Masters Thesis

A N U R B A N A N C H O R I N GC E M E T E R Y

M E M P H I S , T E N N E S S E E

L a u r e n M a c k e n z i e R i c k s

AN URBAN ANCHORING CEMETERY

LAUREN MACKENZIE RICKS

A N U R B A N A N C H O R I N GC E M E T E R Y

M E M P H I S , T E N N E S S E E

L a u r e n M a c k e n z i e R i c k s

M a s t e r o f A r c h i t e c t u r e

Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

M a y 4 , 2 0 1 1B l a c k s b u r g , V i r g i n i a

K e y w o r d s : c e m e t e r y , u r b a n , w e a t h e r i n g

Howard S Gartner

Donna W Dunay

William U Galloway

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AN URBAN ANCHORINGC E M E T E R Y

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

Lauren Mackenzie Ricks

A B S T R A C TT h i s t h e s i s p r o p o s e s a n u r b a n i n f i l l c e m e t e r y i n M e m p h i s , T e n n e s s e e . B y i n f i l l i n g s e v e n b l o c k s w i t h i n t h e a r t s d i s t r i c t o f d o w n t o w n M e m p h i s w i t h a n e w u r b a n c e m e t e r y , f u r t h e r s i g n i f i c a n c e i s g i v e n t o b o t h t h e c i t y a n d t h e c e m e t e r y . B e c a u s e i t w o u l d b e a n e w l y b u i l t c e m e t e r y , i t c o u l d i n i t i a l l y f u n c t i o n a s a n u r b a n p a r k a n d b e c o m e a c e m e t e r y o v e r t i m e a s t h e s p a c e i s n e e d e d t o r e m e m b e r t h e d e a d . T h e s a m e e l e m e n t s o f t h e c e m e t e r y w o u l d c o m p o s e t h e p a r k , b u t b y a l l o w i n g a s l o w t r a n s f o r m a t i o n f r o m p a r k t o c e m e t e r y , t h e r e s u l t i n g p u b l i c s p a c e w i l l c a r r y m u c h m o r e m e a n i n g t h a n e i t h e r s p a c e c o u l d d o a l o n e . T h e c e m e t e r y c o n n e c t s t h e c o n t i n u i n g e v o l u t i o n o f t h e c i t y w i t h t h e l i v e s o f i t s c i t i z e n s . E a c h b l o c k i s d i f f e r e n t y e t l i n k e d a n d i n t e r t w i n e d , j u s t l i k e M e m p h i s r e s i d e n t s . T h e b l o c k s a r e m u l t i - u s e a n d a s s u c h , s h a r e t h e h i s t o r y a n d l e g a c y o f t h o s e w h o h a v e d i e d w i t h t h o s e w h o l i v e i n a n d v i s i t t h e c i t y .

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My father, the person and architect who I aspire to be. Thank you for the inspiration.

My mother, the keeper of my sanity. Thank you for worrying for me.

D E D I C A T E D T O

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C O N T E N T

A B S T R A C T

C O N T E X T

B L O C K P L A N S

S E C T I O N P E R S P E C T I V E S

I N K C O L L A G E S

P H O T O G R A P H C O L L A G E S

S E C T I O N S

I N K E D P L A N

W O R K S C I T E D

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EXISTING SITE

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Downtown Memphis, Tennessee

On South Main Street from Linden Avenue to Huling Avenue

CONTEXT PLAN

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Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, only has a small area that is the proper density to sustain urban life. As the downtown spreads out, many of the buildings are abandoned or no longer there. These blank spots affect the success of businesses attempting to revitalize a larger part of downtown.

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CONTEXT PLAN

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The black buildings indicate prominent features in the downtown Memphis area such as Beale Street (1), the FedEx Forum (2), and the National Civil Rights Museum (3), and the site of the cemetery (4). The site for the cemetery was chosen not only for the missing teeth within the blocks, but for the proximity to the daily activities of Memphians. The cemetery has entrances at various points on South Main Street.

