Core77

German design agency ARTelier Reiss has recently performed a morbidly fascinating study on the Crematorium of the Future, an exploration of what such a facility's design would be, devoid of religious beliefs and cultures--a universal resting place of sorts. ARTelier Reiss partnered with IFZW, a leading supplier for the building and operation of turnkey cremation systems, and CremTec, a private and communal cremation systems consulting company, in the drawing up of four different conceptual prototypes.

(clockwise from top left)
The design based on "trust" focused on people being able to comfortable entrust their dearly departed to the cremation. The "smooth" model applies soft aesthetics to ease fear an inhibitions. From an educational standpoint, a tasteful "showcase" of the technical process may be implemented without provoking disdainful reactions. Finally, the "crystal" concept takes on the spiritual task of communicating transcendence without pointing to any one specific religious, cultural or social background.

The Crematorium of the Future was to focus closely on international requirements and to take into consideration the needs of very different cultures with regard to a harmonious, individual and respectful burial. However, a particular emphasis was to be placed on Germany because in an international comparison there is still a relatively one-dimensional approach to burial in this country. But this is not so much because of the people, who demand more and more individual forms of burial for themselves or for their loved ones. Rather, it is the industry, which, just like religious or public institutions often seems rather inflexible or out of date.

Read more at the very detailed and well-documented Crematorium of the Future page.