FAMIDIHANA, 2024

About a week ago, my beloved grandfather passed away, leaving me with a deep sense of loss. As I attended his funeral, I couldn't help but notice the dreary atmosphere – a cold and dark setting with minimal natural light, a single window, and the casket isolated at the front. This stark environment felt detached from the idea of celebrating a life.

A few days after the funeral, inspiration struck, reminding me of the transformative power of interior design in shaping people's experiences. Thus, the concept of Famidihana was born.

Famidihana draws inspiration from a Madagascan funerary tradition where families engage in a festival of exhumation, celebrating their departed loved ones with food, music, and dance. This starkly contrasts with the American and Taiwanese funerals I've attended, marked by distant, open caskets that fail to provide the connection many families seek with the deceased. Moreover, post-funeral interactions gradually diminish over the years, as cemeteries and columbaria don't foster comfortable gatherings. 

In this project, I envisioned a funeral and columbarium hall that connects attendees with both the departed and the healing, natural surroundings. The final design was shaped by two key considerations: first, creating a space that facilitates the closer interaction between attendees and the deceased; and second, establishing comfortable functional zones. The casket would be placed within the crowd, surrounded by seating, instead of at the front of the room. Throughout the space would also be seating and functional areas surrounding both the columbaria and reception areas, encouraging people to linger and spend quality time with their departed loved ones.

 After a few sketches, I ended on a highly organic building (that was extremely fun to design). When paired with unique vistas of lush trees and a serene lake through expansive windows, this building aims to provide a comforting atmosphere, offering solace and tranquility for those bidding farewell to their loved ones.