Our proposal at Arnos Vale transforms biomass into an elegant and truly perpetual constellation of light, illuminating new woodland pathways and sanctuary space within the historic cemetery. A network of memorial vessels aggregates over time creating a cyclical framework of vitality and remembrance. Embedded in the forest floor or supported by a network of slender steel pylons, this multilevel memorial rises from the earthen territory of traditional burial into the blooming woodland canopy above.

In a context of contemporary life increasingly reliant on and expressed through digital media, the memorialization of individual identity through the muted glow of a simple light produced from the latent energy of the body is both calming and salient. 

The 150 Anaerobic Memorial Vessels laced through the Old Orchard will more than double the Orchard’s capacity within six years. Because the system will accept and honor remains in cyclical perpetuity, it will continue to generate long-term revenue for the cemetery while ultimately preserving more woodland vegetation than earthen burial plots.