Thesis Report - Epilogue: An Atheist's Adieu (MA Interior Design) by Prabhuram RVS

EPILOGUE: AN ATHEIST’S ADIEU 7 ARCH011W / Major Thesis Project Report WORDS COUNT

6374

RNPURAM VENKETARAMAN SUNDARAVADIVELU PRABHURAM W1658937 II MAID 2017/18

Acknowledgment

This thesis is an outcome of intensive research and design of an exclusive atheist celebration of life centre. I am highly obliged to my guide Dusan Decermic who encourgaed me to think differently and gave me the confidence to chose a topic beyond the conventional approach. I am also grateful to my tutors Lara Rettondini, Matt Haycocks, Tania Winkler-Lopez for their constant support and guidance throuhgout my thesis. I am thankful to my friends Vanya, Bhavatarini, Elangovan, Pranjal who helped me in my complex hours of work and kept fostering my zeal for design. Last but not the least, I am grateful to my parents whose well wishes and prayers gave me faith to do my best in the given time.

Content 1.0 Learning Contract...................................................................................4 1.1 Introduction...................................................................................6 2.0 Demographics..........................................................................................7 2.1 Population.....................................................................................7 2.2 Ethnicity.........................................................................................8 2.3 Death.............................................................................................9 2.4 Religion.......................................................................................10 3.0 Symbolic.................................................................................................12 3.1 Conceptualisation of death.........................................................12 3.2 Psychologial themes and death models.....................................13 3.3 Symbolic Immortality...................................................................14 3.4 Grief and Mourning.....................................................................14 3.5 Religious Beliefs on Death..........................................................15 3.6 Religious funeral rituals...............................................................17 3.7Atheism........................................................................................19 4.0 Utilitarian.................................................................................................20 4.1 History and traditions of funeral..................................................21 4.2 Emerging funeral customs..........................................................22 4.3 Atheist funeral customs...............................................................22 4.4 Interview......................................................................................23 4.5 Alkaline Hydrolysis......................................................................24 5.0 Case study..............................................................................................25 5.1 San Cataldo Cemetery, Modena, Italy........................................25 5.2 Crematorium Baumschulenweg, Germany.................................26 5.3 Notable mentions........................................................................27 6.0 Design Considerations..........................................................................27 6.1 Guidelines...................................................................................27 6.2 Site Selection..............................................................................29 6.3 Concept.......................................................................................31 7.0 Design.....................................................................................................32 8. References................................................................................................36 38

Learning Contract Thesis Title: Epilogue, An Atheist’s Adieu

Abstract: Rapid urbanisation has resulted in the increase in demand for land in urban areas and has reduced the availability of it. It has left graveyards with potentially no room to expand and cities are to be out of burial space, soon. Likewise, the population of atheists or non-religious people is projected to drastically increase, (London) yet do not have a graveyard or a crematorium to call their own. This thesis project aims to provide a new model for a death space for atheists and a solution for the issues stated above.

Thesis Proposal: Introduction: The objective is to design a space that deals with death and funerals of atheists, to solve the issue of lack of space in cities and use interior design as a tool to provide a unique and memorable experience for the user. This project can be used as a prototype for crematoriums or spaces of death in cities that have insufficient space for burial and related activities.

Problems identified: • • •

Lack of Space Public accessibility (eerie sensation) Environmental impacts

Context: Urban Interior, London.

Site: Lots road power station, London

Research Question: What system of interring can be adapted by people in the future?

Terms of Criticism: To be criticised as portfolio form.

Research Streams: • • • • •

Demographic study of London Symbolic aspects of death Utilitarian aspects of death Case studies Design Considerations

Demographics: A study of the demographics of London, with more emphasis on the different ethnic groups and religions followed by people, as they are crucial factors in determining the user group. • Population count. • Religions. • Country of birth. • Statistics on death. • Narrowing down to a user group.

Utilitarian: A study of the utilitarian aspects of a funeral process, on how can bodies be dealt with and what are the different methods existing to complete the funeral process (disposing the corpse) • Traditional methods of cremation. • Modern day methods of cremation. • Impacts of cremation methods on the environment. • Propose/suggest a suitable method of cremation. Symbolic: The study of spiritual beliefs of each religion and ethnic groups (majority derived from the demographic study). The customs and rituals performed by different communities to fulfil their emotional needs/spiritual beliefs. • Traditional beliefs of target group • Rituals and rites followed by the target group • Modern day changes and impacts in the customs of interring. • Incorporate the outcome of the study as design strategies. Design considerations: • Regulations for crematorium design. Literature study: A basic case study to understand the type of spaces involved and design strategies used in the buildings. • San Cataldo Cemetery, Italy, • Crematorium Baumschulenweg , Germany, • Bradshaw Funeral Service - celebration of life center, USA.

