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STATEMENT
Hong Kong has long been troubled with the problem of after-death
infrastructure, not only the supply of columbarium is not matching with the growing demand, but the most severe problem is the segregation of after-death services being dispersed in different locations and segregated ownership of different parties, both privately owned and governmental, has caused a loose system of handling after-death procedures. This problem has extended the grieve period of the families, as the disperse of infrastructures caused the deceased to be laid in freeze at the embalmer for several weeks before a funeral hall can be booked, and due to the long queue for crematory and columbarium, the families have to suffer a prolonged grieve period until the ash urn could be placed in niche. “The question of the fragment in architecture is very important since it may be that only ruins express a fact completely… I am thinking of a unity, or a system, made solely by reassembled fragments,” suggested by Aldo Rossi, a new typology for a better system dealing after-death services are required in Hong Kong to begin to consider those that were laid to rest, as well as the families that still remained.
DESCRIPTION
The prolonged waiting period for crematory and columbarium together
with the dispersal of after-death infrastructure and services has obstructed the experience of commemoration of the deceased by the families and hence extended their grieve period. We should consider the real users of these infrastructures are actually those alive, as a process of releasing grief and moving on to the future. Therefore, a system of continuous and fluid progression of after-life services should be seamlessly provided as a public infrastructure. The research will start from urban scale to investigate the loose system of overall after-death infrastructures in Hong Kong, how the different stages of treating the deceased are segregated, and the serious shortage of governmental
infrastructures to face the continuous rising number of deaths. Through the research, I hope to discover a new programmatic relationship between the different after-death services and the inter-linkage between the infrastructures needed, the different stages of after-death services shall be a progressive process for those alive to release grief. This research aims to set an example as a system of fluid progression of after-life services for the prudent planning in Hong Kong to ensure its capacity for the indefinite future.
DESIGN METHODOLOGY
1. Research to show the loose and segregated system of Hong Kong’s after death infrastructure through mapping existing mortuary, funeral home, crematorium, columbarium and the ownership problem of both legal and illegal parties
2. Research on the proposed future developments by Hong Kong
government to show the lack of a linear and fluid after-death process
infrastructure
3. Research and analysis of case studies on conglomerated after-death
services infrastructure around the world
4. Drawings, mapping, collage or photographic documentation to depict the idea of conglomerated after-death services infrastructure
5. Identify the potential site for later design regarding previous research
analysis and government future development
6. Based on previous case studies on design concepts, programs and
material, establish and develop the design proposal in response to the site chosen and previous programmatic studies
BIBILOGRAPHY / PRECEDENTS
Aldo Rossi,“The Architecture of the City”
Peter Zumthor, “Thinking Architecture”
Carlo Scarpa, Tomba Brion Cemetery
Carlo Scarpa, Cemetery Brion-Vega at San Vilo dí Altivole
David Chipperfield, Venice Cemetery
Frank Lloyd Wright, Daphne Funeral Home
Alvar Aalto, Malm Funeral Chapel
Alvar Aalto, Lyngby cementery and chapel
Erik Gunnar Asplund, Woodland Crematorium
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