The project Totentube in Vrin by Gion A. Caminada arose from the need of the village population to no longer store the corpses in the respective living rooms, as had been the case up to that time. The material, the construction, the program and the exact location of the mortuary were determined by the analysis of the village and its cultural conditions.
The mortuary is located on the border between the church and the village. It is located outside today's sacral area and yet is not far from the cemetery. In addition, the new building fits well into the architectural context of the village. Through the construction alone (knitted construction) it refers to the rest of the village buildings, although it stands on the edge.
The basic idea of the design was that the typology of living with the associated room functions (corridor, kitchen, parlour) has already proven itself for mourning in the village. However, these shapes should not be copied, but adapted for the new function. So there are also various rooms in the mortuary for communal mourning, as was customary in the villagers' houses until then.
There are entrances on two different levels, coming from the village you have the possibility to enter the building on the lower floor, from the cemetery you can go directly to the upper floor. On the upper floor there is a lounge that is intended for conversations with the mourners. A corridor leads to the stairs that lead downstairs. There is the storage room.
In order to establish a connection to the other buildings in the village, the new building is made of wood and knitted construction. However, the construction of the mortuary stands out from the other buildings because it uses a double rope construction, which in turn makes the increased massiveness compared to the residential buildings noticeable and tangible.
Photos: Petr Smidek
#blockbau #blockbauweise #strickbau #strickbauweise