1.1 Introduction Death is one of the inevitable events to take place in one’s life and funerals is the ceremony to be conducted to bid the last goodbyes and commemorate the life of the deceased. In time, funerals have witnessed multiple changes in the way they are performed with respect to factors like culture, tradition, religion and context; funerals are still conducted in various, yet specific manners owing to these factors. Also, as a part of the evolution, the Non-religious and/or the Atheist population is projected to increase over the forthcoming decades; the kind of funerals the atheists tend to undertake are the humanitarian funerals with considerations to the environment. They do not have a specific crematorium or a graveyard dedicated only to them, in almost every part of the world. This thesis project is an attempt to propose a model for a space associated with death for atheists, based on ideas and strategies observed from their lifestyle.

2.0 Demographics A demographic study of London with more focus towards specific categories such as religion, ethnicity and number of deaths has been done, in order to choose a user group for the thesis project. It also gives an idea of the density of population concerned with the city.

2.1. Population London is one of the most populated cities in the world and is also vast in terms of land area. It is di¬vided into different regions as; the City of London, Inner London, Outer London and Greater London with greater density of population towards the center. The population has been on a steady growth after the world war II, due to the tremendous opportunities the city provides. The population is in proportion to the land area and vice-versa when it deals with the population density.

Population infographs

2.2 Ethnicity London is one the most ethnically populated cities in the world. An incredible 36.8% of the population of London consist of Non-UK born people. Differences in terms of languages spoken and ethnicity can be well observed in the city. Residents born in India represent the most numerous non-UK-born population in London and it is followed by the Polish, Bangladeshi population and so on. Study and work act as the major reasons for immigrating to the UK. People of the same ethnic values, origin and cultural background, are scattered across London in collective groups, occupying a different portion of London for themselves. Thus, forming into minor communities for support, interdependency and religious beliefs. The diagrams illustrate where and how the ethnic groups are settled, also in relation to inner and outer London. In relation to the ethnicity, the population divided under terms of racial classification majorly comprises whites and are followed by Asian or British Asian, black, Chinese and mixed races.

Population by country of birth

2.3 Deaths The number of deaths in London is at an average of forty-nine thousand deceased people per year, based on the statistics on death since 2005. Although it is a large amount, London has the lowest death rate in England as the coastal regions holds more older population. Mortality rates for cancers, respiratory and circulatory diseases have decreased since earlier days but the death rates have increased for mental and behavioural disorders as they are not completely understood at earlier stages where it could have led to better diagnoses. Recently the infant deaths have also decreased. The infographic diagrams represent the number of deaths of people by age group in England and Wales over a span of the past 5 years from the following dates of 5, 12, 19 and 26th of January. The majority of death is due to old age and diseas¬es where people of 85+ years of age pass away in larger numbers followed by ages of 75-84, 65-74, 45-64, 15-44 and 1-14. The pattern of death or the death rates in terms of age descends from old age to a younger age, with the exception of death of children under one year old is more the than that of 1-14- year old’s.

Number of deaths based on age group

2.4 Religion Christianity has been the religion that has controlled the lives of people in England during the middle ages, from which further sub categories or groups were formed within them such as Catholics, Protestants, Baptists and so on. In the twentieth century Christianity started to decline and with ongoing immigration, London became exposed to many religions from the east. The ethnically diverse population of London having similar religious views are settled together in areas with each region denser in one religious’ belief. Based on 2011 census, Christianity is still the most popular religion mainly due to its vast history in Britain. People who don’t believe in religion or do not wish to classify form the second largest group in this category, which is then followed by Islam and Hinduism. The religious scene is said to drastically change in the following few decades. The Christian population is on a steady decline with atheists or non-religious population said to increase drastically alongside Islam and Hinduism. Considering the increase in the atheist population and the fact that they do not have a specific burial space, crematorium or a graveyard dedicated solely to themselves, the non-religious population has been made the target user group of this thesis project.

Population based on religion

Projected Population changes in religion

3.0 Symbolic A study on the symbolic aspects of funerals has been made in order to find the similarities and dissimilarities, that the funeral traditions of the common religions had in their beliefs and cultures. Since non-religious funerals are still at its early stages of practice, humanitarian and moral values found in the funeral practices in history can be used to develop its structure.

