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I Dessau International Architecture School Anhalt University Department 3 Š 2017/18
Rethinking Remembrance Revitalization and improvement of an existing cemetery into an urban public space in Panama City Jose Pinto
DIA 2017/18 1st. supervisor Prof. Roger Bundschuh 2nd. supervisor Prof. Ivan Kucina
CONTENT PAGE
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DEATH
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TODAY
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RETHINKING
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DEATH IN PANAMA
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SITE
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CHOSEN TYPOLOGIES
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PROGRAMMING
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PROJECT PROPOSAL
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Death
DEATH Death has fascinated us throughout history. The estate of human death has always been obscured by mystery and superstition, and its precise definition remains controversial, differing according to each culture and legal systems. Cemeteries provide a means of getting rid of a dead body, express basic cultural beliefs concerning death and the meaning of life. They are places where the relationship between the dead and the bereaved is stablished and maintained. Through the last centuries we have given main importance to the physical function of the cemetery as a place where to put the remains of the dead.
Every human culture has three common elements in the approach to death and the disposition of their dead.
Death
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Ceremony, funeral rite, or ritual.
Christianity Wake
Judaism
Procession fron Wake to the Chapel
Funeral in Chapel
Funeral by the grave
Procession from Wake to Cemetery
Funeral in Chapel
Funeral by the grave
Anniversary: Flowers and burning candles
X
Islam
Anniversary: Flowers and burning candles
X Washing House
Procession
Funeral by the grave
End of mourning
Shinto Wake
Procession to the crematory
Wake
Procession to the crematory
Ceremony in a temple and cremation
Burning or scattering the ashes
1 Year memorial rite
Buddism Crematory
Funeral by the rivel
Shradeh
Hinduism Wake
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Procession from the house to the temple
Ceremony in a temple and cremation
Death
Funeral by the grave
Anniversay: Service, incent, fruits.
Sacred place for the dead.
Tombstone, Arizona’s Boothill Graveyard in 2009. US
Upernavik, Greenland
Desert Cemetery. Merzouga, Morocco.
Afghan graveyard.
Memorials for the dead.
Viking Graveyard
Merry Cemetery in Maramures, Romania.
Pyramid of Giza, Egypt.
Blue Sky Mausoleum by Frank Lloyd Wright – 1928. Death
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Today
TODAY For technical reasons and health concerns, cemeteries have been located outside the cities; and the ones that remain inside the cities are enclosed. This led us to move away from cemeteries and for that reason we are disconnected from the dead. The traditional disposition of our remains in graveyards has used space in a non-sustainable way for the performance of the city. Enclosed cemeteries are only occupied by the function they hold within: a dead space. They are normally visited a few days a year, sometimes because of the location but also because of the boundaries that we as society have been creating through history: dividing the living and the dead.
Today
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Rethinking
RETHINKING How can we transform these spaces (existing and new) to bring back the connection and the commemoration from the living to the dead? How can we manage the future demand for burials in a more sustainable way?
The proposal for the new typology of using urban cemeteries as public spaces will lead us to view death in a new way; we can take advantage of an existing place and bring life into a dead space. Rethinking the potential of this now dead space intends to change the obscured perception of the Panamanian people towards death, through the revitalization of this cemetery into an approachable urban area that respects the importance as well as the religious and sentimental significance of grief and remembrance.
Rethinking
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PROCESS FROM DEATH UNTIL THE FUNERAL IN PANAMA Legal Processes
Ritual
- Death certificate, issued by a doctor. If it was a natural or sudden death, you must inform the police. The authorities arrive at the place of death, acknowledge the situation and call the doctor on duty to make the death certificate. The death certificate is only given to the relative in charge, since the insurer or the funeral home are prevented before the law to do this procedure. If it was an accidental or violent death, the police should be called, which communicates the death to the Office of the Prosecutor. A prosecutor and his aides review the place where the death took place, take photographs, collect evidence and make the body lift.
