Cathedral For Death: A Sustainable Necropolis Next to the Palermitani Catacombs, Sicily | Masters Design Project on Religious Architecture

Site Context

Located next to the local cemetery and the Cappuccini Catacombs of Palermo, Sicily, the project would serve as a sustainable response to the current and traditional funerary and burial customs. The project includes a cathedral and recomposition area, a monastery for the caretaker monks, a funerary space for wakes, and a forest cemetery with trees in place of graves. 

The project seeks to dispel the myth that death is the end of the world and instead celebrates and continues life. The project takes into account the notion of the superimposition of various faiths that have existed in Palermo, which is evident in many of their key religious architecture. An example of this is the fusion of Catholic church spaces with Islamic death practices.

Design Process

The design brief and project focused on the modeling process and specific design prompts established at the start of the year. These prompts included addressing a problem (overpopulation of the dead), selecting a material (marble), and exploring an unresolved design project (Shard Houses by Lebbeus Woods). 

Using these elements, the student developed a modeling process centered on the concept of repurposed salvage to create cinematic vignettes depicting the narrative between the living and the dead. The process involved extensive research into sustainable burial practices and religious perspectives, resulting in a project that not only reimagines the funeral experience but also honors the humanity of those involved.

Final Outcome

The project proposes a multi-phase masterplan for a sustainable necropolis situated adjacent to the Palermitani Catacombs, serving both as a response to its historical context and as a narrative exploration of humanity’s relationship with death. Focusing on the Cathedral and a sustainable recomposition facility, the design employs the concept of salvage and the materiality of marble as central design drivers. 

Salvage is incorporated through the reuse of abandoned tombs, such as in the vestibule, and by integrating layers of historical contexts, mirroring Palermo’s tradition of overlapping histories. Marble is reimagined as a translucent, delicate medium rather than its conventional monolithic form, particularly evident in the suspended domes and recomposition vessels.

The project centers on recomposition as its ultimate aim—a process that respects natural decay while providing a sustainable alternative to traditional burial practices. This approach replaces gravestones with trees, allowing human remains to enrich the soil. Additionally, the inclusion of the wake wing and monastery establishes a sustainable ecosystem, thoughtfully integrating spaces for the dead into the broader design.

Conclusion: Ultimately, this project reimagines the necropolis as a sustainable, culturally rooted space that honors history and ecology. It integrates salvage and innovative design, challenging traditional burial practices. The project demonstrates how design can thoughtfully shape our relationship with death, creating spaces that respect life, memory, and the planet.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]