CHROFI + mcgregor coxall: acacia remembrance sanctuary

CHROFI + mcgregor coxall proposes woodland based, contemporary cemetery
all images © CHROFI / mcgregor coxall

challenging the typology of cemetery design, sydney-based studio CHROFI and landscape architect mcgregor coxall have proposed their vision for the ‘bushland cemetery for a secular society’. sited in a wooded area near sydney, the ‘acacia remembrance sanctuary’ highlights an alternative way of dealing with loss, the challenges of cemetery design and how people celebrate loved ones.

an elevated walkway meanders above the landscape through the tranquil native park leading to the walled garden

set against an idyllic background of a 10.1 hectare of forestry, the contemporary cemetery focuses on a instilling a site-wide experience with a specific focus on natural burials without headstones. the first of its kind in australia, the memorialisation becomes the retention and protection of this unique bush ecology where GPS technology would be used to locate the resting place of loved ones.

‘as societies become more secular, our attitudes to death and dying are changing. this shift in personal beliefs and philosophies is challenging the existing funeral industry and traditional cemetery establishment.’

the proposal won the 2016 future projects commercial award at the wan architecture awards

the open-air pavilion called ‘the gathering place’ will be framed by a reflective pond and surrounded by landscape gardens. the restful ambience is further emphasized by an adjoining café where visitors can enjoy a quiet landscaped courtyard with picturesque views and moments of peaceful reflection. the entrance to the scheme is marked by an elevated walkway which meanders above the landscape through the tranquil native park leading to the walled garden.

the gathering place – a multi-purpose open-air pavilion