The Last Act

Page 1

The Last Act


This document and the contents was written, compiled, designed and produced by Hannah-Mollie Bowers, Oliver Chambers, Matthieu Courtade, Charlotte Madgwick and Alice Moxley. First published in 2017 as part of ‘New Knowledge’ at The London School of Architecture. The authors would like to thank the staff at The London School of Architecture and the Practice Network, Moxley Architects, Assemble, Douglas Davis, Angela Abbott and all interviewees. A special thank-you to Giles Smith and Anthony EngiMeacock for your infinite enthusiasm, guidance and investment in this project. 2


Contents

1 2 3 4 5

Historical Context 9 11 13 15

Six Feet Deep The City Overrun The Birth of Cremation The Status Quo

Current Issues 19 21 23 25 27

The Funeral Industry Land Value Cremation: Environmental Impact Cremation: Societal Disconnect The NHS

Life-Style & Death-Style 31 Religious Rituals 33 The People of London 39 A Ritual for Londoners

The Last Act 43 49 53 55

London Burial Act, 2017 Mycelium Network Community

Proposal 67 69 71 77 81 89 93

I Preparation II Death III The Last Act IV Mycelium V Urban Funeral VI London Burial VII Exhumation

3


1


Historic Context Our treatment of the dead is fast becoming unsustainable: burial is economically impractical and cremation is un-ecological and culturally detached. We have lost the relative certainty of our collective rituals and local connections that traditionally helped us make sense of death. So how did we get here?


Historical Analysis

6


Exploring historic methods for disposing of the body identified a number of behavioural changes over the past five centuries, each determined by a significant event. These determinates range from moments of cultural and societal upheaval such as war or health epidemics, through to technological advances, physical limitations and legislative rulings. It is clear that this is not the first time our society has had to alter its collective behaviour. The final segment of this drawing proposes a trajectory for change. 7


8


I

Six Feet Deep 1665

In 1665 an outbreak of plague left bodies piled in the streets of London. Growing fear that the infection would spread further if this continued led to legislative action being taken. The first Burial Act was passed, dictating that all bodies be buried at six feet deep.1 Despite its historic origins this is a method still practiced today.

Fig. 1

9


10


II

The City is Overrun c. 1830 - 1870

Successive Cholera epidemics meant that by 1830 London had all but run out of burial space. The sheer quantity of the deceased was fast becoming unmanageable and concerns over miasma led to the foundation of large cemeteries outside of the city. Death was no longer a part of local parish activity, resulting in a detachment from the processes and rituals involved. These larger cemeteries also quickly became commercialised, creating an industry surrounding death that has been growing ever since. Fig. 2

11


“We, the undersigned, disapprove the present custom of burying the dead, and we desire to substitute some mode which shall rapidly resolve the body into its component elements, by a process which cannot offend the living and shall render the remains innocuous. Until some better method is devised we desire to adopt that usually known as cremation�2 The Declaration The Cremation Society of England, 1874

12


III The Birth of Cremation c. 1870 - 1968

The act of reducing the body to ash through incineration was initially perceived to be barbaric as it did not align with the largely Christian population’s preference for burial. However the fact that cremation was both faster and cheaper than burial, combined with a rise in secularism, meant that it soon became the accepted method for disposing of the dead. Critically, the strongest advocates for cremation in Britain, The Cremation Society of England, stated that this new method only be used until ‘some better method [was] devised’. Fig. 3

13


14


IV

The Status Quo c. 1968-2017

In 1968 cremation surpassed burial as the preferred method of disposal across London.3 Despite increasing cultural diversity this remains the case today where over 74% of people in the UK will be cremated.4

Fig. 4

15


2


Current Issues


The Current System A Closed Network

The funeral industry operates as a closed network system using cheap and familiar suppliers in order to maximise profits. This inevitably results in limited variability in the services offered and all at an ever increasing premium. 18


The Funeral Industry Death is now a thriving industry with a basic funeral costing, on average, in excess of £3,500.5

In 2016 the funeral industry was reported to be worth over £2billion.6 Fig. 5

Leading this commercialisation of death is Co-op Funeral Care who offer a “Set Plan” for £2,895. This no frills package will buy you a simple coffin, hearse transportation, 24 hours in the Chapel of Rest and arrangements at your local crematorium or burial ground.7 Options for customisation such as embalming or a specialist coffin are prohibitively expensive usually resulting in dreary standardisation and soulless ceremonies.

Fig. 6

19


ERB's ***

Investment

Total ROI *

Growth * *

10

£26,400

£34,320

30%

25

£66,000

£89,760

36%

* Return on Investment (including capital) over 3 years ** Gross Return *** Exclusive Right to Burial.

61% of the Uk population will still choose to be buried, with 23% choosing cremation 20


Land Value A diminishing number of burial plots available in London cemeteries has only served to worsen this issue of commercialisation. Savvy investors can now purchase a burial plot with the promise of returns in excess of 40% after only two years.8

Burial Space Survey in London ENFIELD

BARNET CAMDEN

HARINGEY

BRENT

HILLINGDON

CAMDEN

ISLINGTON

HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM RICHMOND UPON THAMES

HAVERING

BARKING & DAGENHAM

TOWER HAMLETS

KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA

HOUNSLOW

REDBRIDGE

NEWHAM

CITY OF WESTMINSTER

EALING

WALTHAM FORREST

HACKNEY

SOUTHWARK

GREENWICH

LAMBETH

BEXLEY

LEWISHAM

WANDSWORTH

MERTON KINGSTON UPON THAMES

BROMLEY

SUTTON CROYDON

Full Critical Problematic Adequate Sustainable No response

Fig. 7

Fig. 8

21


22


Cremation Environmental Impact Cremation chambers burn at a temperature of around 800oC and require 300kWh of energy to reduce a single corpse to ash. This is more energy than one person consumes in a month.9

