098 MEMORIALS
HOW DO WE venerate the events and people that have shaped our world for the better – those who have made the greatest sacrifices, shown extraordinary courage under pressure or pioneered life-changing initiatives? It has never been more important to address the issue of who is celebrated and why in our public sculptures and structures, given the widespread backlash against prevailing hierarchies and biases; I hope we’re all relieved that no more statues of rich white men, whether military ‘heroes’ or slave-
owning ‘philanthropists’, are likely to be commissioned any time soon. Tis expansion of perspectives has given rise to a welcome variety of artistic and architectural expressions. From Turner Prize- winning artist Veronica Ryan’s delicious, giant bronze and marble tropical fruit sculptures now adorning a public square in Hackney in tribute to the Windrush generation, which included her parents (see case study), to newly commissioned art works celebrating overlooked UK landscapes, designed to inspire
Left top and bottom, and right Guildford Crematorium needed to be reimagined to cater for modern memorial services
a greater appreciation for the natural world, such as that designed for the Lake District by Olafur Eliasson and nature writer Robert MacFarlane (see Your Daylight Destination, case study).
For most of us in the democratic world, it isn’t military generals and politicians we want to pay tribute to (for obvious reasons) but the ordinary and everyday heroes. And nowhere is this more evident, in the UK at least, than in the investment that has poured into the neglected graveyards and crematoria that
CASE STUDY GUILDFORD CREMATORIUM
Guildford Crematorium was suffering from dilapidated facilities deemed too cramped to cater for contemporary needs. Given the shift the management had perceived in peoples’ grieving rituals, funds were raised for facilities that could accommodate a variety of groups and be appropriate for modern trends, offering space to grieve as well as for more joyous “life celebrations”. Haverstock was appointed on
the strength of its elegant and thoughtful previous work, and
undertook initial work to assess whether to extend or rebuild. Once a rebuild was decided on, Haverstock’s response is all about supporting the visitor journey, with attention to the flow of mourners considered “fundamental” to the design. Masonry walls obscure internal
and external spaces to those viewing the building from the gardens. Along the top of this folding wall is a concrete band, forming a solid and continuous datum from which two geometric volumes emerge,
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