The Museum of Life; redefining the cemtery

The Museum of Life •

redef ining the cemetery

Hala Makahleh 2018

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The Museum of Life

redef ining the cemetery Hala Makahleh l German Jordanian University 2018

Contents

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Introduction; The several problems of the contemporary cemetery Project Brief; The Concept behind the museum of life

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PART I: The Encounter PART II: The Courtyards of Last Memory PART III: The Museum of Life

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THE MUSEUM OF LIFE

“Show me the manner in which a nation cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals.”

–Sir William Ewart Gladstone.

The Cemetery inside the city, the land stuck in time, motionless.

Sparked by a fascination with the juxtapositions life and death create, the project sheds light on the forgotten spaces of the dead inside our cities. It makes an attempt at revisiting the effects of death, dying, and grief in the contemporary city, both on the built tangible levels and the social intangible ones.

Bottom, lines indicating all the cemeteries within the boundaries of the Governate of Amman

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2 Deaths Per Hour

36 Deaths Per Day

1008 Deaths Per Month

6048 Deaths Per 6 Months

Occupied land, but nonetheless, empty.

The way it is now, Burial is resulting in voids that have become a burden on the city, a burden that continues to be so for a remarkably longer time than it has to.

Due to our psychology and understanding of death and grief, we have created markers for death which –because of their physical nature, act as a lifelong attachment to the physical bodies of those who parted with us, as a result, giving new meaning to pieces of stone which house our loved ones.

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Long after the physical bodies of those beneath the ground decay, the physical markers representing them remain, all the while new markers are built, and new land is claimed, only to repeat the cycle, forever.

A society detached from death, is one detached from life.

At what point in time was death extracted from our everyday internal discourse?

How did the concept of death and dying go from constantly evolving in the human understanding, to being tossed into the back of our consciousness?

Death, dying, grief, and the afterlife, have been concepts essential to the evolution of human existence, and have been subjects of curiosity since the beginning of mankind.

The effect contemplating the abstract reality of death has on ones living experiences is an opportuni

252 Deaths Per Week

129600 Deaths Per Year Top, animation snapshots showing Capacity cemeteries are actually taking up from our land based on numbers of registered deaths from the Department of Statistics in Amman for the year 2015

ty wasted in modern day societies.

Cemeteries could provide phenomenological spaces, and experiences which provoke questions about human existence, and thus become the main centers for inducing evolution in humankind, transforming the spaces of death from negative and empty voids in the city into positive spaces, which induce change from the inside out.

Right, Timelapse took in Wadi al seer Cemetery showing connection to the markers of death during one-to-one visitation.

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Top, Comparison showing The increase in burial in Sahab Cemetery from 2011 to 2017. (new burial in blue) Left, isometric graphics showing different kinds of markers found in contemporary cemeteries and their approximate pricing in the Jordanian market

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PROJECT BRIEF Death, grief, and remembrance are key concepts that are now being hidden, hard to experience to the fullest, due to the constant fear of decay, and disintegration, we -as societies, hold and directly reflect in our places of burial.

The Modern man is in a state of denial, and detachment from death and dying.

The built environment of our cemeteries separates us from the ideas of surrounding death that have the ability to flourish our lives.

Instead the contemporary space of burial embodies death in harsh physical representations: the tombstone, the urns, etc... “The Museum Of Life� proposes a different way in experiencing, and accepting decay and finding meaning in death, memories, and ideas that will in turn get mirrored into a better understanding of life, one’s self, and reason for being.

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Here’s how the Museum of Life goes about in doing this: Rethinking the concept of the cemetery, designing new rituals that reject the connection with the body, and instead focuses on the connection with the memories.

Because the concept of death of one’s self is usually concealed by emphasis on the death of one’s body, the rituals associated with death in our modern day are very much based on the physical aspects of dying.

The museum of life suggests new rituals in which the main focus is the human life, and its contrast with death.

It rejects the attachment with the human body (i.e. the specific-space burial, the tombstone, and one to one visitations of the grave), and instead focuses on the attachment with memories through rituals that focus on the deceased’s life, ideas and his relations with his family and friends, thus creating a new entity in the cemetery, celebrating human life, and human memories.

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Top, three illustrations presenting the narrative behind the project. from left to right showing the physical body , its disintergration from a physical form to a metaphysical intngible form (represented with “A Dream Within a Dream” a poem by Edgar Allan) to then get incorporated into the lives of other people.

