The Architect and the Urn

The death industry is a challenging place for design. When the subject matter of a human’s passing is actually dealt with in a direct manner, the design around death is typically conservative, traditional and safe. Familiar forms and customary protocols prevail, whether or not they are applicable to the situation. All fine and well if this is what a person wants, that is, if a deliberate choice is being made. As architects who have spent our lives thinking and breathing design, as individuals trained to understand the form and function of our physical surroundings, we have a difficult time understanding why irrelevant forms and outdated customs play such a weighted role in the final marking of a life. In our opinion, the homogeneous polished granite and plastic urns lack a connection with the deceased and create an unhealthy relationship with death.

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The Architecture of Cremation

Recently we were approached to design an urn for an upcoming exhibit curated by Lundgren Monuments which explores the territory of death. We were immediately fascinated by the idea, but having such little knowledge about the process of cremation our initial design concepts were quickly challenged by unknown variables, both technical and psychological.

To better understand the ways of cremation we were introduced to Forest Lawn Crematorium in West Seattle, where we toured the grounds and facilities. The original mausoleum from 1954 is a pristine example of mid-century modern architecture. It has been immaculately cared for over the years and today’s post shares a few shots of this exceptional, emotionally moving space.

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