A Funerary Landscape in Llyn Brianne

The theme was built upon the connection between past, present and future through different natural features. Creating a place which allocates different types of body disposal (crematoria and natural burial) was another fundamental design principle due to the distant location of the site. The way the building stands out from the landscape from a distant view and gets more hidden as we get closer to finally showing up as we get closer was also a key design drive.

The main question was how the 'movement of time' can move forward the healing process experienced during grief and how the building itself could help experience this. A legend about how the stars are the eye of the dead started me thinking of creating a close connection with the sky in my theme.

This follows by connecting the past with water - which represents the quick passing of time in the main hall; and the future, which gives pathways to nature and daylight. My starting point was allocating the theme by connecting them to spaces and connecting them with different atmospheres. After that, I focused on the individual spaces to create the best possible experience for the visitors coming for ceremonies or visiting graves.

The topic of this project required a distant look from it without getting personal and emotional, such as trying to find the beauty of the landscape and the connection families can experience during grief. Using a more prosaic concept and shaping that into design principles was challenging but valuable to experience.