Sanguine Lily: 1916 Centenary Chapel at Glasnevin Cemetery

The Easter Rising in 1916 marked the inevitable rise of Ireland’s political independence. Against what was known to be superior military power and resources, the uprising lasted only 5 days, but was a momentous call for freedom. Following the uprising, 232 casualties were buried in a mass grave in the Glasnevin Cemetery.

This design for a 1916 Centenary Chapel at Glasnevin Cemetery pays homage to these lost loved ones. It aims to bring together a unifying whole in the greater Dublin community, acting as a portal for lost loved ones, while being a symbol of indissoluble unity amongst the living.

Situated next to the National Botanic Garden in Dublin, Ireland, this design seeks to build upon the rich symbolic repertoire of the nation by directly referencing the petal of an Easter Lily. Surrounded by three reflecting pools, the chapel appears from afar to be a petal floating on a puddle of water.

The main focal point of the centenary chapel is the natural and artificial light surrounding the structure. Natural light streaming in from the north and south through the glass curtain walls enclosing the chapel, combined with 232 glass sphere lights suspended from the ceiling, allow for maximum brightness that will form a luminous crown visible in the nocturnal sky.

With the intention of relying as much as possible on passive technology to achieve thermal comfort in the chapel, operable windows at the top and bottom of the window wall will activate convection heat transfer and natural ventilation with the roof to act as a funnel to flush out warm air.

The Centenary Chapel aims at joining the past, present and future in a way that takes a perfect moment and shapes it to an elegant and refined structure that will stand resolute for all to admire.