Left, Illustration showing the elevation of “The museum of life” and the wall of faces showing through the facade

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Left, a programatic analysis of the journey visitors of the museum of life will go through Right, figure showing steps on the path of enlightenment acting as the inspiration behind the program of the project

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PART I

“The Encounter” with death and grief Funerary spaces, and family gathering

PART III

“The Museum of Life” The celebration of the human memory

PART II

Isometric

“The Courtyards of Last Memory�

The release and burial of the physical body

Representation

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Project description The museum of life is a suggestion for a new formation of a cemetery, where the program is divided into three main parts.

The first part “The encounter” is the first space in which people are confronting death, it’s a space of complexity and contradiction, with many juxtapositions playing together to produce a space for dealing with grief, and sadness.

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The main feature distinguishing the first part, is that the deceased’s family, and the deceased’s physical body do not share the same entrance,

and instead lead two different journeys that funnel down in the end to join them together.

The waiting areas as well as the contemplation areas are set separated from the spaces where the body is washed and prepared.

This is to evoke a sense of disconnection from the physical, and a connection with the living family, as well as the memories they shared together with their loved one.

After washing and preparing the body, the family is reunited together with their loved one to

start the funerary ceremony in the second part, which is a long walking path, with “courtyards of last memory” on each side.

“The courtyard of last memory” is a space connected to the burial chambers, where the family sits together with their loved one, to bid them farewell.

Since the family is not permitted to enter the burial chambers, the courtyard –instead of the grave, becomes where they have seen their loved one last, which creates a sense of connection to the space.

Top, Site plan of the Cemetery showing all three parts of the project Different Regions will be blown up in Later pages

In the future, the courtyards be come a collective space for visitation, which is as closest to the traditional one-to-one visitation as can be. This results in a diluted connection with the physical grave and in return a minimized sense of ownership over it.

Visitations take a new form, ing, and emitting light at night. as it is now not only visiting a tombstone, but recalling the actions, words, videos With that the project’s jourand pictures of our loved ones. ney is completed, ending with reflecting spaces into They now serve to remind us one’s soul, life, and journey. of the life we had with those who left us and in return to The ceremony ends in the third make us reflect on our own lives. part, “The Museum of Life”, a space for celebrating the de- The ceremony ends with the ceased’s memories, achieve- “balcony of reflection” which ments and life. Here families looks back at the whole jourand friends create digital me- ney of the project, showing the morials and tributes dedicated courtyards, paths, and light to their loved ones, for them, wells as holes in the ground, and whole society to celebrate. filled with light in the morn

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PART I The Encounter

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Blowup of Part 1 “The encounter “ (region 1 on site plan)

BLUE PATH: The Path of The Body - Morgue - Washing room - Reception - Storage and utility - Congregational Space WHITE PATH: The Path of The Family - Reception - Family gathering - Staff offices - Indoor and outdoor waiting and reflection areas

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Second Basement Plan Region 3 on site plan -08.00m 1.

Family grand waiting hall 2. Washrooms 3.

Entrance to the Funerary Path

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Outdoor family gathering Contemplation Space Outdoor multifaith congregational space

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Mortuary family entrance 8. Reception 9.

Washing/ Preparation/ Ablution 10. Storage 11. Utility 12. Elevator

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Multifaith Congregational Space

The courtyart of last memory 15.

Entrance to the burial chambers 16.

Burial chamber 17. Crematorium

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First Basement Plan Region 3 on Site Plan -04.00m 1.

Family Entrance 2. Reception 3.

Family grand waiting hall 4.

Staff offices 5. Washrooms

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Mortary entrance Morgue attendant’s office 8. Morgue 9. Elevator 10. Washrooms 11.

Utility Rooms

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Contemplation space Outdoor multifaith congregational space

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The courtyart of last memory 15.

Entrance to the burial chambers 16.

Burial chamber 17. Crematorium

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Section A A (Refer to Site plan)

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Grand Family Waiting Hall 2. Morgue 3. Reception 4. Utility 5.

Hearse entrance

Section B B (Refer to site plan)

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Cemetery Entrance Outdoor Waiting Area Family Waiting Hall Entrance 4.

Water feature spilling from upper levels to lower levels 5.

