Exiled Within the City: Reimagining Urban Cemetery Design in Lebanon

The thesis breaks down the cemetery from its emergence as a hygienic solution in the 18th century until its modern day interpretation, going through social and spatial perspectives that shape the burial space itself. Turned into a commercial business, the funeral industry expands further than a sentimental service for the deceased. From defining the burial space as it is, to presenting alternate theoretical and technical interpretations, the work provides a comprehensive examination of overcrowded and poorly designed urban cemeteries in Lebanon that are a natural result of the country’s topography. To resolve this issue, a thorough rundown of what goes into a cemetery’s architecture, whether theoretical or technical, is discussed with the aim of translating the written ideas into a project that functions within the Lebanese community. The outcome shows an architectural proposal that challenges the existing typologies and introduces a new approach towards urban cemeteries in the country. The thesis, which works as a tool to showcase how each community approaches death and burial, emphasizes the subjectivity of the topic in hand and sheds light on the various ways we can adapt to the rising circumstances that emerge in our urban spaces and reimagine the methods we use to commemorate our loved ones.