Luke Kim

Spectacle of Death and Rebirth

HYPOTHESIS
What is the new role of the funerary architecture in the 21st century ?

Modernity have claimed to demystify death, where death is no longer perceived as a destiny of one's life (Aries, 1974).  With this current attitude of death, Funerary architecture have become obsolete and forgotten. Where in the recent year with rising concerns of climate change and densification have highlight environmental issues in how we interment our deceased and social concerns of burial shortages in Melbourne city. The thesis therefore aims to examine the role funerary architecture in an urban context, it will examine how cemetery design can change to address modern issues of climate change and provide community open space.

DESIGN PROPOSAL
The thesis proposes an alternative funerary practice that hybridizes the cemetery with the seedbank - converting the stigma of death into cycle of life, aiming to alter the way we perceive death, while transform the seedbank preservation system into a collective engagement. The Architecture will serve as a catalysis in altering the social perception “death” and “nature” where the architecture will be informed by the new funerary process, which will be integrated with public programs allowing public to be part of the commemorative process, bring death back into the public realm.