This project was an international competition which was held in response to the ever growing problem of lack of burial ground in Tokyo. The project aims to establish a solid connection between the concept of eternal life versus mortal life within the context of the city to solve this problem. We achieved a level of contrast between minimizing the presence of the cemetery on street level, and exhibiting an explicit expression of its existence to create a vivid definition of this paradoxical situation. To harmonize the project with the mechanical and yet vibrant district of Shinjuku, we have divided the conceptual structure of the project into two different realms; “realm of the living” and “realm of the dead”.
This project aims to establish a solid connection with the concept of eternal life versus mortal life within the context of the city. Balancing the contradictory qualities of a society which is being both secular and spiritual demands a multi-dimensional attitude toward the design process. We have aimed to contrast between minimizing the presence of space in street level, and the explicit expression of cemetery’s formal impression, to create a vivid definition of this paradoxical situation. The resulting contrast is also a respond to the problematic proximity of cemeteries to everyday life. To harmonize the project with the mechanical and yet vibrant district of Shinjuku, we have divided the conceptual structure of the project into two different realms; “the realm of the living” and “the realm of the dead”.
