provides are inefficient. The ceremonial hall is the only structure which seems to be effectively functioning.

20.4 Scope for selection Considering the structures condition, functions and melange of problems, the site provides a high potential to be revamped due to the following reasons: Site area: The site provides a substantial area of land which has not been fully utilized for any functions. Apart from a properly functioning crematorium, there is a need for public spaces that cater the surrounding residential and commercial towers that can facilitate the scope of interaction between the two. The size of the plot can provide flexibility for the proposal’s zoning and circulation.

Sociological aspect: The site provides a multifunctional funeral service. Therefore, the statistics for various communities already accessing the site for funerary and death processes of cremation are already highest in comparison to other crematoriums in Mumbai. This aspect will help analyse and find solutions to the changing role of traditions in the current urban society.

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21. OSHIWARA CREMATORIUM, ANDHERI, MUMBAI Visited on: 25th October, 2018 Established: 1981 Area: 24375 m2 Ward: K/W ward Statistics: 160 cremations per month with 65% electrical and 35% wood cremation Other communities: 9-10 electric cremations per month

Figure 122 Site location of Oshiwara crematorium (googlemaps + author)

21.1 Introduction The Oshiwara crematorium is situated in one of the biggest wards in the city and hence caters to a large population. The infrastructure is under immediate threat of collapse with repairs being undertaken at a very slow pace at only the most affected areas. The open space contained within the site is used by the surrounding locality for public activities.

21.2 Site Context The site is located along a filthy nallah, further deteriorated by the slums activities surrounding it. The context primarily holds residential clusters of economically weaker sections with shops at the ground level that cater to the needs of the community. Some of the inhabitants are truck drivers and mechanic shops and therefore the area is used for truck parking, loading unloading and scrap cars parked along the streets creating a congested environment.

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21.3 User Profile The crematorium caters to a large population of the K/W ward due to lack of crematoriums in the vicinity. The types of users are primarily Hindus, but on an average 9-10 electric cremations are conducted by other communities in a month. Lack of maintenance had resulted in shutting down of the electric crematorium.

21.4 Issues on site Facilities: The crematorium does not provide many facilities for the customs of funerary processes. The crematorium constitutes two prayer halls for 100 people but it lies in a deteriorated condition. The walls are scraped, and the roof appears to be worn out. The structure which provides a facility of wood cremation is ornamented with Hindu temple like elements and therefore attracts more people to the traditional method.

Caretakers: handling the dead bodies are prone to many health risks. The crematorium does not provide much facilities like changing rooms, lockers, etc. It only comprises of a single admin room with basic amenities inside.

Spatial quality: The area is surrounded by slums, and the nallah that lies behind is far from being called clean. The site does not regard the nallah in any sense. It is blocked by a wall to avoid mosquito breeding to affect the caretaker’s environment. A mourner crosses through these spaces into a structure that hardly honours the deceased; the site is a complete opposite of sacred.

21.5 Scope for selection The site needs immediate revamp. The structure is a condition wherein renovation can’t solve the real problem. Since the crematorium already caters to a large population, solutions can be generated that can reciprocate the site context environment. Worli crematorium is the only one that caters to the cremation processes of other communities. Revamping this site to cater to all communities can help distribute the load equally between southern Mumbai and the suburbs.

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22. THANE MULTI-FAITH CREMATORIUM, THANE (PROPOSAL) Newspaper Article: Mid-day Journalist: Gaurav Sarkar Published: January 06, 2018 Headline: Thane's Multiple Faiths To Build A Crematorium On Common Ground To meet the increasing demand of Thanekars for more burial grounds, Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) is set to give shape to a multi-faith crematorium. It has drafted a design for the 37,000-sqm crematorium, to come up on a ground at Bhayander Pada, and allotted space to different communities.

