DEATH IS NOT THE END. BEING FORGOTTEN IS.
FIRST PLACE WINNER
Wei Li He, Wu Jing Ting Zeng, Zhi Ruo Ma, Kui Yu Gong / Priestman Architects
Chongqing, China
The End of Life is not Death, Being Forgotten Is.
When designing a vertical cemetery in response to the challenge of limited space in the city, we believe that the cemetery can be something more than simply stacking in the vertical direction. There exists a more sustainable way to store coffins, to remember the dead, and to express a new way of looking at life and death.
Our design concept is based on a motto – the end of life is not death; being forgotten is. In our design, we employ balloons as a media for commemorating the dead. The coffin for a deceased person is a two-meter-diameter helium balloon. Ashes were stored in an octahedral box at the center of the balloon, which is made of bio-degradable materials. Both the interior and the exterior of a balloon is coated first with flammable oxidizer and then covered with oxidation resistant materials. The balloon is tied to the ground by optical fibers with a countdown winch underground.
Every time a person’s ashes are put in a balloon, the winch starts counting down. At the same time, the balloon begins to rise. Whenever friends and families come to visit, the balloon pauses. If no visitor comes, the balloon keeps rising. The oxidation resistant coating protects the balloon from being weathered and allows it to stay floating in the open air. Eventually, when the optical fibers reach the end, the balloon flies to the sky until blowing off in the atmosphere. While traveling back from the atmosphere, the inner layer of oxidizer coating will ignite the whole balloon in the sky. With the rain and the wind, the ashes travels back to the earth.
As a balloon rises, a person is gradually being forgotten by the rest of the world. When the balloon finally flies to the sky, it means the person is fully buried into history. The rising process is a farewell ritual to the deceased. As balloons travel into the sky, the whole city participates in the commemoration of the deceased. The rising balloons not only remember the deceased but also remind the living, “In the long river of life, have you forgotten someone?”
Undoubtedly, as time goes by, some people will be forgotten. Also, new ashes will be placed in the balloons. As the balloons rise one after another, the challenge of cemetery space has received a sustainable answer. Here, the course of life is represented by the rising balloons: unceasingly, lives come and go.
Comparing to the heavy-hearted monuments, the lissome balloons represent a more peaceful relationship with death. The transient tower formed by the balloons is more conspicuous than any other building in the city skyline. For pedestrians walking on the streets, the balloons cast shades and shelter rain above their heads.
From the street, visitors can walk up to an upper-level viewing platform. A ramp slopes down to the building behind and creates opportunities for multi-layer green spaces. The hilly structure on the ground touches the street level gently and connects with a spiral staircase below. Following the spiral stairs, visitors descend gradually to the commemorating space at the bottom. On their way down, they can sit and rest on the large steps. Optical fibers tied to the balloons bring the sunlight above into the reflecting pond below. Standing by the reflecting pond, in a space of light and tranquility, people commemorating the deceased.
This project explores a new way of dealing with the spatial constraint for urban cemeteries while expressing a unique approach to life and death. By having the balloons as a medium for coffin storage, we utilize the vertical space by having balloons that gradually rise up and eventually fly off. The appearing and disappearing of balloons resonate with the temporality of life. Departing from the depressing silence in traditional cemetery design, we propose a new space of tranquility created by a tower of rising balloons.
When designing a vertical cemetery in response to the challenge of limited space in the city, we believe that the cemetery can be something more than simply stacking in the vertical direction. There exists a more sustainable way to store coffins, to remember the dead, and to express a new way of looking at life and death.
Our design concept is based on a motto – the end of life is not death; being forgotten is. In our design, we employ balloons as a media for commemorating the dead. The coffin for a deceased person is a two-meter-diameter helium balloon. Ashes were stored in an octahedral box at the center of the balloon, which is made of bio-degradable materials. Both the interior and the exterior of a balloon is coated first with flammable oxidizer and then covered with oxidation resistant materials. The balloon is tied to the ground by optical fibers with a countdown winch underground.
