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Limestone Niches Under Fiberglass Canopies for Reflective Remembrance

Author:
Zsuzsa Peter
Limestone Niches Under Fiberglass Canopies for Reflective Remembrance

Project in-detail

Bush-hammered limestone encloses five hundred niches beneath translucent fiberglass canopies, creating a serene environment for collective remembrance within a forest setting.
5 key facts about this project
01
Five hundred niches organized into fourteen units enhance individual memorialization.
02
A dense wooden framework connects niches and canopies, painted in a unified grey.
03
Translucent fiberglass canopies provide natural light while sheltering the spaces below.
04
Design integrates a communal garden linking remembrance with the surrounding landscape.
05
Bush-hammered limestone offers a textured surface that contrasts with the natural environment.

The Field of Chapels offers a space for reflection within a calm forest setting. Designed as a columbarium, it allows for both personal and shared experiences of remembrance. The concept focuses on creating a balance between the structure and its natural surroundings, resulting in an area where individuals can find peace and contemplation.

Layout and Spatial Arrangement

The columbarium consists of five hundred niches, grouped into fourteen units with three levels each. These niches are arranged in three linear sequences that guide visitors through the site. The varying directions of the niches create pathways that encourage exploration and personal reflection. Each turn offers an opportunity for contemplation, inviting visitors to slow down and engage with their thoughts and memories.

Material Palette

Materials play a critical role in the columbarium's identity. Bush-hammered limestone panels surround the niches, providing a solid and textured surface that connects with the natural world. Steel plaques cover the niches, offering a contemporary touch and allowing people to add personal items such as candles and vases. This combination of materials supports an intimate atmosphere where individuals can honor their memories in a tangible way.

Canopy and Structural Elements

Suspended canopies add another layer to the design, creating an open field of small chapels. These canopies offer shelter while also forming a visual connection between the niches. The translucent fiberglass allows natural light to filter through, enhancing the overall experience within the space. A framework made of thin timber pieces connects the niches and canopies, painted in a soft grey hue that blends with the natural environment.

Garden Integration

The surrounding garden extends the theme of remembrance into the landscape. Each unit has designated planting areas that reinforce the relationship between the burial sites and the outdoors. The greenery enriches the site, inviting people to gather and reflect. This connection between nature and memory creates a serene environment, where the architectural forms coexist with the landscape.

The careful arrangement of niches and the balance between enclosed and open areas lead to a peaceful experience at the Field of Chapels. Here, individuals can engage in quiet reflection, finding solace in a thoughtfully designed setting.

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MICROHOME 10: Celebrating Small-Scale Living with €100,000 Prize Fund and Kingspan’s Innovation

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Competition organisers

The MICROHOME 10 competition invites participants to submit visionary designs for off-grid, modular microhomes that push the limits of sustainable, small-scale living. Organised by Buildner in partnership with Kingspan and Hapi Homes, this tenth edition sets the challenge of designing a dwelling for two people within a maximum floor area of 25 m², encouraging bold solutions adaptable to any urban or rural location. The competition continues Buildner’s mission to foster innovative approaches to compact, energy-efficient housing that can address pressing global challenges.

This year’s edition offers a generous total prize fund of €100,000, including the Kingspan Award for designs that integrate high-performance Kingspan products and the Hapi Homes Award for a project selected for real-world construction. In addition to cash prizes, the winners gain international exposure through Buildner’s media partnerships, publications, and a dedicated MICROHOME magazine, further amplifying their ideas to the wider architectural community.

Key dates for MICROHOME 10 include the closing date for registration on 25 September 2025, the submission deadline on 29 October 2025 (11:59 p.m. London time), and the announcement of winners on 9 December 2025. These milestones ensure participants have clear timelines to develop and present their concepts, with early registration discounts available to support students and emerging designers worldwide.

MICROHOME

Design a new small-scale home concept in the 10th edition of MICROHOME — 100,000 € prize + construction

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 € + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 25 September 2025

Enter an open architecture
competition now

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