Figure 123 Bhayander Pada ground where Thane Municipal Corporation will set up the crematorium. (Sameer Markand)

Sources in TMC said the crematorium would include a buffer zone of 10,000

sqm - Smriti Udyan - encompassing the ground. As per the design, the ground would be divided in the following manner: Hindu Shamshan Bhoomi (8,000 sqm), Christian cremation ground (3,000 sqm), Bohri Muslim cremation ground (3,000 sqm), Jew cremation ground (2,000 sqm) and Lingayat cremation ground (2,000 sqm). Apart from this, there is also provision for a parking area of 3,000 sqm.

"We have taken into account the population of all communities and the mortality rate, and allotted space accordingly," said an executive engineer of TMC. "Ideally, there should be a green belt around the burial ground, which acts as a buffer zone. However, this crematorium has been planned on the outskirts. Even the provisions made for it are more than those required for the current mortality rate. This should help the communities for the next 30 years."

The engineer added that 24,000 sqm was currently undergoing land acquisition, and the process was expected to be completed within the next two months, after which landscaping work would start. "It will be fully functional this year. Negotiations are on for the remaining 13,000 sqm," he said. Sanjeev Jaiswal, Thane municipal commissioner, said, "This will be a state-of-the-art crematorium. If everything goes as per plan, work on the ground will start by March-end.

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Figure 124 The TOI Newpaper article: TMC proposes 25,000 sq. meters multi-faith burial ground

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23. DESIGN INTENT AND INTERVENTION The practices of disposal of the deceased followed by the diverse communities have adapted and evolved over time as per the environmental changes. The design intervention aims not only to cater the environmental concerns and lack of spatial quality faced by death architecture in the current urban context but also to serve the needs of the future. A detailed intervention is listed below: Crematoriums are places which are visited on a date close to the event of death. when the user’s emotional psychology is intense. Therefore imparting a spatial and experiential quality that honours the final existence of the deceased and provides peaceful and consoling spaces for those who seek solace through sensory architecture of emotions, which the current urban crematoriums lack.

The inhabitants of the current urban metropolis have been facing a problem of inefficient disposal of the deceased due to spaces crunch, pollution, deforestation etc. This has resulted in the rise in the use of newer sustainable technologies for cremation, not only by Hindus but also by other communities.

The current crematoriums have failed to adapt to time and therefore do not cater to the communities which have started the implementation of cremation. Even though the acceptance is currently on a smaller scale, it possesses high potentials of growth in the future.

Therefore the intervention aims at designing spaces that are multifunctional, i.e. satisfy the needs of all communities by designing the areas of rituals and its partitions in a way that they serve its user without interfering with other functions. Providing a common platform for all communities of the city towards a sustainable approach for all those who are willing.

Providing facility for pet cremation which most of the urban cities neglect.

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I.

TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Total number of deaths in the world with causes (OurWorldinData - Causes of death) ..............................................................................................................................................................21 Figure 2 Percentage share of various accidental deaths during 2013 in India (SAP) .............22 Figure 3 Natural and Unnatural causes of deaths in India (Indpaedia)

Figure 4 Leading

global causes of death.....................................................................................................................23 Figure 5 Tangible and Intangible aspects of Death (Alamy Graphics) .....................................26 Figure 6 Intangible aspects of emotions attached with death (Alamy Graphics) ..................27 Figure 7 The Stages of Decomposition of a Corpse (Pintrest) .....................................................28 Figure 8 Mass Graves / Plague Pits (Wikipediam)