16% of the UK’s mercury emissions originate from crematoria Cremation chambers are most often fuelled by propane, and emissions are filtered to ensure that no unpleasant smells are released. However, 16% of the UK’s mercury emissions originate from crematoria resulting in significant damage to the environment.10 Current EU legislation demands that by 2020 these emissions are halted. However, the upgrade required to the 650 crematoria across the UK will cost over £1.6 billion.11

Fig. 8

23


Fig. 10

Fig. 12

Church funeral: A circular journey

24

Fig. 11


Cremation Societal Disconnect The more recent architectural responses to death are not entirely successful. Particularly in terms of social continuity, evident when comparing a crematorium to a traditional CofE Church: Churches are designed as aweinspiring buildings, providing physical and social centres for their community. The Church of England plays host to many of life’s most pivotal events including weddings, christenings and funerals and are perceived as places solemnity and celebration.12 Conversely crematoria, a comparatively modern typology, are efficient and austere in their design. They are entities with a singular function and are intended to accommodate multiple funeral ceremonies per day. A typical funeral will lasts just 20 minutes with one party exiting the building while another enters.

Cremation: A linear journey

NIMBYism has resulted crematoria being hidden on the automotive outskirts of our cities. Stuck somewhere between a chapel and a doctors surgery, with green plastic chairs in the waiting room and wooden paneling in the “chapel�, they barely disguise the mechanised process. These features combine to create a surreal and removed experience for the bereaved, as well as a loss of death as an everyday notion in the wider community.


26


The NHS

An Institution Under Pressure Over 67% of us will die in an NHS hospital,13 some will be afforded the luxury of a private room but most of us will remain in a cubicle screened from surrounding patients by a thin blue curtain. The current crisis faced by the NHS means that beds are at a premium. The deceased are processed quickly: death is confirmed, a coroner informed, and an ID tag attached to the big toe. Bodies are then stored in the morgue for less than 24 hours before being transported to a funeral home. This rapid dispatch curtails many time-critical religious rituals and leaves very little opportunity for grieving friends and family to be with their loved one in the moments after their death. In conversation with Mark Jones at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London he recounted how he had seen bodies being removed from wards disguised as laundry carts. This anecdote further demonstrates our cultural detachment from death as people are protected from even seeing the deceased.

Fig. 9

27


3


Life-Style & Death-Style Death rituals are ancient and necessary. They provide a framework in which to operate, prescribing activities, behaviours and even food in the painful days following a loss. Key religious groups share distinct similarities in how they treat their dead. But how does someone with no religious beliefs begin to deal with death?


HOURS

BHUDISM

MOMENTS

ISLAM

1

1

3

2

4 x3

x3

JUDAISM

1

2

C of E

1

Vigil Friends and family gather as their loved one passes away.

30

Preparation The family perform rituals involving close contact with the body:Washing, shrounding and clothing the deceased.

Disposal A final journey is the deceased is la with a cremation


Religious Rituals Key Religions in London DAYS

2

3

4

al journey is made and eased is laid to rest cremation or burial.

5

6

MONTHS

YEARS

Memorialisation A physical artefact forms a focus point for the family's grief.

Celebration Friends and family come together to remember the life of the deceased

7

31


32


The People of London Understanding attitudes from a wider demographic is essential. We interviewed Londoners of various faiths, ethnicities and ages. We asked people about their feelings towards their own death, their concerns and fears and if they had made any plans or had any desires regarding their own funeral.

Jessica, 30 Sona, 57 Leeston, 31 Tony, 87 Imogen, 29 Ed, 35 Dominic, 55 Pete, 67 Ben, 24 Vern, 24 Sabrina, 38 Kim, 54 Luke, 28 Fig. 10

Atheist Mother Spiritualist Casual Christian Humanist Pick’n’Mix Catholic Science Prevails! Confused Atheist Catholic Deacon Rebellious Atheist Born Again Christian Buddhist Aggressive Atheist Agnostic Hipster 33


Jessica, 30 “I think it would be hypocritical to have my funeral in a church.”

Leeston, 31 “Right now, while having this conversation, I’ve thought, do I want to have it in a church? Because it always is a church isn’t it...?”

Tony, 87 “I would hate for house clearers to come in and take away all my possessions - I want to get my affairs in order before I go!”

34


Sona, 57 “I think it is all about your spirit after you die - not a physical place or object. But I wouldn’t mind if there was a little plaque somewhere saying ‘Sona was here’.”

Kim, 30 “I laid my mother out, washed her body, tied her chin. It was a hugely cathartic process.”

Ben, 24 “I like the idea of having a big dinner, nice food, nice wine, maybe at a pub with everyone who knows me there.”

35


Ed, 37 “I’m really interested in the idea of a eulogy, I think it’s the only bespoke element to a funeral these days”

Sabrina, 38 “I want to be cremated and the dust shared amongst my friends, with lots of singing and music!”

Imogen, 29 “Surely in order to prepare for death, you have to have some faith in a bigger system. The people who really struggle are people with no belief system.” 36


Pete, 67 “A funeral for me is just cracking good hymns and possibly a big piss up. I actually enjoy funerals.”

Vern, 24 “If I die my concern is entirely about the people I will leave behind. I don’t mind if I’m buried or cremated - it wont make any difference to them.”

Dom, 56 “With all the medical advances these days I’m pretty sure I will know when I’m going to die so there will be plenty of time to plan’ 37


LONDON RITUAL

BEFORE

LAST ACT

Preparation Advice is sought, plans are made and a will written prior to death

38

MOMENTS

HOURS

DAYS

1

Vigil Friends and family gather as their loved one passes away.

