Medway Crematorium | Clay Architecture

Designed by Sir Dawber, Fox and Robinson, Medway Crematorium was completed in 1959 during the boom in crematorium building following the Cremation Act of 1952. The crematoriums symmetrical cross plan has the porte-cochere, chapels and cloisters laid out to ensure the smooth flow of visitors through the building. The symmetrically mirrored functions between east and west chapels enable consecutive services to be alternated and managed with a minimum of fuss. Planners were keen that the chapel extensions should be subservient to the original building, tucked away from sight, barely visible from the approach from the front. This, and the location of mature trees and cremated remains led to the decision to remove the outer flank walls and extend each chapel sideways. The resulting tapered polygonal plan of the extensions are determined by the sight lines to the catafalque positioned in the apse of each chapel. A large steel beam supports the roof in place of the removed chapel wall; a Vierendeel truss springs from this beam, along the axis of the new extension. Glulam half-portal frames spring from the top and bottom cord on either side of the truss, forming the skeleton of the new extension. Between the top and bottom cord of the truss north-facing clerestory windows light the line of sight towards the apse. A large gable-end window frames the surrounding landscape, partially screened through a 5m high brise-soliel (fabricated to the mirrored box-diamond pattern of the original leaded-glass windows), to modulate patterns of light and shadow into the building.