- Wake Is the moment in which the Christian community offers its prayers and consolation to the afflicted family, to read and reflect on the Word of God, to invoke the God of Mercy through prayers of intercession, and to provide the opportunity to Family and friends remember the memory of their loved one. Other prayers are also prayed, like the Rosary.
- Necropsy Immediately, the office of the Prosecutor transfers the body to Legal Medicine, which performs a preliminary necropsy to confirm the identity of the deceased through the fingerprints and the dental chart. In this case, the certificate is issued by a forensic doctor of Legal Medicine.
-The insurer or the funeral home The death certificate allows the funeral home to mobilize the lifeless body to its headquarters. “Only an ambulance that is performing resuscitation maneuvers or a hearse can move the body without life. By law and biosecurity issues, a particular vehicle is not allowed to mobilize the body “. The death certificate and a copy of the citizenship card are required for the funeral home to begin the process of treatment and preservation of the body.
- Body preparation The next steps are ultimately decided by the family or friends in charge of arranging services. The body can be prepared and embalmed for traditional services, dressed and placed in refrigeration for cremation, prepared for body donation or green burials.
- Mobilization to the wake place In coordination with the relatives, an hour is chosen for the mobilization of the remains.
- Comunication with the relatives The funeral home gets in touch with the relatives to advise them in the posthumous tribute of their loved one and accompany them at the beginning of the grieving process.
- Procession Usually in motor vehicles or by foot, from a funeral home or church or other place of worship to the cemetery or church. The deceased is usually transported in a hearse, while family and friends follow in their vehicles.
- Chapel The Christian community dismisses one of its members before his body is taken to his grave. The chapels are available to all Christian religions. They are places to gather with friends and family to celebrate a life through burial, cremation or memorial services. The only requirement is that the service is conducted by an ordained minister of any religion. If you do not have a priest or minister our customer service staff can recommend a selection for you to choose from.
- The Rite of Burial It is celebrated at the place of burial. By burying the body in its resting place, there are prayers of hope that the deceased will experience the glory of the resurrection. The burial is almost always celebrated immediately after the funeral.
- Death civil registry If it was a natural death, the funeral home records the death before a notary of the place where the death occurred, but if it is a violent death, the funeral home fulfills this diligence in the notary designated by the prosecutor of the case. The civil registry of death replaces the citizenship card. It is the legal document that serves the family of the deceased for the procedures of claims, successions, legal aid and funeral, replacement of the pension or banking matters.
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- Mass of present body (Requiem Mass) The members of the parish community join the grieving family in the celebration of the funeral rite. A priest or deacon preaches at the Funeral Mass. The praise is distinguished from the homily and consists of a reflection on the life of the deceased and how that person affected the lives of others.
- Post-Burial Meeting After the funeral, family and friends typically meet at the home of a direct relative or friend to continue the celebration of the deceased’s life. It is a time to remember, to continue providing support to the afflicted family, and to share the food and drinks that family members and friends have brought. Death in Panama
Commemoration - Visit to the graves, osaries, columbariums every year on November 2nd. People bring flowers and clean cemeteries honoring the memory of deceased friends and family.