Preparation Family and friends perform their personal rituals to prepare the body for interment

Disposal An urban funeral takes places in a favourite location across the city before the body is interred 3 feet deep at the local cemetery


A Ritual for Londoners We have sanitised death, preferring to defer responsibility to funeral directors rather than engaging with the practical and physical aftermath. This has resulted in a detachment from the realities that face us all at the end of life. Those who do not have any greater system to follow adopt the relative certainty of religious rituals in a hope that they will help to make sense of death.

WEEKS

1 YEAR

LAST ACT

Celebration Family and friends come together to remember and celebrate the life of the deceased

Memorialisation The body is exhumed and the bones cremulated. They are then returned to the family.

Faced with this detachment we propose a new London ritual for dealing with death. This ritual will provide a framework for all of London’s tribes to experience, without discrimination or exclusion, and so return agency and opportunity for expressions of individuality to everyone in death. 39


40

4


The Last Act. We propose a new model that will reconnect our society with the realities of death. It is intended to disrupt the established industry and outdated practices that currently surround death and so return agency to the people. It will include the following elements: I

Legislation

II

Material Strategy

III Network IV

Spatial Strategy

This model will be known as The Last Act.

41


An Act to confer further powers upon The Home Office for Burial at Three Feet Deep; and for related purposes. [10th April 2017]

It is expedient that the powers of The Home Office should be extended and amended as provided in this Act: It is expedient that subsidiaries of The Home Office should have further powers as regards giving security for borrowing:

The purposes of

It is expedient that The Home Office should have further powers as regards the carrying out of activities specified pursuant to section 157 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999: It is expedient that further provisions be made as regards risks mitigation It is expedient that other provisions contained in this Act should be enacted: The purposes of this Act cannot be effected without the authority of Parliament: In relation to the promotion of the bill for this Act, The Home Office has compiled with the requirements of section 167 of, and Schedule 13 to, the Greater London Authority Act 1999:

42


I

Legislation: The London Burial Act 2017

Richmond Park 2500 acres

All bodies will now be buried at three feet deep. New burials must only utilise existing plots and the use of virgin ground is prohibited. After a year all bodies will be exhumed and the plot will become available again. This legislation will unlock 2325 acres of land, activating 1.8 million burial plots across London. With the continued reuse of existing land, London will never again face a burial crisis.

43


3ft 3ft

Proposed practice Existing practice

44


Three Feet Deep From the ‘Magnificent Seven’ cemeteries of Greater London to the local churchyards surrounding Kings Cross, the London Burial Act 2017 will unlock burial space across the city. These burial grounds will also be maintained as public parkland and so acommodate the living as well as the dead.

Key Existing Park Space Cemetery / Burial Space / Graveyard Community Served

45


Key

46

Cemetery / Burial Space / Graveyard Crematoria Hospitals / NHS services Churchyards Magnificent seven


47


Material Strategy: Mycelium Coffin

48


II

Material Strategy: Mycelium Our research into the current state of the funeral industry as it currently stands highlighted some shocking statistics. In 10 acres of typical cemetery land there will be enough wasted timber to build over 40 houses. On top of this, the embalming fluid used to preserve a body is seriously harmful to the environment resulting in lasting damage to our natural eco-systems. All in the name of the dead. The mycelium coffin provides a natural and ecologically friendly alternative that will decompose entirely after approximately 1 year. 49


50


51


52


III Network

The Last Act will return agency to the public when dealing with death. Its function is to facilitate choice and make connections with local people.

53


Physical

Online

Web Chat

Telephone

Face to Face

Websites

Email

Mobile

20M

2.5M USERS

USERS Advice

Money

Housing

Legal

Employment

Consumer Rights

Human Rights

Education/ Healthcare

Family/ Neighbourhood Disputes

Social Value

For every £1 spent Citizens Advice Bureaux generate at least:

£1.52

£8.08

£10.97

IN FISCAL BENEFITS

IN PUBLIC VALUE

TO INDIVIDUALS

Savings to government spending

Wider economic and social benefits

Value to their clients

Access to Market

This new network will combine the disruptive nature of systems like AirBnB and the forum status of charities like the Citizens Advice Bureau and thereby removes the monopoly from corporate funeral directors. It will provide impartial advice, relevant contacts and information to those who need it. It will be an open source network, up-to-date with current trends, technologies and traditions whilst always encouraging feedback.

Profile

£

£

Fee

Fee

Profile

Host

Guest

42% of hosts are self employed or part-time workers.

Air BnB has helped create a new group of travellers who want a ‘live like a local’ experience. 45% of their spending occurs in the area they stay in.

The average host earns £2,822 on renting 33 nights of the year


THE LAST ACT

Outposts across the city

Providing a platform

Inclusive of all religions

Advocates the London Burial Act, 2017

Working with local businesses

Enacting urban funerals

A social hub and community space

55


hsiraP eht fohseinrailPceeD htefhoTenilceD ehT

== t ytinumm ehotcyltlainmusmnm I oc llams nI ytilaudividsinyi tfiolaeusdniveisdni fo esnes .gnorts .gnorts

In a village the sense of community is strong, you will know where you are likely to be buried or cremated, know your neighbours, your local pubs and short-cuts, all combining to provide a strong sense of place.

== pyuneadmam fo yptuiceadnaIm ytic a nI seno ,seitisneim nom,soecitinimmoc cnetlseefrspi leacundeisveidrpnilaudividni .ssel eb ot.ssel eb ot

In a city it is unlikely that you will know where your final resting place will be and many people feel little sense of community as they rarely remain in one location for long.

56


IV Community

The Last Act will revive the sense of community that is so often lost within the city by establishing outposts in every neighbourhood across London. Local artisans and businesses will become a part of this network, providing space, food, advice or tools to help people in their Last Act. The new London Burial Act 2017 will also ensure that all burials will occur in the local burial ground of the deceased. Providing a sense of community even in death.

