The St Thomas More Columbarium, a new civic ensemble by Simon Pendal Architect, is a thoughtful and reflective space that pays homage to the past while embracing the future. Located in Bateman, Western Australia, this columbarium is a testament to the power of architecture to create meaningful and enduring spaces. The project began with a simple brief: to create a place for the interment of ashes, offering space for quiet reflection and prayer, while enhancing the landscape and respecting the existing church design. This seemingly straightforward task is where Pendal's expertise and creativity shine. The design is a delicate balance between modesty and impact, ensuring it doesn't overshadow the church but rather complements it. The columbarium's layout is a clever play on ancient monastic planning, with three stone 'towers' forming a porous enclosure that invites both human occupancy and the natural world. This design is not just aesthetically pleasing but also functional, providing private and discrete entries to each tower from a central brick terrace. The towers' placement is not random but carefully aligned with the church's orthogonal grid, and their floor level is set at the exact midpoint of the rise, creating a harmonious relationship with the surrounding space. The towers themselves are a study in simplicity and beauty. Crafted from local limestone block with a struck-flush joint, they have a soft golden colour that complements the church's brickwork. The architectural language is both crude and singular, drawing inspiration from the austerity of the Church of Santa Maria in Portugal by Alvaro Siza and the cubic figures of the ossuary at the San Cataldo Cemetery outside Modena, Italy, by Aldo Rossi. The facades feature a subtle ledge, reminiscent of bird ledges in dovecotes, adding a touch of ornamentation without overwhelming the design. The internal geometry of the towers is equally fascinating, with a square plan hollowed out by an octagonal-shaped volume, symbolizing the eighth day in Christianity and the concept of new creation and eternal life. The 45-degree angle, also found in the church's nave, adds to the overall sense of harmony and balance. At the heart of each columbarium is a single piece of furniture, a stool crafted from the trunk of a spotted gum tree. Its pentagonal shape, a reference to the five wounds of Christ, symbolizes sacrifice and love, inviting visitors to sit and reflect in a mindful and personal way. The internal walls are an exercise in careful stone masonry, with a matrix of small funerary-urn niches expressing a social and non-hierarchical interment. The unadorned surfaces of the top walls register sunlight and the sky, creating a serene and otherworldly atmosphere when the door is closed. Exiting the towers and stepping back into the enclosed garden offers a stark contrast between dark and light, raw and refined, death, and life. The canopies of peppermint and almond trees moderate the Western Australian sunlight, casting their fine branch forms onto the monumental walls of the towers, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. The columbarium's design is a testament to Pendal's understanding of the site and its history. By studying the urban rhythm, cultural tradition, and spatial memory of the area, Pendal has created a space that respects the past while embracing the future. The columbarium is a careful evaluation of what already exists in the urban field, offering insights into patterns of occupancy and the potential for life-enhancing, yet often destructive, activities. This project is a reminder of the critical work of architects who practice with care for people and place, and it is a space that will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on those who visit it.
