Re-thinking the Funeral Home DesignSpaces that process death — funeral homes, family tombs, crematoria — are traditionally housed within structures that either perpetuate their morbid reputation or attempt to mask their purpose altogether. They are low-lying, dark, heavy buildings with outdated design and architecture. They seem to try to hide and apologize for what their existence stands for.
But, there are some modern architects who are trying to transform the traditional approach to these spaces, to design these environments with more energy and reverence for life. They are designing positive, life-affirming spaces where the dead are honored and their loved ones can process their loss in peace.
Over the coming weeks Soulful Expressions will take a look at some of these modern spaces, designed by renowned architects around the world.
Funeral Home and Garden at Pinoso, Alicante, Spain
The Funeral Home and Gardens for the Town Council of Pinoso was designed by architectural firm COR & Associates, with a clear focus to the experience of being in the building. Nothing here is left to coincidence — conscious design decisions create the resulting light, sound, temperature, and humidity that create the desired environment. The result is an environment that treats its users with the respect and sensitivity needed in such a space.
The funeral home is located at the edge of town, surrounded by rural vegetation, and buffered from adjacent buildings by what the architects call a “vegetation mattress” — twenty-nine Japanese maples. As they grow, the trees will provide an increasing privacy from the building’s immediate surroundings.
The building includes six internal courtyards with full-height glazing, allowing visitors to connect with the outside, and adding to aesthetics of this controlled environment.
Most notable about the Funeral Home at Pinoso is its low cost — the building was completed for just €430,000 (about $575,000 USD).
http://www.architonic.com/ntsht/death-by-architecture/7000585
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I await more in the industry to rethink what an end of life experience should look like. Love this Dana.
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Great post. From what I understand, traditional funeral homes have been modeled to resemble the parlor of Victorian homes – people would display the body of their loved ones in their home for all to visit and pay their respects. Ironically, this attempt to make death feel homey and domestic no longer feels familiar. Death has long been removed from the domestic environment (although there are movements to change that) and needs a new “home”. So architecture like this seems completely appropriate – light, modern, integrated with the beautiful environment. It takes courage to build death a new home.
Thanks again for this wonderful and enlightened blog!
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I absolutely love this. Thanks for sharing!
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Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you penning this write-up and
the rest of the site is also really good.
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Always looking for Contemporary Designed Funeral Homes and Mortuaries. How about Drive-thru Windows for Viewings. I am a Funeral Director and Embalmer.
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I would lyk to have good qualification skillz and work on a modern morgue to enfasize this in my country about good body enbulmin n presevation,,,cause working in a morge Is ma pasion
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Would l’île to have better skills n work in a modern morgue as a body elbulmer n bring This skills in m’y homeland country about good modern off body préservation cause workin in a morgue Is ma passion
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