Terra Vitae Morte
The United Kingdom is facing a pressing challenge as the number of deaths continues to rise, and our graveyards are reaching their limits. The shift towards urban living has raised concerns about the capacity of council-owned cemeteries. Recent research projects that a quarter of these cemeteries will be at total capacity within the next decade, with one in six expected to be full within the next five years. This is a situation that demands our immediate attention.
The project aimed to redesign cemetery land and revolutionise how we view and use it. It envisions a space that serves both the living and the deceased, a design that looks to the future instead of dwelling on the past. Using sustainable design principles, it transformed the surface of Manchester's Southern Cemetery to create a peaceful, inclusive space that harmoniously incorporates various religious beliefs, humans, and the natural environment. This is not just a redesign but a paradigm shift in how we think about cemetery land use.
The Landscape Concept aims to capture the cycle of life and death by changing the cemetery and turning it into a sanctuary for all living beings. The goal is to embody the deep essence of life, guiding people to understand that life extends beyond human experience alone. The deliberate integration of diverse landscapes within the once-formal cemetery aims to redefine the perception of death as a permanent concept. Wildflower meadows and lush forests will be seamlessly incorporated into the existing cemetery, creating a dynamic and nurturing ecosystem that offers a sanctuary commemorating the departed and celebrating the vitality and interconnectedness of life within a serene and contemplative environment.
