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Architects: TERRITORIAL
- Area: 1600 m²
- Year: 2023
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Photographs:Cristobal Palma, Eleazar Cuadros
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Lead Architects: Josep Cargol Noguer, Carmen Rivas Lombardi
Text description provided by the architects. The Mapfre Chiclayo Cemetery is located in the province of Monsefú, Lambayeque, Peru. The area was occupied by crops and rice fields, distributed over flat and slightly uneven terrain corresponding to the Chancay River basin. This river branches into canals, turning the area into a fertile valley. In the distance, 'Cerro El Reque' stands out as the only monumental element amidst the vast landscape, becoming a significant landmark for both the site and its residents. Cerro El Reque and the valley are accompanied by several archaeological complexes within the property, such as 'Siete Techos' and 'Ventarrón.' The latter, with over 4,500 years of history, preserves the oldest murals on the American continent.
The proposal is conceived as an intervention in the landscape, where the building seeks to subtly alter the horizontality of the site through a wedge-shaped cover that emerges from the ground and faces the main road. The second component is the chapel, whose verticality makes it the second monumental element of the territory. Its orientation is conditioned by the intention to engage in dialogue with Cerro El Reque, thus celebrating its importance within the collective memory of the place.
The project presents itself as an element in contact with the ground, integrating into the terrain and becoming part of it. Corridors were proposed that traverse the entire building, connecting its different parts and prioritizing views of the landscape, where pause areas are designated for rest, and the paths of the burial rite are accompanied by trees that provide shade.
From the outset, the project posed a challenge, as the design of the sacramental spaces had to represent an event in which architecture subtly accompanies the user’s experience, turning the space into a memorable place. This spatial exploration, linked to the structure, allowed no changes to be made during execution. Thus, the project's value lies in the precise identification and articulation of the building's components, avoiding unforeseen modifications since its conception and respecting sustainability themes.
The project resolves the landscape by integrating the graves into a master plan, where the paths are designed as shaded routes that intertwine with the views. The exploration of materiality is vital in the relationship with the landscape, using color tones prevalent in the pre-Hispanic era to connect with the environment and collective memory. As a result, the inhabitants perceive the proposal as a work of their own, associating with the place in which they find themselves. This project is the result of the search for a special atmosphere through working with light and materiality, where it has been sought that light has weight, and that space is defined by its entry; we call it 'The Weight of Light.'