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CONTEXT PLAN

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By weaving an urban cemetery through the existing buildings, the area will become more complete. Initially, the cemetery will function as an urban park, which will cater to the surrounding businesses. The urban park will have the necessary structure to transform into a cemetery. If there is no need for a large burial plot, it would be wasteful not to use the allotted space to eat lunch or listen to live music. By having multiple uses, the cemetery can have many social memories attached to it and grow with the people who use the space.

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AERIAL SITE IMAGE

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The existing site consists of restaurants, shops, art galleries, abandoned warehouses, and empty lots. The area is known as South Main and has a reputation as an arts and music district.

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SOUTH MAIN STREET

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The original concept places a new cemetery into the empty lots. By weaving one particular function throughout several blocks will help to unite the whole area.

INITIAL PLAN

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AERIAL SITE IMAGE

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The city benefits from the urban cemetery, but the cemetery also gains advantages from its location within the city. Cemeteries have become too far removed from everyday life and lost their significance. The life of the surrounding neighborhood will help to revitalize the importance of the cemetery.

WITH CEMETERY

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BLOCK PLANS

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Each of the seven blocks that the cemetery weaves through has a similar language of materials and structures. However, the cemetery responds to and changes according to the existing elements on that block.

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Because the existing structure of the city blocks is not changed, where the cemetery crosses the street becomes an important transition. The materials of the cemetery bleed across the street so it is comprehensible that the cemetery continues into another block.

CEMETERY SITE PLAN

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BLOCK

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AMuch of the cemetery sinks down into the blocks to provide some sense of privacy; therefore, stairs are a prominent feature within the cemetery. People can be buried within the walls enclosing the stairs so the stairs also act as benches.

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BLOCK

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BA new addition to the city and the cemetery is an archive building that faces South Main Street. The archive would maintain the history of the city and the cemetery.

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BLOCK

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CWater is interwoven through the blocks in different forms as a common element.

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DThere are numerous restaurants in this area. The cemetery is fl exible enough to accommodate room for comfortable outdoor seating.

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EThere are elevated areas within the cemetery that compliment the sunken parts. The higher elements provide overlooks into the other blocks. This visual connection is important to understanding the cemetery as a whole.

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BLOCK

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FBecause the cemetery will not fi ll up immediately, the adaptability of it is important. The block is designed to initially accommodate an urban community garden that can transform into a cemetery using the same structures.

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GThe chapel is situated in this block because it overlooks the Mississippi River. This is the one moment where the cemetery is completely enclosed, creating a courtyard for the chapel as well as turning the focus inward, away from the city.

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CHAPEL SECTION PERSPECTIVESThe chapel is a distinct feature within the mostly open air cemetery. It provides a place for wakes and other ceremonies. Here the focus is not the city. The views are restricted to walls of the courtyard, the sky, and water.

INK COLLAGE

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The two chapels are split by a direct path to the Mississippi River.

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INK COLLAGE

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Columbarium walls are open until someone’s remains are enclosed inside. As more people are buried within the wall, the light conditions will reflect this change.

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INK COLLAGE

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Because the chapel is enclosed, pools of water and skylights are used to brighten the spaces without adding distractions.

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WEATHERING“Weathering adds the ‘finish’ of the environment.”

Leatherbarrow. On weathering : the life of buildings in time.

COLLAGE

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Different materials are selected because of how they might weather and wear. The plaques commemorating the deceased will show the wear of being touched by hands. The steps where people sit to be near their loved ones will also reveal the time people spent there.

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COLLAGE

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As time passes and more people interact with the cemetery, the more the cemetery will show it. People will see the mark they left, which keeps the place of the dead alive with change.

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COLLAGE

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The actual weather will also show its mark on the cemetery. Grooves and overhangs in the walls will help to direct the weathering.

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COLLAGED PHOTOGRAPHSOF BLOCK A MODELThe forced rolling hills and manicured forests will prove to be less comforting to those who use the cemetery. The city provides a meaningful context for the cemetery. The walls of the cemetery create new frames in which to view the surrounding buildings.

