Chenlei Ma

Eclosion Cemetery

In the forest of steel and concrete, death is often hidden in silence—pushed to the fringes, as if it belongs only to the distant countryside. Yet in the end, we all return to the earth, and cities offer little space for that return. As land is consumed by towers and roads, the resting place for the soul grows harder to find.“Eclosion” is not built for death, but for the quiet germination of new life. It resists the idea of sealing the departed in cold isolation, and instead lets the body return to the soil—becoming roots, leaves, air, and rain. Here, death is not an end, but a gentle shedding of the shell—a reconnection with the rhythms of nature.Rooted in sustainability, this project introduces new forms of interment that honor the cycle of life and death. It rebuilds the connection between human and earth, between memory and material, allowing the bond with loved ones to continue even within the urban fabric.

“In a rapidly urbanizing city, valuable land is often prioritized for housing, infrastructure, and commercial development. However, due to population growth and an aging population, the demand for cemetery space faces significant challenges. Cemeteries require large, permanent areas, and as urban density increases, available space for burial decreases, making it harder to find cemetery locations.On the other hand, traditional cemeteries are often seen as unsustainable in densely populated urban areas, affecting urban land-use planning. Given this situation, developing a new area for burials could help alleviate space shortages and reduce the financial burden of burial costs. This thesis aims to transform the existing space-occupying model, allowing the human body to return to nature, nourishing it, and becoming part of the new life. This approach seeks to enhance the sustainability of cemeteries, strengthening the bond between humans and nature, as well as the inseparable connection between individuals and their families.”