The design for this new funerary complex in La Rochelle was informed by the site’s double purpose – both a crematorium and a funeral home -, which will eventually provide a centralised location for quality public funerary services, built around a garden cemetery. Daily usage is made clear and easy for all thanks to dedicated entrances and exits, following established sequences of steps. Every user profile was carefully studied, turning everyone’s itinerary within the building into a story. The programme is made up of simple and straightforward areas, showing a limited palette of materials (glass, wood, bare concrete), for an environment where people can experience raw feelings. Every room consistently offers wide views of the exteriors (floor-to-ceiling windows, skylights, patios), suggesting the link between two periods: “before” and “after”.

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