These photographs were taken from a basswood and chipboard model of block A.

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SECTIONSTwenty sections are cut in a continuous line throughout the entire site to illustrate that the cemetery is truly one entity that spans over seven different blocks.

SECTION

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1 of 20SECTIONWater plays an important part in the cemetery as a life source. It provides sound, coolness, and a refl ectivity that contrasts with city and cemetery.

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SECTION

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2 of 20The doors of the underground tombs incorporate the metal work history of the city and mimic the lines of the adjacent old warehouses.

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SECTION

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3 of 20By not over saturating the entire site with specifi c functions, there are opportunities for the cemetery and the city to grow into something more than originally planned.

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SECTION

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4 of 20By thinking about the role of weathering throughout the entire design process, the cemetery can have simple lines and carry the character of the space on the materials surface.

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5 of 20Because the cemetery grows from the city and extends into its infrastructure, there is no sharp end to the cemetery. For instance, the walkway between the two chapels joins to a staircase which connects into an existing park system along the Mississippi River.

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6 of 20The walls of the cemetery that become a part of the street front are crucial in the balance of separating and combining the cemetery with the city.

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SECTION

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7 of 20Repetition of elements ties the entire cemetery together. These recurring pieces will deteriorate in distinct ways, making them unique.

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SECTION

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8 of 20Although many features of the cemetery are tall, there is always an accessible part. This reachable part bears the marks of those who visited and, over time, adds an additional scale to the cemetery.

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SECTION

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9 of 20The heat in Memphis can be unbearable at times, which means providing shade in public spaces is essential to the success of that space. The cemetery is recessed into the ground with tall walls to create this shade.

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SECTION

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10 of 20The cemetery within in each separate block is particular to that block. Some of existing buildings add character to the site while others are more of a detriment. The walls of the cemetery expose the charming and disguise the dilapidated.

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11 of 20By creating inhabitable space underground for the living as well as space for the dead above ground, the cemetery embraces a unique duality.

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SECTION

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12 of 20The varying heights of the cemetery walls reinforce a progression through the cemetery. The use of consistent patterns, textures and materials throughout the entire site ground this movement.

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SECTION

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13 of 20The columbarium walls are a common element found in all seven blocks. Not only do the walls house the remains of the deceased, they create a new frame to view the existing buildings.

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SECTION

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14 of 20The cemetery possesses a certain stillness and quiet; however, this does not mean that the cemetery cannot be an active, lively place. The placement of muted and loud materials helps achieve this balance.

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SECTION

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15 of 20A slope produces more possibilities for weathering from rain water. Although it is impossible to accurately predict how something will weather, it is important to provide guide lines like slopes and groves, for how this might happen.

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SECTION

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16 of 20The existing buildings create the parameters for the cemetery; however, at some points such as the sidewalks and streets, the cemetery’s characteristics bleed over into the existing site, enriching not the cemetery but its surroundings.

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17 of 20The sounds of the materials on the ground add to the rhythm of the cemetery. Introducing moving water into this rhythm creates a relief to the sounds of grass, stone, and gravel.

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SECTION

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18 of 20Some walls in the cemetery house the remains of the deceased. The change in material denotes the location of the dead, and the difference in how the material weathers in comparison to the rest of the wall adds another layer of time and meaning.

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SECTION

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19 of 20Although maintenance is required for the general upkeep of the cemetery, stains from water, rain, or people are not imperfections. The wear enhances the beauty of the cemetery.

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20 of 20In addition to a traditional headstone, an urn wall, or a plaque, there are above ground family tombs. These tombs give the cemetery a physical pres-ence in the city.

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INK COLLAGE

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L e a t h e r b a r r o w , D a v i d a n d M o h s e n M o s t a f a v i . O n W e a t h e r i n g : t h e l i f e o f b u i l d i n g s i n t i m e . C a m b r i d g e , M a s s . : M I T P r e s s , c 1 9 9 3 .

W O R K S C I T E D