3.1 Conceptualisations of death. Although biological death is inevitable, early generations challenged the possibility of reviving the lost life. The contamination of the human corpse began to cause a considerable amount of concern. In course of time they accepted the fact of not having a biological life after death. It was daunting to accept the idea of a final ending for people and so they started looking into religions and its teachings which gave them a belief in spiritual immortality. People held on to the dead until funerals and the mortuary rituals they performed there, gave them a spiritual separation from the living and the dead. Fear of death among humans have are conceptualised through two arguments taken from the chapter “Terror of death” from the book “The denial of death” by Ernest Becker. The healthy minded argument states that fear is a social construct and is developed through cultures; the way people have been brought up. The morbidly minded argument says that fear is universal and natural. It is a way to protect oneself from the conditions that threaten the life of oneself. He concludes by stating both arguments hold a part of truth as the former is trying to repress the later, in order to prevent the natural fear from being permanently conscious.

3.2 Psychological themes and death models Philippe Aries in his book “The Hour of Our Death” takes into consideration four psychological themes for his processual study of death in Western Europe. The themes are: 1. “People’s sense of the individual.” 2. “The defence of the society against the unpredictable forces of nature.” 3. “The belief in life after death.” 4. “The belief in the existence of evil.”

Death models: 1. The Tame death model: This was dominant during the eleventh to the seventeenth century. Death was considered more as a social affair with larger participation of the community, rituals were done to harness the unpredictable natural phenomenon. These rituals also repaired the broken ties and reassured the solidarity of the community. Thus, making it tamed and ritualized. 2. The Death of the self model: It began in the eleventh century and slowly took over the tame death model in the eighteenth century. There were changes in two of the psychological themes where the people’s sense of the individual and the belief in life after death varied. People regarded themselves more as individuals rather than a part of a community, they developed new ideas over the separation from the soul and body. They feared the decaying corpse and gave more importance to the role of one’s soul in the afterlife. 3. The Remote and Imminent death model: In the eighteenth-century belief over nature had changed and nature was regarded to partake in both death and life. They feared being buried alive. They realised that death could strike at any time. 4. The Death of the other model: All the four psychological themes changed in this model which came into existence between the eighteenth and the nineteenth century, especially the one in relation with people’s awareness of themselves. People feared the loss of a loved one more than that of their own. Perception on death changed, death was even considered beautiful as people believed that they could be reunited with their loved ones in heaven. 5. The Invisible Death model: This became the dominant death model in the twentieth century. Individualism ruled, nature was under man’s control, solidarity in the social world waned, death was dealt with repulsion and fear of death existed but more as a social than a biological death. Death was concealed within the hospitals and nursing homes.

3.3 Symbolic Immortality Robert Jay Lifton and Eric Olson in the chapter “Symbolic Immortality” from their book “Living and Dying” put forward symbolic immortality as a response to the fear of death among people. It encourages people to search for symbolic meanings in their lives, through which their legacy can live on. They propose five modes though which symbolic immortality can be expressed. They are: 1. Biological Immortality, where one’s life can be continued or extended through reproduction, family names and region-specific names. 2. Creative Immortality, where one’s name lives on through works his/her works of literature or art. 3. Theological Immortality, where one believes in life after death, or the spiritual existence after life. 4. Natural Immortality, where one becomes one with nature after his/her death. 5. Experiential Immortality, where one’s state of consciousness in altered by means of drug induced highs, ecstasy and so on. 6. Society benefits from the pursuit of one’s own greatness, also considering the well being of the society.

3.4 Grief and Mourning Philippe Aries in his book “The Hour of Our Death” takes into consideration four psychological themes for his processual study of death in Western Europe. The themes are: 1. “People’s sense of the individual.” 2. “The defence of the society against the unpredictable forces of nature.” 3. “The belief in life after death.” 4. “The belief in the existence of evil.”

3.5 Religious beliefs on death As death proved to be an inevitable event in everyone’s life, people feared death and were curious to gain knowledge about life after death, in spite of the possibility that people simply die and there is nothing beyond this life. Religion had ideas or answers to the curiosity of the afterlife, each religion had its own ideas, but they all gave a reason for the people to search for a purpose in life; to support and give comfort to one and other; and to make sense of life.

Christian beliefs: • • • • • •

Resurrection: Christianity says that the ones who believes in Jesus Christ will not perish buy have eternal life through the resurrection. Hell and heaven: People who follow the will of God and who is free of sin is said to go to heaven where one’s soul can be united with God. The hell is believed to be a place of suffering and separated from God. Judgement: The Judgement day is said to be the day in which the second coming of Jesus Christ will make the final judgement of all the people, living and dead into the glorification of some and punishment of others Purgatory: This is the stage where the soul has to go through purification before reaching the heaven.

Hindu beliefs: • • • • •

Reincarnation: Hinduism says that the soul is permanent and the physical body is temporary. The soul is reborn in other physical forms after the biological death of one. Moksha: Moksha is the ultimate release from rebirth, which is considered to be full of pain and suffering. It is believed to be achieved by overcoming all desires and ignorance. Escape of the soul: The body of the deceased are cremated, with the belief that it would help the soul escape the body quickly. Purification: They believe that by dipping themselves into the sacred river Ganges, they can purify themselves from all the sins.