-Mass of the Month / Mass of the Year It is a Catholic custom also to send a mass every year of the anniversary of the death. Only the relatives and close friends of the deceased attend this anniversary Mass. This practice is not common in the city. Death in Panama
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EILEEN COPARROPA OLYMPIC GYM
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THE SITE At less than 10 km east from the center of Panama City, in an area with predominant residential use, a big representation of industries and some commerce, recreational spaces are very limited. The municipal Cemetery of Juan DĂaz is in the middle of this area possessing a current double necessity: the first one is the overcrowded state of the cemetery, and the second one is the lack of public space for the inhabitants of the Juan DĂaz sector. My project pretends to be a solution for both necessities, working also with the projection of the growth of the population. The revitalization of this existing space could also develop into a new typology that reuses the basic functional needs of cemeteries in the urban areas and brings the solution for the urgent necessity of a public park. With the combination of these two uses, the cemetery will bring back the lost connection NUE AVE GO N A that family and society have with the deceased and open the boundaries that R IN A UST E AG JOS have been created around death. To study the characteristics of cemeteries in general, the cultural traditions related to death, funeral processes and defining every element present in the typology of these spaces is one of my main directions to implement in the program a new configuration or new spaces that can follow the heritage of the ROMMEL FERNANDEZ society in issues related to burial practices. The analysis of the urban context, STADIUM urban users and the cultural background of the site will give me possibilities to propose an architectural program that follows the local necessity for an urban public space. With this studio I bring the argument of proposing that cemeteries could function as urban green spaces as well, focusing on the interest of changing our attitude towards death, funerals and the manners of commemoration after the dead.
Site
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CHOSEN TYPOLOGIES For my research I made a spatial and historical analysis of sepulchral practices in western societies; this helped me to understand the basic cultural beliefs concerning death and the meaning of life, but also to comprehend the spirit of the funerary practices in each culture. With the study of all these typologies and traditions I will be able to choose the most appropriate and viable solution to be translated and applied in my specific context. I propose the use of columbariums as the solution to the problem of spaces for the disposition of the dead, since it represents a resource that is already known by the Panamanian population and it also serves as a sustainable solution for saving space in the current cemetery. I also made a study on the diversity of funeral chapels in differents cultures to add a space wich serves to dismiss the deceased before the body or remains are taken to the grave or storage, without religious meaning to be used by all public.
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Chosen Typologies
COLUMBARIUMS A columbarium (pl. columbaria) is a place for the respectful and usually public storage of cinerary urns (i.e., urns holding a deceased’s cremated remains). The term comes from the Latin “columba” (dove) and originally referred to compartmentalized housing for doves and pigeons called a dovecote.
ASIA
OCEANIA
EUROPE
Singapore
New Zealand
Italy
Bright Hill Crematorium & Columbarium. Singapore.
Columbariums. Papamoa, New Zealand.
Columbarium in the Cinque Terre on the Mediterranean Coast of Italy.
China
Australia
France
China columbarium. 2010
Columbarium at St Paul’s cemetery. Australia
Pere Lachaise cemetery columbarium. Paris, France.
Japan
Australia
Ireland
Japan’s Ruriden columbarium. Crystal Buddhas. Japan
Columbarium at The Memorial Gardens of Mt Thompson Mt Gravatt, Brisbane, Qld., Australia.
The columbarium wall at Glasnevin, Ireland.
Chosen Typologies
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AMERICA United States
Peru
Panama
Columbarium at the Arlington National Cemetery. Virginia, United States
Niches at the almudena cemetery in Cuzco, Peru.
Columbarium at Jardin de Paz. Panama City, Panama.
Uruguay
Mexico
North Cemetery columbarium. Montevideo, Uruguay.Project by architect Nelson Bayardo.
Flowers decorate burial niches at San Isidro. Mexico City, Mexico.
Colombia
Ecuador
Salamina Caldas in Colombia South America.
Columbarium at Tulcan, Ecuador, 2011.
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Chosen Typologies
Columbarium at Cemetery of Juan Diaz. Panama City, Panama.
Old French Cemetery. Panama City, Panama.
AFRICA South Africa
Kenya
Ash niche columbarium.
Nairobi War Cemetery. Kenya.
MIDDLE EAST Jordan
Columbarium, niches where urns were placed, Petra (UNESCO World Heritage List, 1985), Jordan.
Israel
Niches in a Cemetery. Israel.
Chosen Typologies
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FUNERAL CHAPELS Mourning is the open expression of your thoughts and feelings regarding the death and the person who died. It is an essential part of healing. Funeral chapels provide a stage for mourning and are spaces to celebrate solemn commemorations with a spiritual meaning.
