martin lejarraga: white mortuary in an industrial landscape

situated in an industrial landscape, the mortuary by spanish architect martin lejarraga takes its cues from the surrounding buildings. the unusual location of ‘la palma’ in cartagena, was the result of much searching for an appropriate site – nobody wants a mortuary in their neighborhood. orientated towards the general parking area, the juxtaposing white and glass exterior assumes a relatively discreet presence. informed by the existing visual language of the nearby structures, the scale and material treatment of the mortuary help it strangely merge into the context.

all images courtesy of martin lejarraga

this sense of visual continuity is applied to the building’s interior, the color white is featured throughout and natural light filters through the successive spaces – despite the varying in size and proportion. bespoke furniture in the chapel is made from pine wooden planks, and constructed into different combinations it is used to form the bench and elements required for the liturgy: the cross, communion table and lectern. sitting on top of the roof is the main signage, which is cut out against the sky, making it easy to distinguish from a distance.

the scale and materials of the mortuary help it to integrate with the surrounding buildings

chapel viewed from the courtyard

view of the building from the outside courtyard

a sense of continuity is achieved as white is applied across different materials

courtyards help articulate the program and succession of spaces

the chapel features bespoke furniture pieces

view looking upwards from the communion table

interior view of the mourning rooms

 
view of the coffee shop looking out towards the car park

main building viewed at night

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