Cemetery Of Dalmine New Pavilion | CN10 architetti

The municipality of Dalmine, a city of 25.000 inhabitans in the north of Italy, had the necessity to increase the main cemetery with a new pavilion to host 500 niches for ossaries and cinenary urns.

The new pavilion is different respect the traditional tipology, that is usually made up of a colonnade open on the big central space of the cemetery, in fact the new building is composed by three repeated blocks on the west side of the cemetery.

The new blocks are comparable to the near family chapels for dimensions, but they are very different for language and materials. They are characterized by an essential and minimal image, a space inhabited by light where nature and artifice meet.

These monomaterics blocks made with white concrete and marble of Zandobbio are expression of a simple language that try to rapresent the deep sense of the building that is the memory, the relationship between life and death, causing a mood suspended in an inaccessible and sacral dimension.

Seasons variery affects yo external time perception in contrast with mineral fixity of internal walls, that are memory guardians of care people.

People come throught emprty spaces between the volumes, in continuity with the internal path that crosses and collegues the blocks. This new composition is in contrast with the big extension of the existent cemetery to create a collected, protected and measured place where the people can find a more intimate and quiet dimension.

Three blocks define a serial and unitarian system, which can be repeated infinitely. Composition is arised by simple extrusion of the cross section: it is a big portal in which the lower part is defined by the cells, while the higher one ends with a broken arc open to the sky.

Volumes show themselves to the cemetery in their pure geometric stereometry white cubes with vertical cuts, unique element of decoration and preciousness.

Blocks are spaces cold and open. Sun and rain fall in these spaces without filters, nevertheless walls are protected by section generous curve. In this sense, container and content overlap theirselves in a reference game in which gravity of matter contrasts with lightness of spirit.