ASIA
OCEANIA
AFRICA
China
New Zealand
South Africa
Chapel for a riverbank site in Wanjing, China
The Maori cemetery of the Church of St. John at Omahu in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Erinvale Estate Chapel, Helderberg, Western Cape, South Africa.
Japan
Australia
Sayama Forest Chapel. Sayama Lakeside Cemetery. Sayama, Japan.
Old Church & Cemetery. Mitchelton, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Sandstone Chapel. Ladybrand, South Africa
Laos
Funeral chapel of Vat Xieng Thong Temple, Luang Prabang, Laos.
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Chapel at St Augustine College of South Africa.
Chosen Typologies
EUROPE
AMERICA
Austria
Peru
Colombia
Chapel Maria Magdalena.
Small Chapel in the Cementerio Baquijano y Carrillo del Callao. Lima, Peru
Chapel in the Cementerio Campos de Paz, Medellin, Colombia.
Cyprus
Costa Rica
United States
Chapel Apostle Peter. St Helen the Martyr in Cyprus.
Iglesia de Quircot, Cartago. Costa Rica
Normandy American cemetary chapel. United States.
Germany
Mexico
Panama
Funeral Chapel in Ingelheim Frei-Weinheim.
Chapel in Panteon del Tepeyac, Mexico.
Chosen Typologies
Chapel in the cemetery Colina de la Paz. Arraijรกn, Panama.
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PROGRAMMING
BASIC TARGETS 1. Improve the overall aesthetics of the site to make it more appealing for a potential visitor. 2. Provide ecologic contributions. 3. Preserve the existing characteristics of the area with moral considerations. 4. Ensure better use as casual open space. 5. Improve the visibility and safety around the cemetery. 6. Provide a safe and pleasant walking experience for pedestrians. 7. Improve pedestrian accessibility. 8. Improve the physical and visual connections with the cemetery and surrounding urban context.
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Programming
RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES Space 1 Type of space
Function
Characteristics
Special necessities
Plaza
Open public space at the main entrance. Communal gathering space
must be
The starting point of the proposal, being the public urban space that will connects the current site with the surroundings, opening towards the main entrance of the cemetery, inviting new users to visit the project daily.
must not
This area should not have visual interference with most of the rest of the project components.
noise level
Implement characteristics in the design to reduce the traffic noise from the street located in the front of the cemetery.
illumination
Maximum percent of daylight. At night it have to be full illuminated.
temperature
Elements and materials have to reduce the temperature sensation.
audio connection
space 2, 3, 4
visual connection
space 2, 3, 4
pedestrian connection
space 2, 3, 4
Programming
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Space 2 Type of space
Function
Characteristics
Special necessities
Information point
Help visitor with information.
must be
A welcoming space to get information about the facilities of the cemetery.
must not
Be an enclosed space.
noise level
People have to be able to talk without disruption.
illumination
Maximum percent of daylight.
temperature
Maximize the natural ventilation
audio connection
space 1
visual connection
space 1, 3, 4
pedestrian connection
space 1, 3, 4
Space 3 Type of space
Function
Characteristics
Special necessities
Cafe
Offer a casual atmosphere for meeting and sharing for several users.
must be
A place where people can buy beverages, simple meals, and snacks. A space that provide tables and chairs on the pavement outside it where people can eat and drink. Affordable.
must not
Look exclusive to any type of user
noise level
Medium to high.
illumination
Should maximize natural lighting.
temperature
Fresh
audio connection
space 4
visual connection
space 1, 2, 4
pedestrian connection
space 1
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Programming
Space 4 Type of space
Function
Characteristics
Special necessities
Space to sit Space to walk Space to meditate Space to lie down Space to read Space to talk peacefully Benches to sit
Walk through the cemetery and find the perfect place to enjoy the nature and meditate.
must be
Spaces to lead the visitor to a moment of introspection in an isolated place, away from the usual everyday in the city. Covered with roof in some areas.
must not
Have visual interruptions. Make the users insecure.
noise level
Low-middle
illumination
Should maximize natural lighting.
temperature
Fresh.
audio connection
all the possible spaces.
visual connection
all the possible spaces.
pedestrian connection
all the possible spaces.