Figure 9 Illustration of Sky Burials in Ancient

Times (Nexus News) ...........................................................................................................................29 Figure 10 Burial practiced in Early Harappan Period (ResearchGate) ......................................31 Figure 11 Urns containing cremated ashes retrieved from Cemetery H Block (Wikipedia)....31 Figure 12 Illustration of traditional cremation funerals influenced by the Vedic Texts (Facts and Details).................................................................................................................................................32 Figure 13 Tomb of Sher Shah Suri in Sasaram, Bihar (left) and the Mahabat Maqbara Mausoleum of Bahaduddinbhai Hasainbhai, Junagadh (right)are great examples of Islamic architecture for the deceased (walkthroughindia.com) ............................................................34 Figure 14 Population divided as per the diverse religions in current India (Quora) .................35 Figure 15 Isometric view off the structure showing architectural elements used to honour the dead during the Mughal Period. .....................................................................................................36 Figure 16 Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahals Tomb........................................................................37 Figure 17 Mumbai, India ranking second in world’s most dense urban areas in 2012 (reddit) ..............................................................................................................................................................38 Figure 18 India ranking second globally, behind China in deaths due to air pollution 2013 (BoilingWok) ........................................................................................................................................39 Figure 19 Harmful Mercury Emissions for every 400 cremations (Wordpress) ............................40 Figure 20 Majority of the 35 flats from Rocky Hill Towers in Malabar Hill overlook the Banganga crematorium. ......................................................................................................................................40 Figure 21 Wood warehouse at Nigambodh (Author) Figure 22 Cremations at the water edge of holy Ganga river............................................................................................................................41 Figure 23 The spaces in crematorium in Satara District, Maharashtra ......................................41 Figure 24 Hindu Smashan Bhoomi, Worli (The Indian Express) .....................................................42

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Figure 25 Prayer Hall at Chandanwadi Crematorium, Marine Lines (Mumbai Mirror Newpaper) ..............................................................................................................................................................43 Figure 26 Shivaji Park Crematorium, Dadar, Mumbai (Mid-Day.com) .......................................44 Figure 27 Projected statistics of increasing populations from 2015 to 2030 (Economic Intelligence Unit UNCTAD) ................................................................................................................46 Figure 28 An article from The Indian Express Newspaper : Not so HOLY SMOKE ......................48 Figure 29 An article from The Indian Express explaining space scarcity problems faced by architecture for the dead. It determines future conditions. ..................................................49 Figure 30 Traditional Woof Funeral Pyre at a river bank

Figure 31 Illustrations of cremation

rituals bieng performed ....................................................................................................................53 Figure 32 The traditional wood cremation process

Source: Author ........................................54

Figure 33 Even though its early to document a prominent acceptance of cremation in India by other religions, cremation has become quite popular in other countries on its way to becoming universal (Induced.info) ................................................................................................56 Figure 34 Diagram of a Coffin Grave with its epitaph and other defining elements (MountPleasantGroup) .....................................................................................................................59 Figure 35 Inside view of the Parsi’s Tower of Silence (AminoApps) ............................................61 Figure 36 Plan and Section of a typical Tower of Silence (Pinterest) .........................................62 Figure 37 Illustration of the top platform bieng used for attracting scavengers (Compiko.info) ..............................................................................................................................................................62 Figure 38 News Article from The Times of India describing the acceptance of cremation....66 Figure 39 Article from NDTV Website showing the shift to the adoption of cremation ...........67 Figure 40 A rendering of the re-composition prototype, which will be built at Washington State University. (The Seattle Times) ...........................................................................................................69 Figure 41 Section through the structure showing the composting core with ramps and mourners area ....................................................................................................................................70 Figure 42 The bereaved carrying the deceased up the ramp (Dezeen) .................................70 Figure 43 The view of the core composting pit (Dezeen) ............................................................71 Figure 44 Concept Diagram (Dezeen) ...........................................................................................71 Figure 45 Block diagram of solar crematorium, left and A human corpse being sent into the chamber (IJRSI) ..................................................................................................................................73 Figure 46 The scheffler reflector and Solar Cremation chamber ...............................................75 Figure 47 Multi Chamber Pet Cremators (Matthew UK) ...............................................................82 Figure 48 Epitaphs and tombstones used for graves of pets (BBC News) .................................82