57


Applied Across the City

DEATH IN THE CITY OF LONDON

6

ASH EXHANGE

3 FUNERAL

5

EXHUMED

4

0

MOMENTS BEFORE DEATH

INTERRED

1 DIE

3

FUNERALS

1

DIE

2

LAST ACT PLAN

7

3

2

SCATTERING OF ASHES

INTERRED

URBAN FUNERALS

1

PREPARED

4

EXHUMED

5

ASHES GIVEN TO

0

DIE

DEATH IN 58 SOUTHWARK


DEATH IN TOWER HAMLETS

2 PREPARED

4 INTERRED

5 EXHUMED

0 MOMENTS BEFORE DEATH

O THE FAMILY

6 SCATTERING OF ASHES

The Last Act’s outposts will be spread across London, each providing for its local community. This neighbourhood strategy will then be replicated across the city to create a cohesive city-wide network. 59


I II III IV V VI 60

VII

Last Act Outpost

Hospital - Hospice - Care Home

The Last Act Outpost

Mycelium coffin

Urban Funeral

Burial

Exhumation


The Last Act outpost will be somewhere to seek advice prior to death, where legal and practical arrangements can be made.

Whilst many people would prefer to die at home most deaths still occur in an NHS institution.

At The Last Act outpost you can wash and shroud the body of your loved one, taking time and talking with others who have suffered a loss. It will be a place of comfort as well as advice.

A mycelium coffin will be provided, decomposing quickly with no harm to the environment.

1

The Last Act will facilitate funerals in the urban realm, utilising the huge variety of locations available across London to give your last goodbye a personal and meaningful feel.

The London Burial Act 2017 will activate land across the city providing reusable burial space for every community.

After a year, when the body has decomposed, it will be exhumed and the bones crushed before being returned to the family. 61


62

5


Deploying The Last Act The Last Act will provide agency to both the dead and the dying. To best describe our proposal, we have looked at one example of how The Last Act could become manifest in a single locality. This is the story of George Turner, a man from Tower Hamlets.

63


George’s Final Journey

IV

V

64


I/III

II

VI

VII

65


66


I

Preparation

Three months before George died he got in contact with The Last Act. His local outpost was on Roman Road, just a short walk from his house. He visited a number of times in order to get his affairs in order. He wrote a will, discussed funeral plans and arranged details of his wake. There he met others who were dying and they shared their stories and provided comfort and support to each other. It made death feel like a normal part of life, a continuation rather than a full stop. It gave him a reassuring sense of closure as the end drew near.

67


68


II Death

George died on the Oncology Ward at the Royal London Hospital on the Mile End Road. His wife and daughter were by his side and following a swift but sincere conversation with his doctors, his body was transferred to the care of Last Act and taken to his local outpost.

69


6

5 4

7

3

2

1 1. Hearse parking 2. Coffin bearers entrance 3. Welcome council 4. Enclosed ritual space 5. Mycelium coffin store 6. Morgue 7. Cafe/forum 70


III The Last Act Hours After George’s body is accompanied by his wife to The Last Act outpost. Here she is reassured by the calm and caring nature of the volunteers who first transport his body to an enclosed central space. She is devastated by her loss but the methodical process of slowly washing his body before covering it with a clean linen cloth is calming and therapeutic. Afterwards, she sits in the cafe with one of the volunteers who explains George’s final wishes and the plans he has already made. She adds to these, recalling conversations they had. The Last Act help with all of the legalities and provide the information and contacts she needs to set plans in motion. 71


By occupying a position on the high street The Last Act outposts become commonplace, integrated into everyday life and providing a community hub similar to that of a local pub or church. 72


73


Volunteers provide help and advice

74


A place to wash and shroud the body

75


Mycelium coffin

76

Mycelium gravemarker


IV

Mycelium Coffin & Gravemarker

1

Days After

George’s body is placed in a mycelium coffin and a personalised grave marker containing a microchip of his name and death date is given to his wife. Both items are intended to decompose over the course of the following year with one below ground and one above. The grave-marker will act as a practical and emotional signifier, describing the processes occurring below ground whilst also locating George’s grave within the cemetery.

77


78


Mycelium Coffin

79


80


V

1

Urban Funeral A Week After

Over the course of the following week his wife and daughter arrange his funeral at The V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green. Every day, George’s wife returns to The Last Act outpost to sit with him. Here she meets others who have recently suffered a loss, she shares her grief with them, taking comfort from their kindness. A week later the ceremony is held and friends and family come together to say goodbye one last time.

81


Plan: Funeral procession in the V&A Museum of Childhood

82


Urban Funeral The V&A Museum of Childhood

1

Wedding Party

Urabn Funeral

83


The Last Act can facilitate a funeral in almost any building across the city. Their ever expanding network has links with both religious and non-religious locations and their agency means that almost anywhere can now be transformed for funerary ceremony. The following pages explore some of the choice now available. 84

Plan: Funeral procession in the British Museum


Urban Funeral The British Museum

1

Wedding Party

Urabn Funeral

85


Plan: Funeral procession a local garden

86


Urban Funeral A Local Garden

1

Wedding Party

Urabn Funeral

87


London Burial

th

Way

Ti

dw or

lets

Ham

Ro ad

Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

Bow

Com

mon

Gas Works

Lan

e

N 88


VI

1

London Burial A Week After

After the funeral, George’s close family accompany him to Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park where he will be interred at three feet deep.

89


Site Map: Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park 90


The Borough of Tower Hamlets Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park was originally established as one of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ located on the outskirts of the city. It has since been surrounded by housing and is located near to the busy Mile End Road. The cemetery was closed for burials in 1966 having reached its capacity but is now maintained as a public park containing a diverse ecosystem of flora and fauna. The cemetery currently accommodates over 250,000 graves. The introduction of the London Burial Act, 2017 at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park will allow for the reactivation of 11 acres of burial ground.