Every time a person’s ashes are put in a balloon, the winch starts counting down. At the same time, the balloon begins to rise. Whenever friends and families come to visit, the balloon pauses. If no visitor comes, the balloon keeps rising. The oxidation resistant coating protects the balloon from being weathered and allows it to stay floating in the open air. Eventually, when the optical fibers reach the end, the balloon flies to the sky until blowing off in the atmosphere. While traveling back from the atmosphere, the inner layer of oxidizer coating will ignite the whole balloon in the sky. With the rain and the wind, the ashes travels back to the earth.
As a balloon rises, a person is gradually being forgotten by the rest of the world. When the balloon finally flies to the sky, it means the person is fully buried into history. The rising process is a farewell ritual to the deceased. As balloons travel into the sky, the whole city participates in the commemoration of the deceased. The rising balloons not only remember the deceased but also remind the living, “In the long river of life, have you forgotten someone?”
Undoubtedly, as time goes by, some people will be forgotten. Also, new ashes will be placed in the balloons. As the balloons rise one after another, the challenge of cemetery space has received a sustainable answer. Here, the course of life is represented by the rising balloons: unceasingly, lives come and go.
Comparing to the heavy-hearted monuments, the lissome balloons represent a more peaceful relationship with death. The transient tower formed by the balloons is more conspicuous than any other building in the city skyline. For pedestrians walking on the streets, the balloons cast shades and shelter rain above their heads.
From the street, visitors can walk up to an upper-level viewing platform. A ramp slopes down to the building behind and creates opportunities for multi-layer green spaces. The hilly structure on the ground touches the street level gently and connects with a spiral staircase below. Following the spiral stairs, visitors descend gradually to the commemorating space at the bottom. On their way down, they can sit and rest on the large steps. Optical fibers tied to the balloons bring the sunlight above into the reflecting pond below. Standing by the reflecting pond, in a space of light and tranquility, people commemorating the deceased.
This project explores a new way of dealing with the spatial constraint for urban cemeteries while expressing a unique approach to life and death. By having the balloons as a medium for coffin storage, we utilize the vertical space by having balloons that gradually rise up and eventually fly off. The appearing and disappearing of balloons resonate with the temporality of life. Departing from the depressing silence in traditional cemetery design, we propose a new space of tranquility created by a tower of rising balloons.
Height Analysis
Taking advantage of the buoyant quality of the balloons, our commemorating tower can reach an exceptional height beyond all other architectural presence. By utilizing the vertical spaces, this project creates a new landmark in the city.
Taking advantage of the buoyant quality of the balloons, our commemorating tower can reach an exceptional height beyond all other architectural presence. By utilizing the vertical spaces, this project creates a new landmark in the city.
Contrast
When designing a vertical cemetery, if we simply stack tombs one upon another, it would result in many towering tombstones in the city. By using balloons to carry coffins, the vertical space is occupied in a more tranquil and sustainable way.
When designing a vertical cemetery, if we simply stack tombs one upon another, it would result in many towering tombstones in the city. By using balloons to carry coffins, the vertical space is occupied in a more tranquil and sustainable way.
From the street, visitors can walk up to an upper-level viewing platform. A ramp slopes down to the building behind and creates opportunities for multi-layer green spaces. The hilly structure on the ground touches the street level gently and connects with a spiral staircase below. Following the spiral stairs, visitors descend gradually to the commemorating space at the bottom. On their way down, they can sit and rest on the large steps. Optical fibers tied to the balloons bring the sunlight above into the reflecting pond below. Standing by the reflecting pond, in a space of light and tranquility, people commemorating the deceased.
This project explores a new way of dealing with the spatial constrain for urban cemeteries while expressing a unique approach to life and death. By having the balloons as a medium for coffin storage, we utilize the vertical space by having balloons that gradually rise up and eventually fly off. The appearing and disappearing of balloons resonate with the temporality of life. Departing from the depressing silence in traditional cemetery design, we propose a new space of tranquility created by a tower of rising balloons.