Client: Catholic Family who sincerely believes in God and in his Church wanted to have their own special necropolis in their home town village, Mount Lebanon.
Image courtesy of MKAA. Published on April 18, 2013.
Project Description: 4.80m x3.60m is the measurement of the cemetery site. 17.28m² will embody the remains of a family who owns a million of square meter.
Image courtesy of MKAA. Published on April 18, 2013.
Project Concept: Within the context of sacred architecture this project seeks to concretize moral issues and sacred matters, believes and doubts, hope and faith, love and hate and transform them into architectural forms. These architectural forms have engaged religious symbols such as (cross, equilateral triangles, square(s)), relevant numbers such as (3, 7, 10, and 40) and symbolic colors (white and black). Religion and symbolism are at all times attached and inseparable. The location of the project at the center of the cemetery and at the end of an important axe suggests the idea of a monumental volume.
Image courtesy of MKAA. Published on April 18, 2013.
Three equal parts compose the plan and the main elevation (image1). They represent the father, in the middle, the son and the Holy Spirit on the right and the left of it.
Image courtesy of MKAA. Published on April 18, 2013.
The length, width and height of each part are multiple of seven, (a sacred number in Old Testament) 1.40m for the width, 2.80m for the length, 4.20m for the height. The whole façade is a big square (4.20mX4.20m) representing four corners of the world. Four black doors (death) on the main elevation represent the four bibles and the four evangelists.
Image courtesy of MKAA. Published on April 18, 2013.
The seven equilateral triangles fixed to transparent polycarbonate panels shape the roof of the middle part (image3) and let the shadows of the sun run all over the inside walls and examine the 10 commandments of god and the silhouette of the dead body that are mold on it (image4). The equilateral triangle evokes the trinity in a way and elevates the entire edifice to the sky, to the almighty in another way
Image courtesy of MKAA. Published on April 18, 2013.
The number seven suggests the seven days of the week and the seven secrets of the church that each good catholic must embrace them from his baptism to his death, so he can save his soul. If he succeeds to be a good Christian and if he accepts to hold his cross like Jesus Christ, he can reach God.
Image courtesy of MKAA. Published on April 18, 2013.
The choice of materiality has engaged black and white marbles and granites as symbols of durability, where the black and white reveals the contrasting values and the contradiction in life and death, good and evil, heaven and hell.
Image courtesy of MKAA. Published on April 18, 2013.
Finally, although the subject (private cemetery) on itself seems to be complex and mysterious, the end result is a simple and pure project.
Image courtesy of MKAA. Published on April 18, 2013.
Image courtesy of MKAA. Published on April 18, 2013.
Image courtesy of MKAA. Published on April 18, 2013.
Image courtesy of MKAA. Published on April 18, 2013.
Image courtesy of MKAA. Published on April 18, 2013.
Image courtesy of MKAA. Published on April 18, 2013.