Site Photos: Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

91


The Hollow Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

The plot has already been prepared when George’s family arrive, its depth of three feet means that the existing grave remains undisturbed. George will share this plot with its historic occupant for the next year.

Axonometric: The Hollow 92

A few words are said and flowers laid on the coffin as people say their last goodbye. Once the grave is covered, a mycelium marker is placed on it to identify George’s plot.


The Hollow The Hollow is located in the south west of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, there are currently no graves here and the area is locally referred to as the ‘scrapyard’. It sits adjacent to the disused brick arches of the railway and was chosen as an opportunity for a landscaped intervention without the disruption of existing graves.

1 Interment

3 Gathering Space

2 Exhumation

4 Ash Exchange

The Hollow contains a series of spaces that deal with the functional and emotional aspects of death. The central, round exchange space creates a hinge between the two processing spaces. One side contains a education facility where people can come and learn about the processes involved including mycelium decomposition and burial at 3 feet deep. The second contains records of the deceased who are currently within the cemetery. There is then a passage which connects area where the cremulator are stored. Here the bones are ground to ash then stored and catalogued in adjoining service rooms. After a year the bereaved will come to the gathering space to receive the remains of their loved one. This transfer will happen in the Ash Exchange. This space is designed at an intimate scale with light filtering from above providing an emotional and spiritual quality to the space.

93


Axonometric: The Hollow 94


The Hollow The Hollow was designed using the analogy of ‘flesh and bones’. Bones The functional spaces are contained in the base of the building. The subterranean structure is sunken six feet deep and is made from fair faced concrete, forming thick walls that create a solidity and mass. This is intended to reflect the building’s permanance in a context of transience. It was designed with longevity in mind and the notion that it could eventually be rediscovered in a future archaeological dig. Flesh The upper part of the structure is much more light-weight and is made from a timber frame, clad in mycelium shingles. It is deliberately more fragile and will actively age and decay over time. The form of the exchange space is intentionally more evocative and emotional, playing with light and height, echoing the emotive and sensory space of a traditional church. Despite this the space is nondenominational and is intended to accommodate people of all religions. All precedent studies and design development can be found in the appendix document.

Plan: The Hollow

95


Site Map: Alderney Cemetery 96


The Borough of Tower Hamlets Alderney Cemetery The Last Act’s model can also be applied to very specific situations. We tested this at Alderney Road Cemetery, an ancient Sephardic Jewish burial ground located just off Mile End Road. This is a very private and sacred burial ground, opened in 1696 but has been closed for burials since 2009. The site is accessed via a single small door and is surrounded on all sides by a high brick wall. In order to allow the Jewish community to reuse this precious site all three spatial elements of The Last Act have been applied in close proximity to the burial ground. The neighbourhood outpost, the urban funeral and the cemetery intervention.

Entrance Door: Alderney Cemetery

Site Photos: Alderney Cemetery

97


98


The Last Act at Alderney Cemetery

99


1

100

2

3


The Borough of Tower Hamlets Alderney Cemetery 1. The Last Act outpost on Mile End road where the deceased can be transferred to. This site occupies the only gatehouse and carriageway to Mile End Place, making it ideal for a hearse to travel through. 2. A derelict house currently lies empty on Mile End Place which we propose to be occupied by the Sephardic Jewish community. Here they can hold their own funerals in a collectively owned front room. We know from our research that the Jewish tradition has very particular rituals which revolve around the deceased lying in state in a domestic setting. This location also allows people to sit with the body for extended periods of time and partake in washing and shrouding the deceased. 3. After the funeral the body will be taken into the back garden of the house and through a new opening in the existing cemetery wall that bounds it. The body is then carried to the north part of the site where we propose the implementation of the London Burial Act, 2017.

Existing derelict house

101


Burial ground intervention providing controlled access

Sketch view looking out towards the cemetery

102


The Borough of Tower Hamlets Alderney Cemetery Given the very private nature of the site it is important that it doesn't become a place of leisure. However it is a special and sacred place with an incredibly rich history. A brick wall currently surrounds the perimeter of the site and contains a single entrance which remains locked at all times, preventing day to day use. Our intervention is anchored to this wall and existing entrance and is intended to allow anyone to enter the cemetery, but controls access. Designed as a sunken room, the structure has a heavy concrete slab roof to give the impression of entering into subterranean space. However, this acts as a kind of inverted balcony that allows views of the cemetery from below rather than above.

Initial sketch model: Cast plaster and plasticene

There is a cut corridor to a service space beyond and a place to keep exhumation tents and reburial equipment. This space has a high ceiling allowing the form to be expressed above the line of the existing perimeter. This is intended to give passers-by a hint of what lies beyond the wall, encouraging the inquisitive to discover more!

103


Site history can be accessed through digital augmentation

104


The Borough of Tower Hamlets Alderney Cemetery This view allows a visitor to understand the layers of history through digital augmentation. The grave marker will contain information about the new occupant of a plot, as well as the historic infomation of the initial burial. For instance Rose Jutka will share her grave with the ancient Jewish pirate Chaim Figiel from 1761. This digital infrastructure allows for memorialisation without a physical marker, allowing the site to have infinite use without the need to erase anybody's memory.

Each grave marker will contain information about the person buried below.

105


George’s Fireworks: A Celebration of Life

106


VII

1

Exhumation A Year Later

A year later the family return to the cemetery. George’s gravemarker has all but disappeared and his bones have been exhumed and cremulated to ash. The family collect the ashes and keep them for some time. They once again get in touch with The Last Act, to fulfil George’s instruction. It was George’s final wish to have his ashes turned into fireworks, and The Last Act put them in touch with a someone who can help. His family light the fireworks in a celebration of George’s life.