Islamic beliefs: • • •

•

Heaven and hell: Every soul will be judged and if the good deeds outweigh the bad, then the person would go to heaven. If the bad deeds outweigh the good, then one would be punished in hell. God’s control: Islamic teachings say that everything that happens in the world is controlled by Allah and that he has full control. Resurrection: On the day Allah would come to the world, he would destroy everything and all would be resurrected and judged on whether heaven or hell would be the destination for every individual. Mercy: Islam teaches that Allah is merciful and sins would be forgiven if one is truly sorry. But some Muslims do not completely agree to it and that some deeds cannot be forgiven.

Judaism beliefs: • • •

Sheol: Sheol is tha place of waiting where one’s soul goes after death. Judgement: According to jewish teachings, the soul will blame the body for its actions and the judgement would take place on the coming of the messaiah after the bodies being resurrected. Heaven and hell: Good people are believed to enter the Gan Eden or heaven and the wrong doers to enter hell or Gehenna.

Religious beliefs on death

3.6 Religious Funeral Rituals

Christianity: In earlier days, when a person is dying a priest comes to pray with them and also prepare the them for death. After the death the body is placed in the coffin and sometimes left open for mourners to bid their last goodbyes and mourn. Prayers and Eulogies are made/given to commemorate the lost life as a community. Flowers are used to remind the beauty of the world and candles are used to remind that Jesus was the light of the world and he would save them from their sins and lead them to heaven. Funeral ceremonies are usually done in a church with a procession leading there and black clothing is worn to symbolize mourning. Hinduism: Hindu funerals consist of a lot of rituals such as placing a lamp near the head of the body, placing rice balls nearby, a garland worn over the head, like a necklace and so on, as an act of commemoration to the dead. The body is washed and cleaned. The body is usually cremated, with the eldest son of the family lighting up the corpse in flames. Prayers are said to wish good for the soul. The widow or the widower is requested to wear white as a sign of mourning and the close members of the family may mourn for more the twelve days. Islam: In Islamic funerals the body is washed and cleaned and wrapped around in white cloth. The body is to be buried as soon as possible. Prayers are said as part of the religious ritual and the procession takes place where the body is brought to the mosque or the cemetary. The body is buried without any materialistic possession and head stones are used. Judaism: Prayers are said at the time of death, showing their faith God and the body is to be buried as soon as possible. The body is washed and dressed in white cloth, the cloth is torn at the fringes to show that he/she is free from the laws of the religion; men are also advised to wear a prayer shawl. A procession leads the body to a place of burial. Mourners make a tear in their garments to show grief. No flowers are given at a Jewish funeral and the ceremony is kept short. The family return home and begin a seven-day mourning and a candle is kept burning until. After a year of the death a tombstone is place as a sign of respect.

Funeral practices based on religion

Moral values found in religious funeral practices

3.7 Atheism Atheism is defined as the “Disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of god or gods” by the Oxford dictionary. Atheist people have multiple reasons for not believing in god such as lack of evidence, scientific proof, personal beliefs or lack of interest and so on. In the book “The God Delusion”, Richard Dawkins has brought up immensely strong points or reasoning, unfortunate consequences of religion and some valid arguments. One can relate to particular fields or aspects in life with some of the quotes from the book given below: Reality: “Imagine, with John Lennon, a world with no religion. Imagine no suicide bombers, no 9/11, no 7/7, no Crusades, no witch-hunts, no Gunpowder Plot, no Indian partition, no Israeli/Palestinian wars, no Serb/Croat/Muslim massacres, no persecution of Jews as ‘Christ-killers’, no Northern Ireland ‘troubles’, no ‘honour killings’, no shiny-suited bouffant-haired televangelists fleecing gullible people of their money” Origin: “Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you.” Science: “The only watchmaker is the blind forces of physics.” Logic: “Who cares? Life is too short to bother with the distinction between one figment of the imagination and many.” Power: “Religion is about turning untested belief into unshakable truth through the power of institutions and the passage of time.” In relation with the moral ideas of funeral rites, three values namely – Commemoration, Sense of community and remembrance exist in each in each religion and is also relatable to the humanitarian values of atheism.

4.0 Utilitarian A study of the utilitarian aspects of a funeral process is done to understand how and what type of funeral practices can be done in reality and what are the different methods existing to dispose the corpse with considerably less harm to the environment.

