Ribbons of Remembrance

Columbarium and Lookout

Kiyomizu-dera | Kyoto, Japan

For this project we were tasked with creating a folly that encapsulates the world. To represent the world I thought it was important to relate the human beings’ connection to it. I focused on the earth. The earth is a symbol of reincarnation. I liked the idea of a surface that can be lifted revealing what is underneath. Things underground carry mystery since we cannot see them. We forget buried things and I wanted a building that would bring forth what is repressed.

The two lifting monoliths would hold space for a columbarium. In the niches people can insert urns with ashes or plants in memory of lost ones. In Buddhist tradition death is seen as the greatest teacher enlightening us about impermanence. Nothing lasts since everything is always in a state of change. All existence is a migration from what was to what will be.

The building exists to reveal the mystery of death. Removing the taboos associated with speaking of this subject and allowing spaces for people to feel safe to express their feelings. The building allows people to remember the past, by spending time in the columbarium, and to look forward to the future, by standing on the perch.

We give our bodies to the earth when we no longer need them and the earth gives us the energy we need to survive. As the ribbons project a flow of energy towards the city of Kyoto, the people who experience the space will be carried by this energy and propelled to maintain the balance.