Space 5 Type of space
Function
Characteristics
Special necessities
Trees Plantings Roads Open spaces Walls Fountains Drinking water sources Luminaries
Contribute to the ecological aspects to the area and provide a pleasant visit.
must be
Spaces with a landscape design that invite to passive recreational activities, as walking, bird watching, dog walking, picnics. Areas that provide a feeling of security during the day and in the night.
must not
Obstruct the funerary activities. Have visual interruptions. Make the users insecure.
noise level
Low-middle
illumination
Should maximize natural lighting.
temperature
Fresh
audio connection
all the possible spaces
visual connection
all the possible spaces
pedestrian connection
all the possible spaces
Programming
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Space 6 Type of space
Function
Characteristics
Special necessities
Signaling points
Indicate to the recreational users the available activities that are permitted and restricted.
must be
A system of signaling that underlines the importance of planning in order to prevent conflicts among its user-groups.
must not
Represent visual interruptions.
noise level
Middle
illumination
Natural lighting during the day and artificial in the night.
temperature
Hot
audio connection
all the possible spaces
visual connection
all the possible spaces
pedestrian connection
all the possible spaces
Space 7 Type of space
Function
Characteristics
Special necessities
Administration offices
Administration for the maintenance issues around the cemetery.
must be
A proper space for the staff that works in the maintenance concerns for all the installation and spaces in the cemetery.
must not
Represent an administrative office evolve in the funerary services.
noise level
Low to middle
illumination
Natural lighting during the day and artificial in the night.
temperature
Hot
audio connection
Space 10, 11, 12
visual connection
Space 10, 11, 12
pedestrian connection
Space 10, 11, 12
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Programming
FUNERARY ACTIVITIES Space 8 Type of space
Function
Characteristics
Special necessities
Florist
Place to buy presents and offerings to the deceased.
must be
An alternative on site for the bereaved to get some offerings for their dead.
must not
Look exclusive to any type of user
noise level
Medium to high.
illumination
Should maximize natural lighting.
temperature
Medium
audio connection
space 1, 2
visual connection
space 1, 2
pedestrian connection
space 1, 2, 3, 4
Space 9 Type of space
Function
Characteristics
Special necessities
Columbariums
Structures for the storage of funeral urns
must be
Structures that contains niches in which urns are placed. An unit with a system to find easy the name of the dead.
must not
Interrupt the views. Be higher that the standard level of human point of view (170 cm)
noise level
Low to medium
illumination
Natural lighting.
temperature
Medium to hot
audio connection
space 1, 2
visual connection
space 1, 2, 10, 11
pedestrian connection
space 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 11
Programming
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Space 10 Type of space
Function
Characteristics
Special necessities
Ossuaries
Structures for the storage of human bones
must be
Structures that contains niches in which the human bones are placed. An unit with a system to find easy the name of the dead.
must not
Interrupt the views. Be higher that the standard level of human point of view (170 cm)
noise level
Low to medium
illumination temperature audio connection visual connection pedestrian connection
Natural lighting. Medium to hot space 1, 2 space 1, 2 space 1, 2, 3, 4
Space 11 Type of space
Function
Characteristics
Special necessities
Funeral Chapel
Dismiss the deceased before his body is taken to his grave or storage.
must be
A space to dismiss the deceased with some ritual for every kind of public. A roof covered space with an architecture that can be closed and open. A space that can provide furniture to celebrate ritual ceremonies properly.
must not
Have religious symbolism in any of its components.
noise level
Low
illumination
Natural lighting.
temperature
Medium to hot
audio connection
space 9, 10
visual connection
space 9, 10
pedestrian connection
space 9, 10
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Programming
Space 12 Type of space
Function
Characteristics
Special necessities
Space to storage
Storage for the tools and equipment for the installations maintenance in a closed space.