4.1 History and traditions of Funerals in UK The traditions of funeral customs in the UK, have undergone a wide timespan from pre-Christian Celts who believed in reincarnation to the modern-day scientific understanding of death, and still has an impactful existence in its own unique manner. Obituary notices: It is a part of the tradition for a family in the UK to announce to the public about the death of a family member, by means of newspaper or notices. It dates back to the early 1800s century, when it was a custom reserved for only people of social prominence. With ideas of modernism giving rise to the prominent existence of the middle class, every common man was offered with this privilege of a mentioning of one’s death. It gave them equal status in the society at least in death. Black Clothing: The concept of a code of clothing is followed, to attend a funeral ceremony. Black is the prominent choice of colour code used. It dates back to the time of Elizabethan times and is still followed. A number of modifications on this custom have been made each in its respective time, for example when the widows were expected to wear the funeral attire for two years starting from the funeral, this was related to the prolonged mourning of the Queen for Prince Albert during the Victorian time. Now people wear dark colours from black to brown. Colourful clothes representing something of value to the deceased is also worn as a sign of respect or remembrance. (mourning rings were used in the past during Shakespearean times as a symbolic reference towards memorialize death of the loved one. Funeral procession: Hearse are used to carry out the funeral procession in the UK. It has come a long way from the days when horse wagons were used to perform the task. The act of doing so resulted in the passers-by halting for a brief moment to pay respect to the person who has passed away. With the origination of this practice leading to the ancient Roman era where professional mourners were hired to be a part of the procession. The size of the gathering for the procession and louder the noise was made, the more significant the deceased person was considered in terms of wealth and power.

Wake: Wake is a ceremony that is still followed, usually after the burial service where attendees feast and share a recollection of memories with the lost one and grieve together. In the ancient times, before Christianity a constant vigil would kept on the corpse that has kept in wait for the mourners to travel from long distances. Superstitious beliefs of the body snatchers and evil spirits with their attempt to capture the body used to exist at that period of time Chapel of rest: Chapel of rest is a private viewing area that is used to host the dead body, this place is used for the ones who do not wish to hold the corpse in their homes. It dates back to the Victorian times when hygiene was considered important and the people of the family felt more comfortable to allow people visit the dead at a place different from their homes. Funeral Flowers: Flowers were used to mask or balance the unpleasant odour that comes from the decaying corpse. Deeper meanings were also attached to it; white lilies were often used as they considered it to represent the innocence of the soul. With the availability of mortuary care these days, the problem of the unpleasant odour can be avoided without the use of flowers. People also felt that investing on flowers is a waste of money and made donations instead to charities. This act of donation dates back to the Elizabethan times. Burial. Bodies are usually found to be buried from west to east, with the head at the west and feet to the east. It is done so, as it would help them face Jesus Christ on the day of resurrection. Gravestones or tombstones were used to mark the grave, which is an old tradition that dates back to 2000 BC, with Stonehenge being one of the most famous ancient gravesites in the world Cremation is allowed too, in the present days, as the ashes can be held at sacred grounds. Forgotten Superstitions Post-mortem photography, weaving of the deceased person’s hair onto jewellery and ornaments, covering of the mirrors, stopping the clocks, turning the family photographs upside down are some of the traditions and superstitions that have been left out as it is considered macabre.

Funeral customs in the UK

4.2 Emerging Funeral Customs Celebratory feasts were held in the honour of the deceased person in the 1800s. This custom was slowed down during the world wars and is now becoming increasingly popular again among young generations. Funerals tend to have a more celebration of life theme to them. Owing to global warming and other environmental concerns, people have started to opt for a greener funeral. Practices such as woodland burials where the bodies do not occupy space in the cities, memorial trees placed on the place of the burial, usage of eco-friendly coffins, alkaline hydrolysis – a method to decompose the body through usage of liquid and Re-use of graves have come in to use. On a note to celebration of life themed funerals, informal clothing is allowed to be worn and memorial gathering take place at a time convenient to all the family members and relatives. Online virtual memorials/ gardens have been created, where each one can share memories and respect to the lost life.

Emerging funeral customs in the UK

4.3 Atheist Funeral Customs Atheist funerals have a non-religious reflection on death, they believe that when the time comes people just stop living and that there is no afterlife. Reading of prose and poetry, Eulogy focusing on the meaning of the deceased person’s life, playing of music or music performances at the start and the end of the ceremony to show a sign of respect, reminiscence about the person’s death and some ritual actions such as lighting of candles, observing a moment of silence are some of the activities that form the structure of a non-religious funeral. A ceremony that does not bring much harm to the environment is also considered.

