Stuifduin - Arch

At the new crematorium in Lommel, the farewell begins in the park. A lowered path leads visitors through the landscape and away from the everyday, from one experience to the next, like a walk through an exhibition with no way back, only a path towards another chapter.

This project concerns a new crematorium building on a site alongside the main cemetery in Lommel.  This cemetery is a pleasant and carefully designed public park.  The design starts from the premise that the crematorium and the cemetery should be treated as a single site. The existing entrance building will be kept as the main access to the site, the crematorium branching from the existing primary axis.

One of the main themes in the design is 'the journey'. The ceremonial rite that is typical of saying farewell to a loved one. The crematorium is more than a building, it is a site that accompanies one on this journey. As if walking through an exhibition, going from one experience to another. Just like in the case of a farewell, there is no way back, only a continuing path to another chapter.

We attach great importance to architecture in which nature takes a central place. A transparent building that is interwoven with and runs into the surrounding landscape. The choice was made to use simple materials that exude robustness and can stand the ravages of time without effort. Brickwork, concrete and wood extend from the interior to the exterior. Wafer-thin sheets of glass protect the interior. The building will have the appearance of a ruin that happens to have been turned into a crematorium.

The three main volumes of the site – the crematorium building, the ceremonial building and the catering building - are located around a central outdoor space. This outdoor space is regarded as a "Campo Santo", a sacred place. It is a place for peace and contemplation. Due to the low edge of the gallery around this atrium, visitors can only see the trunks of the trees and whatever is happening on the ground.