To the Courtyards and Museum of Life

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PART II The Courtyard of Last Memory

Previous page, 3D Shot inside one of the Couryards showing The steps where the family can sit, and the stone where the body lies, here The family bids their last goodbye Bottom, 3D Shot inside The Burial Chambers which only staff of the Cemetery can enter

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BURIAL SPACES Staff entry only Family doesn’t know the exact location where the body is burried, when the body disintigrates, the burial slot can be used again.

COURTYARD OF LAST MEMORY last encounter with the physical body, the family says their goodbye in an intimate ritual, and the physical body is released.

Blowup of Part 2 The couryard of last memory and the burial spaces (region 2 on site plan)

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Right, Top view of 8 courtyards and their burial spaces at Lit up at night (Photo taken from physical model)

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Detail of the Landscaping in the Courtyards of Last memory made as a physical model made from Concrete The model shows the stone on which the body is laid, and a huge tree giving shade and warmth as the family says farewell to their loved one

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Bottom, Section going through several “courtyards of last memory� also showing the chimney of the crematorium

PART III The Museum of Life

Blow up of part III “The Museum of Life�

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Balcony of Reflection the last stop in the rituals of the cemetery 2.

Memorial Wall of Faces 3.

Meditational Pod connected to balcony of reflection 4.

Smaller Family Memory Screening Spaces 5.

Family Memory Screening Chambers 6.

Hall of Remembrance 7.

Main Entrance 8.

Memorial Wake Theatre 9.

Cemetery Entrance 10.

A wall where recent funerals are written

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First Basement Plan -04.00m (region 4 in site plan) 1

Museum of life Entrance 2 Offices 3 Hall of Rememberance 4 Reception 5 Restrooms

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First Floor Plan +06.00m (Region 4 site plan)

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Second Floor Plan +10.00m (Region 4 site plan)

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Ground Floor Plan +14.00m (Region 4 site plan) 48

Ground Floor Plan +00.00m (Region 4 site plan) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

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Hall of Rememberance Wall where recent funerals are displayed The Wall of Faces Wake Memorial Theatre Family remembrance Chambers Couples remembrance booths Reflection booths Balcony of reflection

Photograph of the 3D Physical Model showing the Cemetery entrance of the Museum of life.

Here you can see a couple of courtyards, The facade of the museum of life and the balcony of reflection

Top, The wall of faces; a standing memorial wall for all those who have been burried in the cemetery The wall also acts as the bearer of the main vertical circulation element in the Museum of Life

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The Museum of Life is an adition to the regular cemetery, made up of several levels that act as memorials for the people burried in the Cemetery.

The Memorials are digital, video audio and image content, made after the funeral by the family, and added to an archive in the museum of life for the family and the rest of the society to go back to and celebrate.

As you go higher in the levels in the Museum of Life the experience of the visitation becomes more and more private, starting

with a communal Hall of rememerance with several walls portraying the faces of the people who are burried in the cemetery, and ending in an isolated reflection space connected to a balcony of reflection through which one can see the whole cemetery and the different courtyards as holes in the ground, that are filled with light in the morning, and that emit light at night.

One can choose to come and relive his memories with his loved one either alone, or with other family members.

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Balcony of Reflection the last stop in the rituals of the cemetery 2.

Memorial Wall of Faces 3.

Meditational Pod connected to balcony of reflection 4.

Smaller Family Memory Screening Spaces 5.

Family Memory Screening Chambers 6.

Hall of Remembrance 7.

Main Entrance 8.

Memorial Wake Theatre 9.

Cemetery Entrance 10.

A wall where recent funerals are written Top, Front Elevation of the Museum of life, showing the cemetery of the crematorium Bottom, Section C C (Refer to Site Plan)

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This is the last stop in the museum of Life.

The rooms of reflection, and their collective balcony are spaces of isolation and reflection. Reflection on death, one’s self, and one’s journey.

A Journey of enlightenment and self discovery starts with the idea of death, for learning and growing is killing one’s old self, and replacing it with something new.

The contrast and contradiction throughout this journey are but a

representation of the contrast and contradiction of life itself and this cemetery is but a seed of an idea that is to be planted in the meantime, and to grow bigger and stronger as time progresses.

Left, 3D Shot of the Room of reflection, overlooking the whole cemetery Right, Entrance to the rooms of reflection and their balconies

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Blow up physical model of the Reflection Room and the Balcony of reflection. This is the Last stop in the museum of life Death is an integral part in understanding human life, for without life’s contrast with death, it simply has no meaning.