Batschuns cemetery
The cemetery, located next to a church by Clemens Holzmeister from the 1920s, was carefully extended and a small mortuary chapel was added. The existing ensemble of church and cemetery consists of two independent, powerfully placed structures in the middle of an open, expansive cultural landscape. This new building project adds a further element to the clear structure – restrained but self-confident. A gently rising ramp sets the new complex respectfully apart from the historic cemetery.
The traditional enclosure with solid walls is replaced by a low, space-encompassing plateau. At its outer edge, the reduced, rectangular mortuary chapel rises – growing naturally out of the topography. It marks the threshold between secular and sacred space. With its clear, timeless formal language, it enters into a quiet but powerful dialog with the existing building.
The result is a respectful juxtaposition of old and new: without contact, without competition. The new setting reinforces the effect of the historic cemetery – not through demarcation, but through a sensitive interplay.
Parish of Batschuns
Lehm Ton Erde Baukunst GmbH
