Tokyo Vertical Cemetery - Death & The City by Gong Kuiyu, Zeng Wujingwen, Ma Zhiruo, He Weili

非常感谢  龚奎毓，曾吴静霆，马之若，何伟立 予gooood分享以下内容。更多请至：Gong Kuiyu, Zeng Wujingwen, Ma Zhiruo, He Weili on gooood 
Appreciation towards Gong Kuiyu, Zeng Wujingwen, Ma Zhiruo, He Weili for providing the following description：

任务背景 | Background 

该项目获得了DEATH & CITY 东京垂直墓地概念设计竞赛的一等奖，其是由arch out loud 发起的一次关于死亡与城市的概念性竞赛。设计场地位于东京最繁华的歌舞伎町，组织者希望通过一次面向全球的概念设计竞赛来：探索死亡与当下建筑学学科状态之间的关系；寻找创新的方法一个公墓可以有体验；创建一个有效地解决东京的空间问题的解决方案；定义两个不相似环境之间的关系：墓地和这座城市；检查墓地和东京的商业和流行文化认同之间的联系。

The Project won the first prize of Tokyo Vertical Cemetery Competition. This project explores a new way of dealing with the spatial constrain for urban cemeteries while expressing a unique approach to life and death. By having the balloons as a medium for coffin storage, we utilize the vertical space by having balloons that gradually rise up and eventually fly off. The appearing and disappearing of balloons resonate with the temporality of life. Departing from the depressing silence in traditional cemetery design, we propose a new space of tranquility created by a tower of rising balloons.

▼总平面，Master Plan

设计过程 | Design

说到墓地的设计，就不得不谈到我们对于墓地意义的一种理解。墓地不是为死者，是为生者而修。墓地存在的价值并不是因为死者需要一个存放尸骨的空间（死亡是唯物的，死去意味着一切的结束，我们并不认可在天之灵的存在），而是因为生者需要一个纪念故人，需求心灵慰藉的空间。本质上，墓地只是提供了一个寄托人们思念的媒介而已。而墓地并不是因为它自身的建筑形态或者材料而获得的永恒性，而是由于人们持续的信仰，持续的精神寄托而获得了一定程度的“永恒”。

When designing a vertical cemetery in response to the challenge of limited space in the city, we believe that the cemetery can be something more than simply stacking in the vertical direction. There exists a more sustainable way to store coffins, to remember the dead, and to express a new way of looking at life and death.

▼ 运用气球作为骨灰容器的想法，运用气球的漂浮来利用垂直的空间，在打破构筑物永恒性与冷漠感的同时，营造一个关于纪念与永恒的故事,When designing a vertical cemetery, if we simply stack tombs one upon another, it would result in many towering tombstones in the city. By using balloons to carry coffins, the vertical space is occupied in a more tranquil and sustainable way.

所以我们建筑想法的一开始，就是希望塑造一个反传统的建筑形象。很显然，在垂直墓地的设计上，多数人最容易想到的便是将传统的墓地在垂直方向上叠加，形成一座塔楼的形式。但毫无疑问，这样的设计手法无论怎样的修饰，在本质上都是一座构筑物的纪念碑，创造一个所谓的永恒形态。而我们更希望能用非传统的方式来解决墓地空间的问题，并让建筑的存在与人们的精神寄托直接相联系。所以便有了运用气球作为骨灰容器的想法，运用气球的漂浮来利用垂直的空间，在打破构筑物永恒性与冷漠感的同时，营造一个关于纪念与永恒的故事。存放骨灰的气球，在场地内并非静止不动，而是在不断的上升与更替。概念源自这样一句话：Death is not the End. Being Forgotten is. 失去生命并不是真正的死亡，真正的死亡是被人彻底的遗忘。

Our design concept is based on a motto – the end of life is not death; being forgotten is. In our design, we employ balloons as a media for commemorating the dead. The coffin for a deceased person is a two-meter-diameter helium balloon. Ashes were stored in an octahedral box at the center of the balloon, which is made of bio-degradable materials. Both the interior and the exterior of a balloon is coated first with flammable oxidizer and then covered with oxidation resistant materials. The balloon is tied to the ground by optical fibers with a countdown winch underground.

