Excerpt: The Udan Crematorium by d6thD Design Studio is a religious architecture project that not only fulfils cremation rituals but also provides valuable public space for daily urban use. The contoured site is divided into two levels, one for public space and the other for cremation, connected by a ceremonial ramp. The project encourages visitors to explore spaces and interpret their purpose, making “Udan” an important public space for the town and surrounding villages.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] Our fear and discomfort with death have left crematoriums with segregated, cold and depressing spaces in urban context so far. To change such underperforming hindu crematorium into a vital place at Amalsad town in India, d6thD design studio had been commissioned by a private trust. The architect came up with the idea to create a place not limited to fulfil the cremation rituals but to make much needed valuable public space for daily use in the urban setting.
The Site and entry: The 2 acre site has adjoining roads on north and west side, small river on south side and few residences on the east side. Site was having sloppy terrain of 5mt going down from north to south-west. The architect strategically transformed half of the contoured site into two major levels- upper level for public space and lower level for cremation space by cut and fills method. Both levels are connected with the ramp considered as a ceremonial path.
Upon arrival at the entrance plaza from the northern road, visitors are persuaded to slow down by invisible the building and offered multiple paths. However, the partly visible chimney and golden trident sparks curiosity. A driveway ramp on the west side leads down to the parking area and visitors can return back to plaza shortly by using a staircase connecting the both.
Spiritual Park: Upper level is fully landscaped with various spiritual gardens acknowledging the fact that in Indian context, society revolves around religion and such spaces often become more than just a place of devotion. Less conventionally, these spaces cater to all ages and genders regardless of the part of the crematorium complex; the upper level becomes a significant public space for socio-cultural engagement.
Nandivan and Sitavan on lower west while children play area and Vrindavan on Upper East Side of entrance plaza help to disperse the public mass. A snake shaped wavy pathway leading down to an aniconic shivlinga on extreme east provides a buffer between cremation courts and adjoining residential units. All these spaces designed for the daily uses by locals are carefully blended with landscape on various levels to honor the contoured site condition.
Ceremonial Path: 5mt wide and 60mt long ramp (Muktimarg) peculiarly carved out of contoured Public Park, takes mourners down from entrance plaza to hidden crematorium. As one goes down gradually, retaining walls create a shaft effect and solely focus the funeral atmosphere. At the beginning of the ramp, retaining walls hold murals of different iconic structures of the local town (school, college, temple, market, railway station etc) as the reminiscence of departed. Small idols of various Hindu saints and their quotes; displayed in retaining wall niches create a pious atmosphere to calm the relatives of the deceased.
In the middle of the ramp, a bridge connecting two gardens on top with hanging creepers provides tranquility. Continuous planters on the top edge of retaining walls soften the visual impact and act as security fence for the gardens.
Further, a curvilinear ramp surprisingly reveals grand lord Shiva sculpture; which can’t be seen from entry level. According to Hinduism, meditating Shiva in a crematorium speaks of aloofness from materialism and the constant understanding that one has to die and be reduced to ashes. It recognizes the world and encapsulates it in “the philosophy of creation, sustenance and destruction- symbolized by Trishula. To accentuate this, Lord Shiva is visually framed with elevated stone walls and the slab having a golden trident at the end of the ramp.
This whole journey of ramp encourages the gradual transition from external environment to internal intimacy, from outer noise to inner silence and from dance of creation to the dust of death.
Cremation Space: Sunken courts at lower level allow controlled relationship with exterior and thus provide environments for reflection and remembrance. Hexagonal shaped two cremation pyres arranged in a symmetrical pattern separated by ramp gives the possibility of two funerals at the same time with the sense of privacy.
Admin office, prayer hall and wood storage building are buried such that their roof top becomes an extension of the public garden and maintains minimal visual impact. These subterranean facilities are accessible from wide corridors opening to cremation courts.
These semi open spaces become waiting areas where relatives assemble for a shared sense of loss during the cremation process. Staircases from the waiting area become a direct exit to landscaped gardens on the upper level to avoid embarrassing encounters between two different families. Use of locally available random rubble stones and terracotta roofing tiles are not only instilling a muted environment but also cost effective and time tested.
The project encourages visitors to explore the different spaces and interpret its purpose through their own experiences and needs. By realizing death as a motivating element to focus the meaning of life on both a personal and social level; this unique crematorium- “Udan” becomes an important public space for the town as well as the surrounding villages.
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