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End Notes Orders conceived and published by the Lord Major and Aldermen of The City of London, concerning the infection of the plague City of London (England). Court of Aldermen., City of London (England). Lord Mayor. 1

The Cremation Society of England, The Declaration, cited in, Rose Collis, Death and the City: The Nation’s Experience Told Through Brighton’s History, Hanover Press, Brighton, 2013, p. 23. 2

3

Douglas Davies, Mors Britannica: Lifestyle & Dath-Style in Britain Today, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2015, p. 133.

4

Davies, Mors Britannica, p. 133.

Julie Rugg and Nicolas Pleace, An Audit of London Burial Provision A report for the Greater London Authority, Cemetery Research Group, University of York, 2011 5

Ibis World, ‘Funeral Acitivites in the UK: Market Research’, < https://www.ibisworld.co.uk/market-research/funeralactivities.html>, 2016, (accessed 15 March 2017). 6

Co-op Funeral Care, ‘pre-paid-funeral-plans’, <http://www.co-operativefuneralcare.co.uk/pre-paid-funeral-plans/ourfuneral-plans/how-much-does-a-funeral-plan-cost/> (accessed 21 January 2017) 7

8

Harley Investments, <http://harleyinvestments.co>, (accessed 15 March 2017)

Leo Hickman, ‘Should I be Burried or Cremated’, The Guardian, < https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2005/ oct/18/ethicalmoney.climatechange>, 2011, (accessed 30 January 2017) 9

BBC, ‘Crematoria Warned Over Mercury’, The BBC, <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4160895>, 2005, (accessed 15 February 2017) 10

11

Ibid.

‘The phrase, ‘from cradle to grave’, has often been used to describe the role of major churches, notably the Church of England with its baptism and funeral rites’, in Davies, Mors Britannica, p.18. 12

54.8% in hospital, 4.5% in a hospice, 17.8% in a care home: Claudia Wood and Jo Salter, ‘A Time and a Place: What People Want at the End of Life’, Sue Ryder, <http://www.sueryder.org/about-us/policies-and-campaigns/our-campaigns/ dying-isnt-working/~/media/files/about-us/a-time-and-a-place-sue-ryder.ashx>, (accessed 21 January 2017) 13

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Image References Fig. 1 - Giovanni Boccacci, (1348), Available At: http://www.medievalists.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ Boccaccios_The_plague_of_Florence_in_1348_Wellcome_L0072143.jpg Fig. 2 - Heritage Image Partnership Ltd/Alamy, (1866) Cemetery at Bunhil Fields, Finsbury, London, Available At: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/jan/22/death-city-grisly-secrets-victorian-london-dead Fig. 3 - Dr William Price cremating his son, (1884) Available At: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/jan/22/ death-city-grisly-secrets-victorian-london-dead Fig. 4 - Kojotisko, (no date) Interior of Crematorium, Available At: https://hiveminer.com/Tags/brno,crematorium Fig. 5 - Channel 4 Dispatches, (2012) Shipped out, Available At: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2163891/ Channel-4-Dispatches-funeral-firm-Families-horror-Co-op-funeral-firm-piled-naked-bodies-like-TVs.html Fig. 6 - Spare Foot, (no date) Determin the Budget, Available At: https://www.sparefoot.com/self-storage/blog/15371how-to-stay-organized-and-cope-with-stress-when-planning-a-funeral/ Fig. 7 - Harley Investment, (2017) The Opportunity, Available At: http://harleyinvestments.com/project/rainham/ Fig. 8 - Time, (2013) A New American Way of Death, Available At: https://timedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/ magazine-cremation.jpg?w=1100&quality=85 Fig. 9 - Salisbury City Council, (2010) Salisbury Crematorium, Available At: http://rosepm.co.uk/site/ showimage/?filename=P1050107.JPG Fig. 10 - Alexander Chancellor, (2015) The fraught buisness of seat surrender, Available At: https://www.spectator. co.uk/2015/05/the-fraught-business-of-seat-surrender/ All other images copyright of authors.

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Bibliography Books Becker, E., The Denial of Death, New York, Simon & Schuster, 1973 Botton, A. d., Religion for atheists : a non-believer’s guide to the uses of religion, London, Hamish Hamilton, 2012 Davies, D., Mors Britannica: Lifestyle & Dath-Style in Britain Today, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2015. Grainger, H., Death Redesigned, British Crematoria: History, Architecture and Landscape, Reading, Spire Books, 2005 Stevens, J., Death and Architecture, Stroud, Sutton Publishing, 2002 The Welcome Collection, Death: A Picture Album, London, The Welcome Collection, 2012 Worpole, K., Last Landscapes: The Architecture of the Cemetery in the West, London, Reaktion Books, 2003

Articles ‘Crematoria Warned Over Mercury’, The BBC, <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4160895>, 2005, (accessed 15 February 2017) Brooke, C., ‘Shipped out’, The Daily Mail, <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2163891/Channel-4-Dispatches-funeralfirm-Families-horror-Co-op-funeral-firm-piled-naked-bodies-like-TVs.html>, 2012, (accessed 3 March 2017). Burrows, T., ‘The only grave is Essex: how the county became London’s dumping ground’, The Guardian, <https://www. theguardian.com/cities/2016/oct/25/london-dumping-ground-essex-skeleton-crossrail-closet>, 2016, (accessed 21 February 2017). Carrington, D., ‘Reusing gvaes means UK cemetery will never run out of space’, The Guardian, <https://www.theguardian.com/ environment/2016/may/06/re-using-graves-means-uk-cemetery-will-never-run-out-of-space>, 2016, (accessed 20 March 2017). De Sousa, A. N., ‘Death in the city: what happens when all our cemeteries are full?’, The Guardian, < https://www.theguardian. com/cities/2015/jan/21/death-in-the-city-what-happens-cemeteries-full-cost-dying>, 2015, (accessed 17 January 2017). ‘Death’, Architectural Review, November 2016. ‘Death’, Cabinet, Spring 2013 ‘Death and Dying’, The Conversation (ongoing) <https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/death-and-dying-series> (accessed 30 January 2017) Filler, M., ‘New York’s Vast Flop’, The New York Review of Books, <http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2017/03/09/world-tradecenter-new-yorks-vast-flop/>, 2017, (accessed 15 March 2017). Forrest, A., ‘Avoid the funeral sting: how to die for less than £1,000’, The Guardian, <https://www.theguardian.com/ money/2014/jun/28/funeral-die-low-cost-options>, 2014 (accessed 1 April 2017. Hanson, M., ‘Grave-sharing is fine - there’s no space for living, let alone dead ones’, The Guardian, < https://www.theguardian. com/lifeandstyle/2016/may/09/grave-sharing-death-graveyards-london-re-use>, 2016, (accessed 10 March 2017).

