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The site interacts as a living, ever changing memorial to the dead, each year on return the water garden grows and progresses as does the individual’s grieving process. The building spaces have been designed through the eyes of the chief mourner and their personal pilgrimage of grief, this story told within the rendering techniques, following the principle mourner in green, the surrounding people progressively regaining clarity on their return to site.
Current architectural design module: Crematorium Stage: 3 Jesmond Dene is one of the key locations of historic pilgrimage within Europe. Embedding the Pilgrimage crematorium within its context by understanding the religious, industrial and public history of the Dene, using the urban and free-form grain to inform the site master plan. Water is key throughout the project, from Aquamation (water cremation) to guiding the procession through the ceremony; water is a prevalent symbol within most religious beliefs, representing reflection and purification. Aquamation within the Christian religion can be a powerful representation of the circle of life, from baptism to cremation.
The building spaces have been designed through the eyes of the chief mourner and their personal pilgrimage of grief, this story told within the rendering techniques, following the principle mourner in green, the surrounding people progressively regaining clarity on their return to site. The spaces, views, atmospheres and levels of public access has been deliberated over, the level of formality and break zone helps to denote a space’s use, and level of focus the visitor requires; from open walls to directed framed landscapes.
P i l g r i m a g e
Cremation within the Dene:
17.16.15.14.13.12.11.10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1. Crematorium, forecourt parking and turn around. External covered waiting/seating. Internal waiting room and seating. Ceremony room. Ashes scattering, contemporary representation of the crucifixion on the hill. Wake room, sliding walls opening to the water garden. Wild flower pavilion. Water garden pavilion. Wild flower meadow and orchard. Juxtaposition East facing chapel with sliding doors opening to nature. Urban buffer colonnade. The Book room. Reception and office. Caretaker’s store. Discreet access. Hearse drop off. Ashes collection. Urban Positioninggrid. of chapel within site. Returning pilgrimage serial vision Ceremony serial vision. Site Plan:
Jesmond Dean valley is a natural haven for both wildlife and people within Newcastle. The glacial valley is a final frontier for the urban expansion. Adding a solid structural break prevents any further inroads into the Dean.
Key DesignaxisLanguage:
Key UrbanObservationsbarrier:
Strong prevailing winds: A walled garden protects the spaces from the strong winds generated through the valley, creating a sheltered garden.
Key Pilgrimage:Observations
Two key site axes running NW to SE and West to East. Using this to influence later design.
Semi wild and structured planting: Paddy Freeman’s Park is surrounded by a belt of planted trees, the structured nature of the parks, pond and football pitches, despite being part of the Dean, feel very separate.
Identifying urban grid and organic flow
Key Site Observations
Urban grid vs organic Dean: Using the city grid to help inform the crematorium’s landscaping and structure. The key views into the valley are sacred, careful decisions on where to open up the space.
Jesmond Dean, historically known as Jesus Mound, was one of the points of great European pilgrimage. Integrating this into the crematorium connecting key site lines from/of Paddy Freeman’s Park.
Point of pilgrimage - Crucifixion on the hill: The wall becomes a colonnade that provides a point of reference and an optional route to the ceremony. Lowering the barrier to a more human scale helps to emphasise the buildings at the end. The break through building represents the next step within the deseased’s journey, a point of pilgrimage for the mourners returning back into the urban realm (Mortality).
Behind the wall: At this point of the process it is currently undecided, however modifying or removing the pond is necessary. Connecting the urban realm to the wall and the Dene was considered. Moments within the Dene: Breakthrough moments within the wall reserved for buildings of significance. The breaks in the wall could also be strategic gaps framing a moment or view, the wall returning into the landscape and the space created treated as a open landscape room. Using the city grid to help inform the crematorium’s landscaping and structural decisions. The key views into the valley are sacred, careful decisions must be made about where to open up the space.
Urban Barrier: Walled gardens became popular around 1800 - 1914. Lord Armstrong gave the Dene to the public. The concept of a walled garden surrounding the Dene adds a barrier to prevent any further inroads.
RCR’s Horizon House: Adapting the initial sketches drawn at the site, creating three volumes to represent the crucifixion on the hill.
Materiality: Corten steel, otherwise known as weathering steel, the material connects to the industrial lineage of the Dene, with time becoming more attuned to the natural landscape.
Site Axonometric: The chapel Axonometric: Urban barrier. Urban Privacygrid.-The Wall. Gate Framedhouse.moments within the Dene. BuildingPavilions.population within the wall conforming to urban grid. Subtlety introducing the cross. Garden rooms.
Weathered sandstone Weathered
Sculpted
Newly carved stone stone steel Silk and seedCommon Ash treeOak surrounding perimeter Lichen
Photo study In life we are often told to take a step back from things and think, when visiting the Dean I have instead moved closer using a macro lens experiencing the Dean close up. The photo study highlighted the effect the environment has on a material, the way it degrades or weathers; how lichen grows on the north of trees, stone exposed to wind erodes faster, the crevice becoming locations for the insects to inhabit. Understanding the effect of time and the subtle yet extensive effect nature has in rewilding the landscape. It is said that if human activity stopped tomorrow it would take around 25 years for nature to rewild (Walker, Ray and Lollar, 2021).
The photo study helped me when considering material type, opting to choose a hot rolled Corten steel wrapping on the exterior. Hot rolled Corten steel naturally degrades over time becoming progressively more integrated to nature. Using treated Copper lining within the wall reveals the ‘crevices’ as points of colour and sanctuary.
Wall elevations and detailing. Procession
The thick walls and covered walkways offer privacy, allowing the visitors to focus on their thoughts. The barrier separates returning pilgrims from processional mourners, allowing separation in appropriate places.
Interior perspective testing The Book. Watercolour.
Exterior perspective depicting Site return - Pilgrimage. Skills: Sketchup, Enscape, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom.
Interior perspective The Book. Skills: Sketchup, Enscape, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom.
Colonnade with flitch plate and timber columns, relating to the industrial lineage of the Dene. The flitch plate columns provide improved strength, damp resistance and an added layer of detail within the structure. The colonnade helps to create a sense of procession and formality during the ceremony. Naturally filtering water ecosystems, teaming with freshwater fish, attracting wild birds and animals. The visitor can sit and observe in a quiet place,while the world moves on. Ecotherapy has shown that the act of being in and watching nature can significantly help with grief. The treated copper reveals provide a bright contrast to the Corten steel, the lit spaces giving points of colour and sanctuary. Inspiration coming from a macro photo study in the Dene, where small nooks have become occupied by insects looking for safe harbour.
Moments within the landscapeProcession Barrier
Exterior perspective depicting Site return - Pilgrimage. Skills: Sketchup, Enscape, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom.
Exterior perspective depicting Site return - Approach to solitude. Skills: Sketchup, Enscape, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom.
Exterior perspective depicting Site return - Approach to solitude. Skills: Sketchup, Enscape, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom.
Primary Structure and Exploded Axonometric: Interior perspective Ceremony. Skills: Sketchup, Enscape, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom.
