Shijiazhuang Ander Memorial Park · Cloud Mirror l Archermit

Shijiazhuang Ander Memorial Park finds its serene location at the eastern base of the majestic Taihang Mountains amidst a plethora of untouched natural landscapes. The park’s premises are adorned with captivating scenery and flourishing vegetation, and they hold within them the profound symbolism of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and Vermilion Bird, all significant Fengshui elements, rendering it a true Fengshui gem.

Shijiazhuang Ander Memorial Park’s Design Concept

The concept behind the Cloud Mirror design is a delicate fusion of honoring traditional funeral customs while revolutionizing the conventional notion of cemeteries. Its essence lies in intertwining landscaping, artistic expression, and personal touch, crafting an environment exuding a harmonious, tranquil, and welcoming ambiance enriched by a deep sense of ceremony and creative flair. Within these emotion-laden spaces, an environment conducive to physical and mental solace is meticulously curated, offering relief and healing for the living and a final resting haven for the departed. The ultimate aspiration is to establish a symbiotic relationship of happiness and coexistence between humanity and the natural world.

The central motif of the star-shaped element is symbolically tied to the triangle, with its inherent stability and timeless geometric significance. This core shape, particularly the equilateral triangle, boasts classical applications in architecture. The Shijiazhuang Ander Memorial Park amplifies this by adopting the equilateral triangle as its pivotal image, extending its reach to encompass celestial bodies such as stars, constellations, and, notably, the renowned Big Dipper, all seamlessly woven into the narrative of the Cloud Mirror.

The Shijiazhuang Ander Memorial Park’s site gracefully resides at the termination of the Big Dipper’s handle, known as Yaoguang (Alkaid), a symbol historically associated with auspiciousness, fearlessness, and rebirth. The triangular terrain beneath the mountain’s foothill harmoniously interacts with various scales of equilateral triangles, crafting the illusion of a star-studded expanse. Poised within the valley, the Shijiazhuang Ander Memorial Park emerges like a colossal celestial body, mirroring the distant stars above. Its presence encapsulates notions of eternity, remembrance, safeguarding, and fortitude. Structural ingenuity revolves around a central triangular skylight courtyard, meticulously orchestrating the interplay of light and shadow through architectural layout and structural composition.

The sacred luminosity of the skylights atop the Shijiazhuang Ander Memorial Park’s triangular roof and the triangular framework within the corners orchestrates a visual symphony within the service halls and courtyards. Each noon, sunlight streams through the glass skylights on the roof, piercing the glass floor of the service hall, cascading through the central skylight courtyard’s leaf installation, and gently filtering through the translucent glass brick walls of the restaurant. This ethereal beam knits together the realms of heaven and earth, the dichotomy of yin and yang, enveloping the space with sanctity, clarity, and ceremonial grandeur, accompanied by a vibrant warmth.

Beyond being a mere resting place for the departed, the cemetery morphs into a crucial conduit for an emotional connection between the living and their cherished left. Shijiazhuang Ander Memorial Park aspires to recontextualize the cemetery experience, fostering an appreciation akin to the embrace of life itself. In its embrace, this ancient sanctuary finds rejuvenation through ecological healing, emotional solace, and artistic significance, reflecting the blend of humanistic compassion and pragmatic modernity that hallmark contemporary cemeteries.

Project Info:

Architects: Archermit
Area: 2219 m²
Year: 2023
Photographs: ARCH-EXIST
Manufacturers: Gangshunbao, Huacai, Huajian Profile, Leju Lezhu, Nanbo
General Contractor: Oceanwide International Construction Co., Ltd.
Landscape Construction: Shengjing Guoxin, Ecological Landscape Co., Ltd.
Principal Architect: Youcai Pan
Design Director: Zhe Yang (Partner)
Technical Director: Renzhen Chen (Partner)
Structural Engineer: Xu Du
Design Team: Yaxian Zhao, Qinmei Hu, Rui Yang, Yuanjun Gou, Yuting Huang, Zixuan Liu, Zhiying Song, Yutao Feng
Owner: Shijiazhuang Ande Cemetery Management Co., Ltd.
Writers: Youcai Pan, Xiangxin Ge
Construction Drawing Design Team: Hangzhou Zhejing Architectural Planning and Design Co., Ltd.
City: Shijiazhuang
Country: China