Humanitarian funeral customs in the UK

4.4 Interview An interview with Co-op Funeral directors, Holloway Road, London was done to understand the practice involved in non-religious funerals. 1. How would you describe a humanist funeral? • A funeral with no reference to God, no hymns are sung and just the life of the person is focused. 2. Key aspects or characteristics of Humanist funerals?? • Music, readings with no relation to religion. 3. Percentage or number of Humanist funerals? • Varies, one per week or one per month and sometimes quite a few. 4. Specific funeral timings? • 9:00 am to 4:00 pm is the time when ceremonial services are offered. 5. Specific themes? • Themes are specific to the choice and needs of the family. 6. Typical duration? • Non-religious funerals last up to 2 to 3 hours. 7. Methods of interring? • Burial or cremation. 8. Are there any specific burial grounds or cemeteries for non-religious people? • There are no specific burial grounds for Non-religious people. 9. Eco friendly considerations? • Willow coffins maybe used to have less impact on the environment.

4.5 Alkaline Hydrolysis Alkaline hydrolysis also called as biocremation, resomation, aquamation, flameless cremation, or water cremation is the process of disposing the human remains which produce less carbon di oxide, and pollutants than cremation. Because of its lesser impact on the environment, it is currently marketed as an alternative to burial and cremation. This method came into existence when a British chemist named Amos Herbert Hobson invented this method to process animal carcasses into fertilizers for plants. The body is placed in the resometer (pressure vessel) and a mixture of water and water-soluble potassium salt is introduced. The contents are heated at an elevated pressure to prevent boiling and the process may take up to 4 to 6 hours to be completed. The bones and surgical implements are left over and the flesh is dissolved into liquid, which can be drained through the sewer or be used for gardens.

Process of Alkaline Hydrolysis

5.0 Case Study Brief case studies on selective buildings have been done to understand the spatial quality, program, distinct features, design strategies and concepts involved in the building in order to frame the design of the project.

5.1 San Cataldo Cemetery, Modena, Italy The San Cataldo Cemetery in Modena, Italy was designed by Aldo Rossi and Braghieri. It was the project that won a design competition in 1971/1972. Rossi’s desire to use social perspectives and theories in his designs can be evidently found in this building. A personal incident of his, had affected the design of this building. He met with an automobile accident and was hospitalized for a long duration, where he began to theorize the structure of his body to be a series of fractures that had to be put together again. The cemetery is an addition to the Costa cemetery that was built between 1850 - 1876. The San Cataldo’s cemetery is referred as the evil twin due to its distinct nature. The cemetery is compared to a city of the dead, in relation to the city of living. He has used geometric forms and analogous relationships as a way to create meaning to the design. The dominant forms of the cemetery the cube, stepped triangular grouping of multi-storied tombs, U-shaped tomb and the truncated cone are distilled transformations of urban forms and its types. Principles of typology were used to make an analytical approach to the design. The ossuary, verticality of the structures, vivid colours used for the buildings, geometric forms and perimeter walls were some of the unique characteristics of the building

San Cataldo Cemetary, Modena, Italy

5.2 Crematorium Baumschulenweg, Germany Crematorium Baumschulenweg was designed by Architects Axel Schultes and Charlotte Frank. It was a competition project that the architects had won and the structure was completed in 1999. Ideas from the Egyptian architecture of temples was used in the design of the crematorium in order to create a sense of calmness. The building appears as a seamless cuboid of 50 x 70 m from the outside with recesses to create a sense of transition from the outside to the inside. A hall with 29 slender columns, high ceiling and pool of water help create a sense of timelessness and tranquillity. It has ceremonial halls or chapels with material consistency and is made ambient for the occasion.

Crematorium Baumschulenweg, Germany

5.3 Notable mentions Bradshaw Funeral Service - Celebration of Life Center, USA. The Bradshaw Celebration of Life Center is located in Stillwater, Minnesota. It was said to be design by a former student of Frank Lloyd Wright. This is a crematorium that uses resomation as their mode of disposal. The technical or service oriented resometers and ash processing areas are placed in the basement whereas the other spaces are in the ground floor. The building is surrounded by meadows and groves of slender trees.

Atheist Graveyard, Sweden. Sweden has its first atheist graveyard opened in 2016. The graveyard is free from any religious symbols and each person is allowed to choose how their grave should look like before they pass away. This idea of an atheist graveyard was proposed by Josef Erdem.

Bradshaw Funeral Service, USA

6.0 Design consideration Several operational and ethical factors were considered from the selection of the site for a crematorium to its design development, in order to serve the practice of cremation in a reverent and dignified manner.