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Figure 49 The cremation chamber with steel stand which acts as a base for the body. (Sacha Estelles) ................................................................................................................................................83 Figure 50 Left, Functioning of the Manual Pedal lever and Right, the smoke filtration system (Sacha Estelles) ..................................................................................................................................84 Figure 51 Right, Entrance Bay and Left, Memory wall (Google Map Images) .........................85 Figure 52 A basic model of emotione (Paul de Vries) ..................................................................88 Figure 53 A view from the side street towards the cathedral, Ovierto ......................................89 Figure 54 House of Can Felix by Jorn Utzon (Paul de Vries) .........................................................90 Figure 55 Thrill invoked after reaching the top of Burj Khalifa (Blu-ray Forum) ..........................90 Figure 56 Safe Haven (Pinterest) ......................................................................................................91 Figure 57 The un-built acting as appreciation spaces for the built masses (Left) Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi (Right) Fatehpur Sikri Heritage (IJERT) ...........................................................91 Figure 58 Relation between Un-built and Built forms affecting human perception of spaces (IJERT) ...................................................................................................................................................91 Figure 59 The scale has been designed to make the user feel claustrophobic and confused in the Garden of exile, Jewish Holocaust Museum, Berlin (Flickr) ...............................................93 Figure 60 The overall form of the airport (Яндекс) ........................................................................94 Figure 61 An interior space of the airport (Pinterest) ....................................................................94 Figure 62 Light and shadow in combination with volume used to evoke emotions in the Jewish Holocaust Museum, Berlin. (Pinterest) .............................................................................................95 Figure 63 (Leftf) Tadao Ando’s Church of the Light (Right Transition from a dark space to a lightened space to evoke emotions in the Jewish Holocaust Museum, Berlin (Unsplash) ......95 Figure 64 Various senses used for perception (Pinterest) .............................................................96 Figure 65 The Therme Vals bath and spa (7132therme.com) .....................................................99 Figure 66 Roof extending from the natural terrain to merge with the environment. (arch11012010kjb.blogspot.com.......................................................................................................................99 Figure 67 Therme vals ground floor plan (Pinterest+Author)......................................................100 Figure 68 Tunnel entrance (gk.co) ................................................................................................100 Figure 69 Basic model of emotions (Paul De Vries) .....................................................................100 Figure 70 (Left) Frames creating safe haven (Right) Central bath connected to other saunas in four directions. ..............................................................................................................................102 Figure 71 Representation of olfactory stimulus in the baths. (Dani Lalonde, 2012, Thermal baths- Peter Zumthor)......................................................................................................................102 Figure 72 Representation of auditory stimulus in the baths. (Dani Lalonde, 2012, Thermal baths- Peter Zumthor)......................................................................................................................103 Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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Figure 73 Experience of a user recorded through a 5 senses graph. (Aastha Wadhwa) .....103 Figure 74 The TOI newspaper article on Burial grounds turn into public space by Pradeep Kumar ................................................................................................................................................107 Figure 75 Plan showing location of Ashwinikumar Ghat Crematorium. (Google maps + Author) ..............................................................................................................................................110 Figure 76 Model showing overall form and context of the design. (build.in) .........................111 Figure 77 Cut plan of the design (architexturez.net) ..................................................................112 Figure 78 Entrance to the crematorium (architexturez.net) ......................................................113 Figure 79 Entrance corridor (Author) ............................................................................................113 Figure 80 Conceptual section through the entrance corridor showing play of light (Author) ............................................................................................................................................................113 Figure 81 Conceptual section through the waiting area showing landscaped getting framed by columns (author) ........................................................................................................................114 Figure 82 Waiting area placed adjacent to the green area. (Author) ...................................114 Figure 83 (Left) Corridor spaces opening out to landscape, (right )structure viewed from open area. (Author)...................................................................................................................................114 Figure 84 (Left)Gas Furnace within the crescent-like walls (Right)Private ritual spaces divided by walls (Author) ..............................................................................................................................115 Figure 85 Light highlighting the curvature (Author) ....................................................................115 Figure 86 Rear corridors opening out to landscape and to the river before refill. (Author) .115 Figure 87 Skewed sloping ramps exaggerating perspectives. ..................................................116 Figure 88 (Left)Rear landscape area with traditional pyre (right))rear corridor spaces with ceiling openings (Author) ...............................................................................................................116 Figure 89 (Left) Rear landscaped area viewing water tank, (Right) Rear lower garden existing before renovation............................................................................................................................116 Figure 90 Refiiled rear area cutting off the river view completely (Author) ............................117 Figure 91 Plan showing the location of Mahaprasthanam Crematorium, Hyderabad. (Google maps + Author) ................................................................................................................................118 Figure 92 Concept translation to built form. (thearchitectsdiary.com) ...................................119 Figure 93 Aerial view of the design cluster (thearchitectsdiary.com)......................................120 Figure 94 Site plan of the design (thearchitectsdiary.com) ......................................................121 Figure 95 Aerial view of the design cluster from the entrance (thearchitectsdiary.com) ....122 Figure 96 Entrance to the site (thearchitectsdiary.com) ...........................................................122 Figure 97 Cut plan, Elevation and section through the entrance and office block (thearchitectsdiary.com) ...............................................................................................................123 Adhiraj Gorule / Fifth Year B.Arch. / L.S. Raheja School of Architecture

