Editor’s Choice
2016 Skyscraper Competition
Martin Wong Tuong Ying, Choong Wan Huey, Edmund Goh Yow Feong
Malaysia
“Your soul is like the seed, in a flower-a carnation, which gets buried when the carnation (the body) dies. It then “grows” again, into a new “carnation”, and is in a new “carnation”, thus “re-in-carnation” has occurred, and the “seed” ”grows” into a new flower.”
The mortality rate is decreasing due to the health, economic, social and other fundamental factors. Hence, the death of people is raising manifold unexpectedly compared to the past. In terms of urban planning, the proposal of the cemeteryscraper is aimed to house the dead in the deep underground expanding down vertically without the need of massive land excavation area in the future. The tower consists of a visitor interpretative centre for visitors, chapels, preparation and celebration platforms for the deceased family members for rituals conducting according to their native’s culture. The façade of the tower is inspired by the local natives’ artwork of weaving. The architecture tectonic of the tower’s lower part stone facade is the reinterpretation of the art of weaving, interlocking with push and pull design language. The open air garden in the middle separates the tower into below and upper part, narrating heaven and earth. The upper part is the gallery, café, management offices, and memorial platform that “float” above the garden tall in the sky. The upper part adopts the double skin façade wire mesh cladding that facilitates natural cross and stack ventilation.
An unexpected moment magnitude of 6.0 earthquake struck Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia on 5 June. The earthquake catastrophe causes tragedy death of 18 and 137 people were stranded at the peak of Mount Kinabalu. The proposal is aimed to commemorate the innocent death of the earthquake’s victims and remembering the heroes who save life of hundred. The group of heroes are the local Kadazan group. The mountain is sacred and they embrace the mountain as God. The monumental tower inspired by the spirit of the native group, re-incarnation which they believe the world after death.
A main core works as the heart of tower circulation, reflecting how natives view the mountain as God of Hill. It adapts earthquake-proof foundation and structural system to be sustained in case future catastrophes takes place. The natives believe soul rebirth in new body when the carnation dies. Soul brings bad things away and leave good to the family and the place they belongs. Thus, basement of cemetery aimed to house the local dead inspired by the local native culture and civilisations along with a visitor interpretive centre. An open-ramped garden meant to blend itself with surrounding landscape like a floating garden, symbolizing the rebirth of soul to their home. The heroes and victims are commemorated on memorial sky platform at the edge of the tower.