must be
It must be strategically located without obstructing the other spaces of the cemetery.
must not
Have a direct connection to the public .
noise level
Medium to high
illumination
Maximum percent of daylight.
temperature
Maximize the natural ventilation
audio connection
space 8
visual connection
space 8
pedestrian connection
space 8
Space 13 Type of space
Function
Characteristics
Special necessities
Improvements to the existing cremation center
Be part of the architectural language of the proposal
must be
An intervention to the aesthetics of the site, to make it more appealing for the visitor. An extension of the architectural language in the place.
must not
Represent a sad space because of its functions.
noise level
Low to medium
illumination
Maximum percent of daylight
temperature
Maximize the natural ventilation
audio connection
space 12
visual connection
space 12
pedestrian connection
space 12
Programming
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Existing areas
Graves
Vault niches
Chapel
Ossuaries
Cremation Center
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Project Proposal
Structures to mantain - existing access
Cremation Center
Project Proposal
Entry structure
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New accesses - Conectitivy / System of order
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Project Proposal
New scheme of areas
Recreative areas
Project Proposal
Main area for funeal activities
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Project Proposal
Project Proposal
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Master Plan
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Project Proposal
Main spaces
3
6
5
2
1 4
Project Proposal
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Space 1 Information Point
A welcoming space to get information about the facilities of the cemetery.
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Project Proposal
Project Proposal
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Space 2 Funeral Chapel
A space to dismiss the deceased with some ritual for every kind of public.
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Project Proposal
Project Proposal
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Space 3 Ossuaries and vault niches
Structures that contains niches in wich bones and vaults are placed.
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Project Proposal
Project Proposal
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Space 4 Plaza, Cafe, Florist
Communal gathering space, offer a casual atmosphere for meeting and sharing for several uses. A place to buy presents and offerings to the deceased.
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Project Proposal
Project Proposal
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Space 5 Follies
Spaces to sit, walk, meditate, lie down, read, talk peacefully.
50
Project Proposal
Project Proposal
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Space 6 Columbariums
Structures that contains niches in wich urns are placed.
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Project Proposal
Project Proposal
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Elevation of the vault niches and columbariums.
Section
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Project Proposal
Project Proposal
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Section through the vault niches, columbariums, Funeral Chapel and the recreative areas
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Project Proposal
Project Proposal
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Detail
58
Project Proposal
Project Proposal
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Vault niches
Vault niches
Columbariums (Urn niches)
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Project Proposal
Project Proposal
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BIBLIOGRAPHY A Memory Tree.co.nz - a lifetime of memories: Customs and Protocols on Death, Dying and Funerals Accessed December, 2017. http://www.amemorytree.co.nz/customs.php The History of Funerals- Funeral History: The Funeral Source. Accessed December, 2017. http://thefuneralsource.org/history.html Powell, Kimberly. „Death and Burial Customs.“ ThoughtCo. https://www. thoughtco.com/death-and-burial-customs-1421757 (accessed January 23, 2018). Eversen, Katinka H., Helena Nordh, Margrete Skaar. “Everyday use of urban cemeteries: A Norwegian case study”. Landscape and Urban Planning 159 (2017) 76-84. Bennett, G., P. J Davis. “Urban cemetery planning and the conflicting role of local and regional interests”. Land Use Policy 42 (2015) 450-459. Hossain, Mohammad Samir. “Abstracting the triad of death, existence and adjustment to death: death and adjustment hypotheses“ European Psychiatry. 01 (2011) P03-557.
Worpole, Ken. Last Landscapes: The architecture of the cemetery in the West. London: Reaktion Books LTD, 2003. Gestalten. Closer to God: Religious Architecture and Sacred Spaces. Berlin: Gestalten, 2010. McCarter, Robert. Carlo Scarpa. London: Phaidon Press Limited, 2013.
Bibliography
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