112 Harris, P., ‘Funeral fit for a heroine: Twon turns out to pay respects to WWII spy who died forgotten and alone’, The Daily Mail,


Bibliography <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1314070/Eileen-Nearne-funeral-Mourners-gather-British-spys-memorial.html>, 2010, (accessed 29 March 2017). Harper, P., ‘Something is rotten when my trainers are more customised than my funeral’, Dezeen <https://www.dezeen. com/2016/11/24/death-design-trainers-more-customised-than-funeral-rituals-phineas-harper-opinion/> (accessed 21 December 2016) Hickman, L., ‘Should I be Buried or Cremated’, The Guardian, < https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2005/oct/18/ ethicalmoney.climatechange>, 2011, (accessed 30 January 2017) Jackson, L., ‘Death in the city: the grisly secrets of dealing with Victorian London’s dead’, The Guardian, <https://www. theguardian.com/cities/2015/jan/22/death-city-grisly-secrets-victorian-london-dead>, 2015 (accessed 23 February 2017). Jong, Jonathan, ‘From mummification to ‘sky burials’: why we need death rituals’, The Conversation <https://theconversation. com/from-mummification-to-sky-burials-why-we-need-death-rituals-60386> (accessed 18 January 2017) Kennedy, M., ‘London cemetery’s reception house for the dead given listed status’, The Guardian, < https://www.theguardian. com/culture/2016/oct/28/london-cemeterys-reception-house-for-the-dead-given-listed-status>, 2016, (accessed 5 March 2017). Knight, S., ‘‘London Bridge is down’: the secret plan for the days after the Queen’s death’, The Guardian, < https://www. theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/mar/16/what-happens-when-queen-elizabeth-dies-london-bridge?CMP=Share_iOSApp_ Other>, 2017, (accessed 16 March 2017). Manthorpe, R., ‘I ‘died’ in vitual reality at the assisted suicide clinic Dignitas’, Wired, < http://www.wired.co.uk/article/virtualreality-assisted-suicide-dignitas>, 2017, (accessed 25 March 2017). More to death, Issue 01, January 2013 Pearman, H., ‘Necropolis Now’, RIBA Journal, April 2007. Ravazi, L., ‘Royal College of Art students collaborate with London hospice to ‘re-style’ the experience of death’, The Independent <http://www. independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/royal-college-of-art-students-collaborate-with-londonhospice-to-re-style-the-experience-of-death-a6879861.html) (accessed 23 December 2016) Williams, I., ‘The latest challenge in design? Create a better way to die’, Quartz <http://qz.com/368257/can-we-redesign-deathto-be-as-innovative-social-and-tech-savvy-as-life/> (accessed 10 January 2017)

Journals Vaughan, C., ‘Teach me to hear mermaids singing’, The British Medical Journal, Vol. 313, 1996, p. 565.

Reports/Studies/Statute Brent Council, ‘Cemeteries strategy for the London Borough of Brent’, < https://www.brent.gov.uk/media/2162472/ Cemeteries%20Strategy%20April%202013.pdf>, April 2013 (accessed 21 February 2017). Commission for Architecture and The Built Environment, ‘Cemeteries, Churchyards and burial grounds’, < http://www. designcouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/asset/document/cemeteries-churchyards-and-burial-grounds_.pdf>, 2007, (accessed 23 January 2017) Cullen, L., and Pearlman, V., ‘Funeral payments from the social fund’, <https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/policy/ policy-research-topics/welfare-policy-research-surveys-and-consultation-responses/welfare-policy-research/funeral-paymentsfrom-the-social-fund/>, 2012, (accessed 18 February 2017)

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Bibliography David, C., Aldersbrook Geological Society, Geology and London’s Victorian cemeteries Ibis World, ‘Funeral Activities in the UK: Market Research’, < https://www.ibisworld.co.uk/market-research/funeral-activities. html>, 2016, (accessed 15 March 2017). ICCM UK, ‘The Royal London National Funeral Cost Index Report 2016’, ICCM, 2016, <http://www.iccm-uk.com/iccm/ library/Royal%20London%20National%20Funeral%20Cost%20Index%202016%20Final-1.pdf ? The Royal London National Funeral Cost Index Report 2016 Orders conceived and published by the Lord Major and Aldermen of The City of London, concerning the infection of the plague City of London (England). Court of Aldermen., City of London (England). Lord Mayor. Ministry of Justice, ‘Natural Burial Grounds’, London, Ministry of Justice, 2009. Mintel, ‘Funerals and Funeral Planning’, UK, Mintel, 2014. Planning for Burial Space in London, Policies for Sustainable Cemeteries in the New Millennium Rugg, J. and Pleace, N., An Audit of London Burial Provision, Cemetery Research Group, University of York, London: GLA, 2011 Sun Life, ‘The Cost of Dying: The 8th Annual Report’, London: Sun Life, 2014. The Cremation Society of England, The Declaration, cited in, Rose Collis, Death and the City: The Nation’s Experience Told Through Brighton’s History, Hanover Press, Brighton, 2013. The Cost of Dying, Sun Life 8th Annual Report, 2014 Wood, C., and Salter, J., ‘A Time and a Place: What People Want at the End of Life’, Sue Ryder, <http://www.sueryder.org/ about-us/policies-and-campaigns/our-campaigns/dying-isnt-working/~/media/files/about-us/a-time-and-a-place-sue-ryder. ashx>, 2013, (accessed 21 January 2017)