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Figure 98 Aerial view of waiting area and traditional pyre block (thearchitectsdiary.com) ............................................................................................................................................................124 Figure 99 Interior spaces of the electric furnace pavilion (thearchitectsdiary.com) ............124 Figure 100 Inscription of light plastered walls (ThinkMatter) .......................................................125 Figure 101 Material palette used in the structures (Pheonix Foundation) ...............................125 Figure 102 Hofheide crematorium, Holsbeek, Belgium (Dezeen) .............................................127 Figure 103 Site plan of Hofheide crematorium, Holsbeek, Belgium (omgeving.be + Author) ............................................................................................................................................................128 Figure 104 North elevation from marshland park (dezeen).......................................................129 Figure 105 West elevation from platform (dezeen) ....................................................................129 Figure 106 (Left) View of the grasslands from interior space (right) Changing shadow casted by strips (dezeen).............................................................................................................................129 Figure 107 (Above)Ground floor cut plan, (below) Basement cut plan (Author) ..................130 Figure 108 Section through the ceremonial hall (afasiaarchzine.com) ..................................131 Figure 109 Light and shadow casted (archello.com) ................................................................131 Figure 110 Ceremonial halls (coussee-goris.com) ......................................................................131 Figure 111 Entrance to the site (architizer.com)..........................................................................132 Figure 112 3D site location of the Treptow crematorium, Berlin. (Google earth + author) ...133 Figure 113 Condolence area abstracted from a poem (ArchDaily) .......................................134 Figure 114 Form and entry of the structure (elephantinberlin.com) ........................................134 Figure 115 Plans and sections of Treptow crematorium (berlinarchitecture.com + author) 135 Figure 116 Recessed entry to the structure with slit on the roof (elephantinberlin.com) ......136 Figure 117 Interior view of the condolence area showing the volume and light. (Archdaily) ............................................................................................................................................................136 Figure 118 Internal spaces of the ceremonial hall (Archdaily) .................................................137 Figure 119 Only three chimneys are visible from outside (Archdaily) ......................................137 Figure 120 Location map of the site (googlemaps + author) ...................................................143 Figure 121 The Parsi ceremony hall is the major reason for the crematorium to be used widely.

(Googlemaps)..................................................................................................................................144 Figure 122 Site location of Oshiwara crematorium (googlemaps + author) ..........................146 Figure 123 Bhayander Pada ground where Thane Municipal Corporation will set up the crematorium. (Sameer Markand) .................................................................................................148 Figure 124 The TOI Newpaper article: TMC proposes 25,000 sq. meters multi-faith burial ground ............................................................................................................................................................149

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