Museo di morte

    Death is a contemporary and relatable issue which is perceived and interpreted differently by individuals. Regardless of beliefs, there is a universal consensus that death is marked by the time when a person’s mind and body no longer function.
    The site is crucial to the creation of such an experience; therefore, the museum is located outside the city walls of Rome, Italy. Situated between the border of a metropolis and necropolis, the site mirrors and contrasts many of the same characteristics found in both cities. Most significantly, the site is poised next to a boundary, a wall, a clear outline which separates the living and the dead. 
    The design provides an environment for visitors to confront the issue of death either individually or collectively through the interactive and conceptual exhibits. Visitors may use the museum to find comfort in the remembrance of those who have past as well as learn how different groups approach the topic of death through their cultural beliefs. A simple circulation highlights the juxtaposition between life and death with a gradual ascension to the universal experience contrasted by a sharp descent into the individual experience.
    With these ideas in mind, the goal is to create a thought provoking experience for the individual by using principles of phenomenology in a way that can be best achieved through steel. Rough corten steel creates the retaining walls that echo the sounds of footsteps as one weaves through and gets lost to their own thoughts in the underground interactive exhibition. This gloomy environment encourages people to remember their loved ones by writing their names on the steel plates as they journey towards the light at the end of the tunnel; signifying the unknown. This environment is contrasted above with the light infused, rich atmosphere created using stainless steel gradually guiding the person to a lookout into the city of the dead. This universal path exposes the inner bones of the building’s structure as all visitors are led up to the same ultimate conclusion.