ECO CREMATION is a holographic recycling crematorium. The proposed design is located in Los Angeles, and taking inspiration from the piers, boardwalks and the dynamic coastline. The design attempts to create and reflect a dialogue with the experimental and progressive vibe of the area, as a place that has always inspired change and creativity. It is a natural neon-lit horizon juxtaposing and connects the old and the new without judgment or scrutiny and has simply become a liberal canvas to explore diversity. The project offers a new typology mirroring the environment, people and the transient or ephemeral character of Los Angeles.

The concept of the crematorium is seen as an event production with a stream of projections customizing the ceremony itself and reflecting the individuality of the deceased. The ways of memorializing the dead are becoming more and more varied, and this crematorium offers all three services of turning the ashes into a tattoo, a concrete reef or even fireworks. Cremation has become more popular than burial as more people are living nomadic lives, and the manner in which cremains are incorporated into every day living rather than a plot in the ground is a reflection of the society we live in today.

Currently, on average, 20,000 kilos of wood are consumed yearly for funeral pyre cremations; however, solar energy and bio-fuel gas reduces the cost as well as any expelled or eliminated toxic pollutants.

ECO CREMATION design scheme by Dr. Margot Krasojević consists of a landscape-choreographed series of oblique arches that act as a bridge between the architectural elements and programs. The oblique arch construction is a self-supporting structure as a result of its geometry. It has an origin and a displacement, and the fractal-like nature echoes a birth and an end, a beginning and a conclusion. This geometry reflects the nature of the typology as a self-replicating, self-referential geometry altered by direction, dimension and scale of the undulating zoetrope landscape. The entire scheme transitions along the section.

The arches, as a continuation of the looping landscape and substructure, mimic the undulating landscape that surrounds and becomes part of the design circulation infrastructure. It is important for the ground, the earth and the substructure to relate to the deconstructed arches as the scheme is a part of its immediate environment; it slowly morphs along its section from foundation to take-off. The cantilevered canopy leaves subtle traces of its origin, the primary structure, whose weight and presence are still experienced. Thus, it takes a flight into the horizon, a departure whose essence was once dictated by its landscape origin.

The primary energy for cremation is still solar energy, but a backup generator fuelled by biomass, biogas or a CNG or PNG backup burner is also available in case of overcast days. These methods reduce the time it takes for the funeral pyre to be reduced to ash.

The crematorium consists of four programmatic areas, which are as follows: The animated zoetrope garden of remembrance that loops into the seating congregation area and chapel. This open plan chapel overlooks the solar cremation chamber. The ashes are stored for collection or are used to memorialize the deceased making it tattoos, adding to a firework as part of an illuminated display or added to concrete to form an ocean reef. A magnet collects metals from the ashes, which are then recycled. Some of the materials are sold to the aircraft, car and household industries, with some being re-used in the construction of road signs and electric cars.

More images of Eco Cremation Holographic Recycling Crematorium:

Tuvie received “ECO CREMATION – Holographic Recycling Crematorium” project from our ‘Submit A Design‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their design/concept for publication.