PROJECT

Schoonselhof, Antwerp

ARCHITECT

Kristoffel Boghaert

FACING BRICKS

Septem Wasserstrich double-fired

Photos: © Corentin Haubruge

Schoonselhof, often referred to as Antwerp’s Père-Lachaise, is a park cemetery to the south of Antwerp. Besides a visit to the Commonwealth war graves, historic mausoleums or graves of people like Paul van Ostaijen or Hendrik Conscience, you can enjoy the natural beauty of the French and English gardens around the chateau. So what better place could there be to create a new area for scattering ashes than this oasis of calm? By doing this, the cemetery aims to anticipate the growing trend towards cremation.

Architect Kristoffel Boghaert from AKB, together with a team of specialists, won the design competition organised by the Flemish Government Architect. In addition to architects and landscape architects, he also enlisted the help of experts on funerary heritage, an artist and even a theologian in order to leave nothing to chance and to be able to respond to any questions that might arise during the process. “It goes without saying that you get help from experts during the design process, certainly for a job like this. I wanted to create a design that would serve, and also blend in with, the beautiful surroundings. And, as strange it might sound, a place where bereaved relatives can ‘come home’ and experience peace and comfort as they go through their emotions.”

The design for the new area for scattering ashes, that was incorporated by the architects on the existing goosefoot structure, encompasses 4 scattering meadows, urn graves and 3 columbariums located between the chateau and the crematorium. Central to the design is the ceremony area, marked by a distinctive egg-shaped canopy. It towers atop a series of wooden porticoes and in front of a long brick wall along which wooden benches were integrated. From there, you get a beautifully framed view of the surroundings through the open colonnade.

Two raised scattering meadows are buffered by a retaining wall with a large columbarium. The architect also made use of the gently sloping site to subtly incorporate two slightly raised urn fields in the design. In addition, 2 new columbariums were half-recessed in an embankment, thus ensuring that the expanse of the landscape remained virtually intact and creating intimate outside rooms.

There are also several columbaria in the form of interconnected patios surrounded by wide walls which create a kind of safe cocoon. This gives the visitor the feeling that he is entering a privileged place. The same threshold effect is also created by the succession of concrete or brick lintels above the suggestive doorways. “So choosing the right brick was extremely important. This braised sEptEm moulded brick is a Wasserstrich brick with subtle shading and an ecological format of 7 cm by 21 cm. Its green-grey tint ensures that the structure blends in perfectly with the natural surroundings. Even in spite of the jointless finish and different laying patterns, you still get the impression of a monolithic building. For the long retaining wall, we chose brickwork that contributes towards the function of the building. The relief that is created by the strong variation has made it possible to integrate small nameplates of the deceased very discretely.”

The interplay between the introversion of the rooms and the openness of the landscape works extremely well. Filling the centre of the patios with shade-loving flowering plants certainly makes the inside and outside merge together. In that respect, you can say that there is a certain homeliness. The ideal height of the walls, combined with the concrete subdivisions for the urns which reduce the impact of the volume, produces a strong but calming architecture at the same time. The light, shadows and colours of the foliage have both a calming effect and a reviving effect on the feeling of absence. One thing is for sure: the new area for scattering ashes at Schoonselhof meets all the special requirements of such sanctuaries. It is a place where people can both experience nostalgia and find peace.

More photography of the project "Schoonselhof" and other works by Kristoffel Boghaert can be found in the book “memory & moments”