6.1 Guidelines Guidelines considered for Site Selection: It is advisable to locate the crematoriums at least 200 yards from any residential development, unless the occupiers of the residents approve of it. Preferably a large amount of land would be appropriate, for expansion and for better functionality. Accessibility to all the services such as water drainage, electricity and gas is a must. The site should have a well-connected vehicular access. A site with a pleasant view is most suitable. It should also have a provision of a garden with fast growing trees and shrubs, where one can retreat oneself for quiet thoughts and contemplation. Guideline considered for designing a Crematorium: • • • • • • •

The program should ideally include porte choere, entrance hall, waiting room, vestry, chapel, crematory, ancillary space, service yard and a chapel of rest. Width of doorways: 1.8 m wide to 2.3 m wide. Waiting room: capacity of at least 12 persons with minimum area of 8 m2. The Chapel: capacity of at least 80 people with an area of 0.45 m2/person. The Chapel must include: Seating, musical provisions, committal room, warning signal and a catafalque. Ancillary Space: should include small staff room, a workroom, lavatory, W.C. accommodation and a fan room. Chapel of rest: Should be under cover with a door connection outdoor.

6.2 Site Selection Six Potential sites were identified based on the suitability for the project. The sites contained some of the qualities like abandoned or derelict structures, close distance to the city center, large sites with room for expansion, key areas of immense value left out in the city, with good views and accessibility. Potential Sites: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Battersea Power station. M11 roundabout. Millennium Mills. Saint Dunstan. Tobacco Dock. Lots road Power Station.

Site Chosen: Lots road Power Station. Site Justification: The site is located alongside a creek and connects to the river Thames, which can be used as a way for approaching the site and can be helpful to carrying out funeral ceremonies. Only the skin of the building remains, as it is listed and has to be maintained; this gives freedom to design freely within the 140x50m site area. Since London’s land value is high, choosing an existing and unused building as the site would be sensible, by not making the city any denser.

Battersea Power station

M11 roundabout

Millennium Mills

Saint Dunstan

Tobacco Dock

Lots road Power Station 30

6.3 Concept Based on the research done, the moral aspects of funeral rituals found common in most funeral practices - “Community, Commemorate, Remembrance” was chosen as the main idea or concept for this project. The building is to be made more accessible to people, with a perspective of celebration of life towards death, a sense of creative immortality to take over the place. It involves quite a few variations of scale and levels within the building to give a feeling of timelessness and tranquillity. The functions of the space is to promote a better way of operating situations and conditions related to death (greener funerals).

7.0 Design Content: The main spaces of the design are the chapel with its water crematory services, the music theatre, the Towers of remembrance (memorial gardens) and the art gallery. Music theatre is designed and placed within the same compound, considering the importance given to music in non-religious funerals. The music can echo through the main space and add on to the ambience. On top of the music theatre is a stepped garden providing good views of the interior space. The art gallery is designed within the building to accommodate the idea of creative immortality and to bring about a sense of community, where works reflecting the space can be displayed. The funeral ceremonies take place in the chapel, memorial services in the two floors above the chapel and also on boats which can be accessed from the dock outside the building. The service areas cannot be accessed by the public and the for the people attending the funeral it stops at the committal chamber. The towers of remembrance consist of a garden, with landscape, hardscape and water. It also has meditation chambers, lockers for storing mementos or items that belong to lost life, then a place for storage of the urn containing ashes of the deceased.

Approach: The site can be accessed by both vehicles and pedestrians, there are two entries given for approaching two different spaces. A body delivery tunnel is given at ground level for facilitating the process. The circulation core connects all floors with stairs, lift and service shaft. Boats can be accessed from the dock outside the building.

Users: The users will be funeral attendees, staff, visitors for the music theatre, art gallery and the tower of remembrance. The design has private and public zones. Access to the service are is disallowed for public, chapels are to be accessed by only the funeral ceremony attendees and the remaining spaces are open to public.

Conclusion: The interior spaces vary to a vast extent in terms of volume, in order create interesting spaces and transition. The tower can be increased in height and length for future expansion. As deaths are inevitable and having resources to make memory everlasting, the size of the tower can be expanded. Atheism is upcoming and often looked upon as a new aspect for religious people who form the majority. The new tower with the old skin of the building also represents the dawn of a positive new beginning amidst the old.

Site Plan

Section A

Axo

Section Section B

Ground Floor

First Floor

Second Floor

Third Floor

View of the art gallery

View inide the memorial garden

View of the chapel

View from the stepped garden

8.0 References 2.1 Demography: •

Worldpopulationreview.com. (10/20/2017). [online] Available at: http://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/london-population/

2.2 Ethnicity: •

Worldpopulationreview.com. (2018). [online] Available at: http://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/ london-population/

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Migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk. (2018). [online] Available at: http://www.migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/ wp-content/uploads/2016/04/CensusProfile-England.pdf

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En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Ethnic groups in London. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_London

2.3 Death: •

Ons.gov.uk. (2018). Deaths registered in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics. [online] Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregistrationsummarytables/2017

•

Data.london.gov.uk. (2018). London Datastore. [online] Available at: https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/ deaths-and-mortality-ratios-borough

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Kirk, A. (2018). London has lowest death rate in England as coastal regions hold older population. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11697141/London-has-lowestdeath-rate-in-England-as-coastal-regions-hold-older-population.html

2.4 Religion: •

En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Religion in London. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_ London#Distribution

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Bbc.co.uk. (2018). BBC - KS3 Bitesize History - Religion through time in the UK : Revision, Page 2. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/history/uk_through_time/religion_through_time/revision/2/

3.2 Psychological themes and death models: •

Robben, A. (n.d.). Death, mourning, and burial.

