A Conceptual Project to Support the Burial Rituals of the United Arab Emirates

The design of the Death Pavilion is inspired by the traditional Islamic calligraphy known as “bismallah.” The bismallah is usually stylized calligraphy that can be found before each chapter of the Qur’an, meaning, “in the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful.” This meaning seemed appropriate for a death pavilion where family and friends would come to pray and mourn over those whom they have lost, asking for Allah to have mercy on them. The design itself is inspired by those calligraphic lines and forms, specifically in the floor plan but also in the sculptural shell of the pavilion. The pavilion itself has three distinct areas, divided into two halves by a central rammed earth partition: a prayer room for visitors, a washing room where the Muslim community leaders could have the bodies of the deceased cleaned and prepared for burial according to cultural customs, and a reflection hall. The materials and finishes used in the design were kept simple and neutral in color, with blacks and sandy browns that pay homage to death and the desert landscape of the United Arab Emirates. The shou-sugi-ban siding represents both death and life with its black, charred patina that actually preserves the natural material; the gold mosaic tile on the interior, specifically for the ceiling, represents the lavish riches awaiting the faithful dead in paradise and recalls the mosaics of traditional Islamic design; the rammed earth partitions provide thermal mass, important both in the hot climate of Houston and in the desert regions in the Middle East, as well as providing a "cemented sand" look. The Death Pavilion will be an iconic building and a place of peace for the United Arab Emirati community in Houston.