Thoughts of life, death, and everything in between

have been rolling through my head for the past week. Upon informing myself of many rituals and types of body disposal, I have reflected on death in the American culture. Death is feared by many and is kept in the back of people's minds. We have become accustomed to confronting death as infrequently as possible.

I have personally never feared death, or cared to think about it. I don't want to spend my time worrying about something that will happen and is not  under my control. For this reason, I have never put this much thought into death before. The information that I have retained as part of my own research as well as my peers has taught me that death should be celebrated and embraced. Although a period of mourning is necessary to soak in the reality, a celebration of lives lost should be necessary as well. We need to retain the positive memories of those we have loved and lost. Thinking about their impact on our lives and our world will help numb the pain.

The architecture that exists because of death should guide people to reflect upon and appreciate life. It should push them out of the darkness and comfort them as thoughts of death cloud their minds. These designs need to take into account not only the preservation and display of the deceased, but also the experience of the visitor.

An appreciation of light and nature is a highly attractive feature of Montevideo's ossuary. After passing under the dark and claustrophobic entry, the visitor is greeted by a flood of light and lush greenery. I find the play on light and dark to be a quite literal reference to life and death. This combination of elements helps the comfort the visitor during their transition from mourning to appreciation.

We are always being reminded to live a happy and fulfilling life. I had not been expecting to receive this reminder from a place so central to death.



The approach...

and an element of surprise.