▼ 设计概念解析，Design Concept

所有被放入墓地的气球，下面用一根光纤与地面相连，地面是一个具有倒计时功能的装置将牵引着光纤，当人们离开，便开始倒计时，让气球慢慢升高。每年当亲人朋友前来祭扫的时候，气球会停止上升，停留在当时的高徒。而如果无人祭扫，气球则会继续上升。气球上升的过程便象征着一个人被遗忘的过程，当某颗气球被人彻底的遗忘，再也无人前来的时候，这颗气球便会被放飞，随着气流飘向高空。飘向天际的气球，被全市发人所看到，寄托着对于这个被人遗忘，也就意味着彻底死亡的逝者的哀思，同时也提醒着看到此情此景的每一个人：在你生命里，是否也曾遗忘了某人。

Every time a person’s ashes are put in a balloon, the winch starts counting down. At the same time, the balloon begins to rise. Whenever friends and families come to visit, the balloon pauses. If no visitor comes, the balloon keeps rising. The oxidation resistant coating protects the balloon from being weathered and allows it to stay floating in the open air. Eventually, when the optical fibers reach the end, the balloon flies to the sky until blowing off in the atmosphere. While traveling back from the atmosphere, the inner layer of oxidizer coating will ignite the whole balloon in the sky. With the rain and the wind, the ashes travels back to the earth.

▼ 气球放飞过程，The Journey of a Ballon

通过气球的上升与放飞，我们的诉求不是在做一个建筑，而是在营造一个故事，在创造一个能被大众所看到的仪式。而这个仪式所演示的便是逝者被人们渐渐遗忘，从而永远消失在历史中的过程。而在场地中不断上升，不断更替的气球，也寓意着世间来来去去的生命。一个人从出生开始，便不断累积着岁月与生命，不断积累着自己的经历与故事，如同气球的不断上升，到最后的死亡，如同气球的飘飞，被他人所目睹见证，却又终归尘土，消失殆尽。

As a balloon rises, a person is gradually being forgotten by the rest of the world. When the balloon finally flies to the sky, it means the person is fully buried into history. The rising process is a farewell ritual to the deceased. As balloons travel into the sky, the whole city participates in the commemoration of the deceased. The rising balloons not only remember the deceased but also remind the living, “In the long river of life, have you forgotten someone?” Undoubtedly, as time goes by, some people will be forgotten. Also, new ashes will be placed in the balloons. As the balloons rise one after another, the challenge of cemetery space has received a sustainable answer. Here, the course of life is represented by the rising balloons: unceasingly, lives come and go.

▼ 高度分析，Height Analysis

气球所塑造的也是一个完全不同于以往的建筑形态。相比起做一座纪念碑式的建筑，气球的形态更加轻盈以及自由。看似临时而短暂的元素——气球，实际上却因为人们持续不断的感情寄托而获得了一种“动态的永恒”。从而也创造了一个超越一般建筑高度的形体，一个向空中延伸的气球塔。

Comparing to the heavy-hearted monuments, the lissome balloons represent a more peaceful relationship with death. The transient tower formed by the balloons is more conspicuous than any other building in the city skyline. For pedestrians walking on the streets, the balloons cast shades and shelter rain above their heads.

再回到地面以及地下的建筑，由于气球的运用，我们为大众留出了地面空间，同时又营造出一片公共活动的灰空间。抬起的人造地形隐藏着地下空间的入口。人们可以沿着宽阔平缓的螺旋楼梯缓缓向下进入地下的纪念空间，也可以在楼梯上停歇静思。牵引气球的光纤将天空中的阳光引入地下，使得地下的空间静谧而明亮。所有的光纤都插在纪念空间中央的椭圆形水池里，让水中泛着点点星光，人们则在水池的旁边凭吊逝者，追思故人。

From the street, visitors can walk up to an upper-level viewing platform. A ramp slopes down to the building behind and creates opportunities for multi-layer green spaces. The hilly structure on the ground touches the street level gently and connects with a spiral staircase below. Following the spiral stairs, visitors descend gradually to the commemorating space at the bottom. On their way down, they can sit and rest on the large steps. Optical fibers tied to the balloons bring the sunlight above into the reflecting pond below. Standing by the reflecting pond, in a space of light and tranquility, people commemorating the deceased.

▼所有的光纤都插在纪念空间中央的椭圆形水池里，让水中泛着点点星光，人们则在水池的旁边凭吊逝者，追思故人，Standing by the reflecting pond, in a space of light and tranquility, people commemorating the deceased.