Arch Out Loud has given designers the somewhat odd challenge of developing a proposal for a vertical cemetery in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district.

As the unwanted placement of cemeteries adjacent to homes in the neighbourhoods of Tokyo becomes more common, and the demographics of the city continually change, issues of burial space increases. A recent trend in new cemeteries has seen a shift from the traditional horizontal sprawl to an open vertical orientation.

Arch Out Loud’s Death & the City competition is after a design for a vertical cemetery that explores the relationship between life and death within the city. The need to examine this condition allows designers the opportunity to not just efficiently respond to the issue of space but also look into the cultural identity that this solemn program can project within its environment. 

The objectives of the competition:

  • Explore the relationship between death and the current state of the discipline of architecture
  • Look for innovative ways a cemetery can be experienced
  • Create a solution that efficiently addresses Tokyo’s issue with space
  • Define a relationship between two unlike environments – the cemetery and the city
  • Examine the connection between a cemetery and the commercial and pop culture identities of Tokyo

From 50 finalists, the winner will be awarded $5,000 and three runners up will receive $1,000. There will also be a director’s choice award and ten honourable mentions.

Submissions close 24 September.

For more information click here