Cremação: Ritual, Lugar Arquitetura. Uma reflexão sobre o »equipamento que ninguém sabe o que é»

Abstract

This dissertation aims to study the practice of cremation from the relationship between ritual, place and architecture, having the crematorium as the focus. The pragmatism and the excessive focus on the functional dimension of the cremation process have led to the consideration of the crematorium as an utilitarian equipment., minimising its symbolic value. As a result, this condition tends to devalue the experience of the bereaved, denying them space for the experience of the last farewell. The crematorium is envisioned for those who are already dead, but leaves aside the real users of the space: the living. In this regard, we select the Uitzicht crematorium (2011), in Belgium, designed by Eduardo Souto de Moura and SumProject, as a case study, considered to be a reference case in the contemporary funeral architecture panorama. The aim is to interpret the symbolic and poetic dimension that the architect invokes to the work, in the search for the transcendence of functional and technical issues. The focus is on the understanding of the construction of a concept of a crematorium in which the emphasis is placed on life rather than death.