Islamic Cemetery Altach

ITA | ENG

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On the religious level, the subtle simplicity of the cemetery’s’ design and its interaction with the surrounding nature provide a calm and dignified place for spiritual contemplation.

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The aim of the design was a very open and clearly laid out overall concept. Pragmatic and with very little symbolism, the project is simply and unobtrusively integrated into the landscape.

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We worked with the idea of the cemetery as a primordial garden– a recurring theme across different religious traditions. To create a garden means to demarcate a lot of land to cultivate and set off from its surroundings. The design is based on the beliefs and their funeral rites, which in turn say a lot about the particular understanding of nature and social relations.

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Five Graveyards like the fingers of a hand. A system of concrete walls of varying heights in a stray meadow. These walls create distinct spaces – oriented towards Mecca.

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The visitor enters a partially roofed space large enough to accommodate a congregation and a crowd of mourners. This space opens onto the courtyard and is characterized by a lively play of light and shadow coming from an ornamental marquetry in a wall – bearing an octagonal motif in accordance with Islamic tradition.

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This subtle filter between in- and outdoor and a small prayer space (mescid) are essentially for the identity and recognition of the place.Prayer Room has Prayer niche (mihrab) with a window facing towards Mecca. Metal-mesh curtains are situated in front of a whitewashed wooden wall and the window; gold-plated wooden shingles have been woven into the curtains to spell out the Arabic words “Allah” and “Mohammed”.

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