Islamic Cemetery
Bernardo Bader Architects – Altach, Austria
The Islamic Cemetery in Altach is open to all Muslim communities in Vorarlberg. A working panel and imams from Vorarlberg accompanied the planning phase to meet the specific requirements. In addition to the orientation towards Mecca and the ritual of purification, burial in the ground is mandatory. The burial process is very simple. Frequent cemetery visits do not have a special tradition, as Muslims are encouraged to let go with trust in the well-being of the deceased in the hereafter.
In the “Mescid,” a “shingle mihrab” indicates the prayer direction towards Mecca. In front of the whitewashed wooden wall with the window in the middle, three offset metal mesh curtains, into which wooden shingles are woven, hang. The curtains follow the principle of the prayer wall (Qibla) and prayer niche (Mihrab).
The required premises also develop from the theme of the wall. An appropriate head section for the overall complex is created. The covered area for farewells, with the concrete slab for the coffin, opens to the courtyard.
Along the longitudinal facade next to the entrance, visitors are greeted by an inlay inscribed in the massive outer wall, which acts as a subtle filter, connecting the inner and outer worlds. The ornately perforated wooden wall element (Mashrabiya) with an octagonal motif characterizes the meeting room with its lively play of light and shadow, addressing the theme of transience.
This results in an open and clearly structured overall concept. Pragmatic and with little symbolism, the cemetery integrates into the landscape. Regardless of denominational orientation, burial sites share the commonality that the cemetery was the first garden. As an original garden, it is characterized by the cultivation of its soil and the clearly defined area.
When creating a garden, a piece of land is enclosed and clearly delineated from the wilderness. Thus, a delicate network of wall slabs in different heights encloses the grave areas and the structural part of the complex. The “finger-shaped” grave fields interlock the facility with the untouched, floodplain-like landscape.
