The methodology of the thesis is guided by Arnold Van Gennep’s “Rites of Passage”, where he distinguishes three major phases of the ceremonies relevant to the dead: 

Separation, Transition, and Incorporation

The outcome of the design does not aim to provide a linear structure to grief but to create an attentive and empathetic design guided by Van Gennep’s phases. Each phase represents the design outcome, from repurposing the abandoned factory to bridging and staging the final resting place. The design’s narrative of thresholds presents itself as a portal between the living and dead, empowering phases of the design by the spiritual and ecological qualities stimulated by the river, allowing users to enter a space of solitude and the chance to digest, heal, and experience grief fully.

 

1. Separation - Funerary Complex

The beginning of the ritual for the departed offers a guiding narrative, providing a final moment of pure and intimate connection between individuals and the deceased.

 

2. Liminality - Bridge

The symbolic and literal act of transitioning from life to death. Marking the threshold between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

 

3. Incorporation - Cemetery Pavilion

The final stage integrates the deceased into their new role, whether as an ancestor, part of the spiritual realm, or within a collective memory. This signals the end of the transition and the establishment of peace and continuity on the island for both the departed and the living.