Shreyank Panchasara

Spaces of Death for me are places where the architecture acts as both a container for grief and a vessel for transformation. These spaces are defined by the presence of the body and the overwhelming sense of loss they embody. The observer (a mourner, visitor, or participant) enters the space with a heavy heart, and the design of the environment is critical in acknowledging and amplifying this initial grief.

However, the architecture shouldn't simply linger in sorrow; it  should gently shift the focus by manipulating the volume of the space, its scale, and the relationships between the observer and the object (the observee), the grief begins to change shape. Initially, the body (as the source of grief) is the central focus of the space. It is the object being mourned, and the volumes surrounding it, whether large and empty or small and intimate, create a sense of void that mirrors the emptiness of loss.

But as the observer moves through the space, that focus should gradually shift. The design should allow grief to be transferred from the body to other objects within the space. But keeping the volume of the space where the observer and the observee/the object in the same proportion for instance the volume of space where the observer is x and the volume where the object is say 3x, so this proportion should remain the same throughout.

 A tree, for instance, might come into view, with its still, living presence contrasting the lifelessness of the body. A waterbody, calm and reflective, may serve as a mirror for emotion, quietly absorbing the heaviness of grief. These objects act as mediators, offering solace by allowing grief to detach from its original source (the body) and settle into something else—something living, or still, but less personal.

This transference of grief should happen through careful control of spatial volumes. When the observer first enters, the scale of the space might feel constricting or overwhelming, symbolizing the weight of the sorrow. As they progress, however, the volume may open up, allowing for more breathing room, metaphorically representing the release of grief. This balance of compression and release, coupled with the shifting focus from body to object, helps the observer exit the space having experienced not just the sadness, but also the soothing gradual dissolution of that sadness.

In essence, these spaces of death are not just voids that absorb grief but they are spaces that gently guide grief away from the mourner, distributing it into the world around them in a way that makes it feel more manageable and, in time, even distant. The relationship between observer and observee shifts from intimate sorrow to detached reflection, allowing for a gradual healing process through architecture.

Programatic Diagrams

Conceptual Diagrams

Volumetric Models