Celebrating the Absence. Contemporary Architecture for Farewell Rituals

Abstract

The contribution reflects on how European crematoria are shaped today to reflect contemporary society's existential conditions and needs while promoting social, cultural and ecological innovation.

The widespread adoption of cremation in the last decades – driven mainly but not exclusively by secularization – has driven the transformation of the crematorium from a necessary infrastructure for bodies' disposal into a significant building whose architectural expression is crucial in reshaping how people interpret farewell. This shift is particularly evident in Flanders, where several crematoria have been constructed through the Open Call procedure. The projects raise numerous open questions, representing both design challenges and opportunities for experimentation. The results highlight architects' different authorial imprints, together with the guidance of the Flemish Government Architect and the influence of evolving funerary practices, ritual behaviour and memorial conventions that contribute to shaping and adding further layers of authorship to projects.

Keywords: farewell, inclusion, absence