Urban Chapel, Columbarium and Garden

Advanced Design I Studio | Fall 2018

Instructor: Michael Gamble

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The project-based in the imaginary land of Piranesi’s Campo Marzio comprises a Chapel, Columbarium, and a Garden. Benefiting from the edge condition in front of the theatres and the temple an underground chapel is proposed. The project seeks to counterbalance the trend and move away from generic consumer landscapes, towards a place that promotes contemplation, excites the senses, and provides a strong threshold between the sacred and profane, a simple yet profound dialectic that can fuel the architectural and experiential imagination.

The edge benefits the structure by providing adequate light from the frontage of the structure and light on the inner zone is achieved by the skylights in the columbariums and the oculus in the sanctuary. The program is planned to gradually transition from the profane to sacred by eventually leading to the sanctuary. The proposed design focusses on the use of the Roman brick structurally as well as aesthetically.