Design

The assertion of western society’s perception of death and mourning has become innate, where we are taught that death is a sombre, stark experience where the feeling of loss is shared while the process of mourning is isolating.

By removing the conventional barriers surrounding death, the design of this new crematory structure proposes a renewed attitude towards the stages leading up to death as well as those experienced by the friends and family after the passing. Nestled upon the site of the Hyde Park Barracks within Sydney CBD, the proposed is a temporary end-of-life care facility that is hybridised with a crematorium, centralised within the main building and bounded within a glass enclosure, enabling visibility from the surrounding internal spaces. This exposure of the crematory process aids to remove the built up and perpetuated fear surrounding the dying process and to encourage an acceptance of what is to come and to help families engage in the difficult conversations prior to the passing. As those who reside within pass and the crematory process is completed, their ashes are in turn replenished into the soil of the grounds. Continually being cared for by those who will soon also find their resting place, creating a personal connection to one’s place of rest and a meaningful space for loved ones to visit.
The design opposes the assumed perception of a stuffy, sterile nursing home establishment through its focus on the inclusion of family members into the space. With the residence accommodation being integrated into the surrounding landscape in a network of pod structures, the surface of the surrounding grounds provides a communal parkland welcoming the public. With the location of the site, it aims to include and encourage the integration of the vibrancy that the heart of Sydney city offers.