Metropolis - Necropolis: A Vision for Sustainable Architecture in Future Cemeteries

Project by Paulina Stachura | Shortlisted entry of the Circle of Life competition

As global cities confront rapid urbanization and environmental strain, the concept of the cemetery is being radically redefined. Traditional burial grounds occupy valuable urban land, introduce environmental contaminants, and reinforce outdated paradigms around death. "Metropolis - Necropolis," designed by Paulina Stachura, proposes a transformative vision grounded in sustainable architecture, inclusive design, and cultural adaptability.

This modular architectural proposal repositions death as a visible, integrated, and communal part of the urban fabric—no longer hidden or melancholic. It moves beyond conventional burial by introducing contemporary, eco-friendly methods like promession and resomation, replacing tombstones and underground coffins with columbarium walls and green civic spaces.

Death Meets Urban Design

The project is built upon a regular 16m x 16m module that can be repeated and expanded like a city grid. Each unit serves a distinct yet harmonious function—green parks, crematories, promatories (for promession), resomatories (for resomation), goodbye halls, and technical spaces. These units combine to form a necropolis within a metropolis: a place where death becomes part of life, where architecture fosters equality, spirituality, and ecological responsibility.

Unlike traditional cemeteries that isolate death, this project includes wide walking boulevards, planted courtyards, and framed views—encouraging people to linger, mourn, and reflect. As a result, the boundary between life and death blurs, normalizing and honoring mortality as part of civic existence.

Sustainability at the Core

By eliminating underground burials and embracing new technologies of body processing, the design minimizes ecological harm. Ashes and alkaline hydrolysis byproducts are used to enrich the surrounding green spaces. With no tombstones or coffins, land consumption is reduced, and toxic seepage is avoided.

The site plan reinforces sustainable architecture not only in environmental terms but also socially—offering universal access, modular replication, and absence of religious hierarchy. Everyone, regardless of belief, physical condition, or social status, is treated equally after death.

Adaptable, Inclusive, Scalable

The modularity of the design makes it suitable for cities and villages alike. It can be scaled vertically or horizontally, multiplexed, or condensed based on location. The absence of specific religious iconography ensures its global relevance. This is an architecture without prejudice, where even in death, unity is celebrated.

Its inclusivity is also architectural: without zoning separation, the modules allow for free flow of people, rituals, and remembrance. Visitors can walk through, visit urns, or simply enjoy the serenity of the landscaped paths and shaded colonnades.

A Civic Space, Not Just a Cemetery

Paulina’s vision doesn’t treat death as a taboo but integrates it into everyday life. This is not a hidden site at the city’s edge—it is part of the city itself. With its logical modular grid, minimalistic design, and open courtyards, the space becomes a city of memory: quiet, reflective, yet alive.

Here, the columbarium becomes a building block, as common as homes or schools. The proposal encourages us to spend time in these spaces and get accustomed to death—not as an end, but as a transition woven into the urban continuum.