Contemporary, Symbolic and Spiritual Architecture
Feeling of the Grieving Family as First Priority
Taking a look at existing crematoriums in Hong Kong, most of them are lack of identity, spirit and did not fully address the need of the users. In the older days, efficiency of the cremation process was considered as the major priority of the design. Starting form Diamond Hill Crematorium, the design priority of crematoriums has been shifted from functionality to feelings of the grieved families other than just functional efficiency.

Various architectural elements are introduced into different stages of the funeral process, taking into account the emotions and needs of the grieving families before and after the sacred funeral process.

Complete Sadness & Escorting of Casket

At the very beginning, the grieving families arrive from the funeral parlor. They are in complete sadness. What they want are privacy, continuous escorting of the casket and calming down of themselves for the sacred moments.

The project has been designed to allow the coaches and mortuary cars to drop off at the independent entrances of each hall. The chance of meeting another funeral group is minimized, and the grieving families could fully escort the deceased without separation.

Purification of mind with Nature

A reflecting pool at the site entrance purifies the mind of the visitors and prepares them for the ritual ceremony. Two rows of tall trees along the access road also help to calm down the grieving families and provide a sense of peace before they drop-off in front of the hall entrances from the coaches.

Spiritual Farewell to the Deceased

Pressing of the button by the filial son for delivering the casket to the cremator is the climax of the ceremony. Silence, dignity, and respect are the essential elements of this ritual.

Skylight right above the catafalque provides natural lighting to the casket resting on it. The casket would be the focus of the ceremony. Instead of having the casket delivered to the back through hanging curtains in the traditional way, the casket is designed to sink to the floor below. This recalls the most respectful Chinese tradition of burying the caskets underground.

Instead of having a blank backdrop wall or a curtain for the entry of the casket to the cremators, the design of this crematorium brings nature into the interior of the halls by replacing the backdrop with a narrow courtyard planted with natural bamboos. This gives the hall a light glimpse of Chinese symbolism since bamboos symbolize evergreen, uprighteousness, delicacy and fineness in Chinese culture.

Attachment and Separation

Same as the Diamond Hill Crematorium, the Chinese funeral culture of ´avoiding return route´ has been taken care of throughout the design. The visitors are guided to leave the halls and enter into a central landscape area instead of confronting the next grieving family. Individual toilets and joss paper burners are also provided for each hall. The relatives could finish their joss paper burning in private and undress their funeral costumes before they leave the ceremonial hall area. Other relatives and friends could stay in this central landscape area and wait for the grieving family before they leave.

Rebirth

A Pond of Life is located at the middle of the central landscape. Different from the real lily ponds at the Diamond Hill Crematorium, a shallow water platform in the form of an abstract lily leaf with irregular shape is designed for this pond. The use of the lily concept endowing the Chinese symbolic meaning of ´purification´ for the project. Bubbles will slowly and quietly emit from the bottom of the pond and symbolize the hope of life and the rebirth. We hope this positive message would bring calm and comfort to the grievers.

Back to Real World

As a variation to the design concept of Diamond Hill Crematorium, WHS Crematorium attempts to pay more emphasis on the feeling of the grieving families after the ceremonies.

By making use of the roof of the cremation plant room, a large tilted lawn area with water features provides a place for meditation before the sad grieving families leave the premises. This nice landscape area with openness to Nature, sounds of falling water and distant mountain view helps to reduce the sadness of the grieving families, leading them back to the real world.

Variant, Happiness and Hardship

Unlike Diamond Hill Crematorium, which go for a formal axial building form merged into a natural setting to bring out formality and dignity, this project attempts to use another approach to create the spiritual atmosphere for the ritual ceremonies. The architectural forms and details are vigorous, free and natural. Tilted forms, large cantilever, bamboo pattern windows, random punctuations, rustic slate finishes, timber pattern fairface concrete and weathered timber finish are used. They bring out the power of nature and also the traces of variant, happiness, weakness and hardship of human life.