Built Works Albareda, Leandro, Montjuic Cemetery (1883) Asplund, Gunnar & Lewerentz, Sigurd, Skogskyrkogården (1915) Boullée, Étienne-Louis, Newton’s Cenotaph (1784) Bramante, Donato, Tempietto (1502) Caminada, Gion, Stiva da Morts (2002) Celsing, Johan, New Crematorium (2014) Chipperfield, David, San Michele Cemetery Extension (2009) D’Avoine, Pierre, Kanye’s Mausoleum (2015) Döllgast, Hans, Old South Cemetery (1953) HAEAHN, Seoul Memorial Park (2012) Ledoux, Claude-Nicolas, Cemetery for Chaux (1785) Lutyens, Edwin, The Cenotaph (1920) Miletsky, Abraham, Kiev Crematorium (1968) Miralles, Enric, Igualada Cemetery (1994)

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Bibliography Robert Potter & Partners ‘Crownhill Crematorium’ (2011) Rossi, Aldo, San Cataldo Cemetery (1971) Scarpa, Calro, Brion Cemetery (1968) Selva, Gion Antonio, San Michele Cemetery (1836) Schultes Frank Architekten, Baumschulenweg Crematorium (1998) Soane, John, Soane Mausoleum (1816) Studio Matharoo, Ashwinikumar Crematorium (1999) Unknown, Tomb of Eurysaces the Baker (c.50BC) Woods, Lebbeus, Einstein Tomb (1980)

Artworks Best, David, Temples (2000-present) Digital Domain, Tupac Hologram (2012) Duffaut, Pierre, Coffin, date unknown Leach, Bernard, Alfred Wallis’ Grave (1942)

Websites Citizen’s Advice Bureaux, < https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk> Co-op Funeral Care, ‘pre-paid-funeral-plans’, <http://www.co-operativefuneralcare.co.uk/pre-paid-funeral-plans/our-funeralplans/how-much-does-a-funeral-plan-cost/> (accessed 21 January 2017) Design for Death, Competition (http://www. designboom.com/competition/design-for-death/) Memorialised Facebook Accounts (https://www. facebook.com/help/1506822589577997/) Design for Death, Competition (http://www. designboom.com/competition/design-for-death/) Death Cafe, <http://deathcafe.com>, (accessed 10 February 2017). Digital Memorialisation Service Eternime (http://eterni.me/) Harley Investments, <http://harleyinvestments.co>, (accessed 15 March 2017) Kensal Green Cemetery, ‘Prices’, Kensal Green Cemetery, <http://www.kensalgreencemetery.com/prices/>, (accessed 3rd February 2017) Memorialised Facebook Accounts (https://www. facebook.com/help/1506822589577997/)

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Bibliography Applications Cove by Humane Engineering <http://www.cove-app. com/>

Groups/Organisations Columbia University GSAPP Death Lab <http://www. deathlab.org> The Death Café Network <http://deathcafe.com/> The Helix Centre <http://helixcentre.com/> With Grace <https://withgrace.co/> Shrouds for All <http://shrouds4all.blogspot.co.uk>

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Glossary of Terms Burial: The action or practice of burying a dead body. Cemetery: A large burial ground, typically of a singular denomination Church Yard: A churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church, often used for burial, which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. Community: The people of a district or country considered collectively, especially in the context of social values and responsibilities; society. Cremation: The disposal of a dead person’s body by burning it to ashes, typically after a funeral ceremony. In practical terms, the body is not entirely turned to ashes by burning, so the bones of the deceased are crushed in a cremulator. Cremulation: The act of grinding the bone fragments with a cremulator. Cremulator: Device to grind the bone fragments that remain after cremation into fine powder. Detachment: The state of being objective or aloof. Dividual: Following Deleuze, it is suggested that a person cannot be understood apart from the social relations they are a part of. Exhume: Dig out (something buried, especially a corpse) from the ground. Grave Yard: The term graveyard is often used interchangeably with cemetery, but primarily referred to a burial ground within a churchyard Interment: The burial of a corpse in a grave or tomb, typically with funeral rites. Individual: Of or for a particular person. Lie in state: (of the corpse of a person) be laid in a place before burial. Life Style & Death-Style: Death, like life, is “all-pervasive, and integral to plant, animal, and other forms of life, with its living processes of decay enriching environments with nutrients of growth” (Davies, Mors Britannica, p. 1) Locality: An area or neighbourhood in proximity to where a person lives. Memorial: A statue or structure established to remind people of a person or event. Miasma: A pseudoscience-based belief that diseases, such as cholera, were caused by a miasma or a “bad air”. Necropolis: A city of the dead Neighbourhood: A district or community within a town or city. The area surrounding a particular place, person, or object. Network: A group or system of interconnected people or things Parish: (in the Christian Church) a small administrative district typically having its own church and a priest or pastor or the smallest unit of local government, constituted only in rural areas. Ritual: A religious or solemn ceremony or set of ceremonies consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order.

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New Knowledge: Re-Designing Death Students: Hannah-Mollie Bowers Oliver Chambers Matthieu Courtade Charlotte Madgwick Alice Moxley Tutors: Anthony Engi Meacock Giles Smith LSA Practice Network: AHMM Assemble Citizens Design Bureau EVA Studio Daykin Marshall Studio John Tompson Architects RHS+P Studio Octopi Tate Harmer

April 2017

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