3.5 Religious beliefs on death: •

Bbc.co.uk. (2018). BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Death. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs/death/

3.6 Religious Funeral Rituals: •

Bbc.co.uk. (2018). BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Death. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs/death/

3.7 Atheism: •

Dawkins, R. (n.d.). The God delusion.

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Bbc.co.uk. (2018). BBC - Religions - Atheism: Funerals. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/ religions/atheism/ritesrituals/funerals.shtml

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Oxford Dictionaries | English. (2018). atheist | Definition of atheist in English by Oxford Dictionaries. [online] Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/atheist

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4.1 History and traditions of Funerals in UK: •

History is Now Magazine, Podcasts, Blog and Books | Modern International and American history. (2018). The History and Traditions of Funerals in the UK. [online] Available at: http://www.historyisnowmagazine. com/blog/2017/5/14/the-history-and-traditions-of-funerals-in-the-uk#.W4kWJ-hKhPY=

•

Encyclopedia.com. (2018). funeral practices: British customs | Encyclopedia.com. [online] Available at: https://www.encyclopedia.com/medicine/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/funeral-practices-british-customs [Accessed 31 Aug. 2018].

4.2 Emerging Funeral Customs: •

4.3 Atheist Funeral Customs: •

Bbc.co.uk. (2018). BBC - Religions - Atheism: Funerals. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/ religions/atheism/ritesrituals/funerals.shtml

4.5 Alkaline Hydrolysis: •

Frazer Consultants. (2018). Dissolved bodies? Sewers? Alkaline hydrolysis debunked. [online] Available at: http://www.frazerconsultants.com/2016/06/dissolved-bodies-sewers-alkaline-hydrolysis-debunked/

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BBC News. (2018). Dissolving the dead - alkaline hydrolysis a new alternative to burial and cremation BBC News. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/dissolving_the_dead

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Bayliss, G., Wiart, N., McKeon, L. and Barmak, S. (2018). Dissolving the Dead. [online] The Walrus. Available at: https://thewalrus.ca/dissolving-the-dead/

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En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Alkaline hydrolysis (body disposal). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Alkaline_hydrolysis_(body_disposal)

5.1 San Cataldo Cemetery, Modena, Italy: •

Etda.libraries.psu.edu. (2018). [online] Available at: https://etda.libraries.psu.edu/files/final_submissions/14087.

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ArchDaily. (2018). AD Classics: San Cataldo Cemetery / Aldo Rossi. [online] Available at: https://www. archdaily.com/95400/ad-classics-san-cataldo-cemetery-aldo-rossi

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Coffeewithanarchitect.com. (2018). DAY 2 - Aldo Rossi (San Cataldo Cemetery) | Coffee with an Architect. [online] Available at: http://www.coffeewithanarchitect.com/2012/04/09/aldo-rossi-san-cataldo-cemetery/

5.2 Crematorium Baumschulenweg, Germany: •

ArchDaily. (2018). Crematorium Baumschulenweg / Shultes Frank Architeckten. [online] Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/322464/crematorium-baumschulenweg-shultes-frank-architeckten

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Krematorium-berlin.de. (2018). [online] Available at: https://www.krematorium-berlin.de/Krematorium_ Baumschulenweg/index.php

5.3 Notable mentions: •

Bradshawfuneral.com. (2018). Stillwater/East Metro Location | Bradshaw Funeral & Cremation Services. [online] Available at: http://www.bradshawfuneral.com/_mgxroot/page_10801.php

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BBC News. (2018). Dissolving the dead - alkaline hydrolysis a new alternative to burial and cremation BBC News. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/dissolving_the_dead

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The Independent. (2018). Sweden just opened its first atheist cemetery. [online] Available at: https:// www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sweden-atheist-cemetery-opens-religion-church-of-sweden-a7371006.html

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Thomas D. Williams, P. (2018). Sweden Bans Religious Symbols in First ‘Atheist Graveyard’. [online] Breitbart. Available at: https://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/10/21/sweden-bans-religious-symbols-first-atheist-graveyard/

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