Architecture of death: Bompas & Parr examine the art of the tombstone

London – London-based designers Bompas & Parr are bringing the forgotten art of funerary architecture back to life, so to speak.

The creative duo set a challenge for designers and architects in their Monumental Masonry project, a competition to design contemporary interpretations of ancient mausoleums and tombstones.

Of the 120 entries, Tomb of the Past by Sebastian Bergne was chosen as the winning entry, and will be built from limestone and erected in a London cemetery. The design features a Grecian column bent into an arch, a monument to death and a gateway between past and future.

‘The quality of the submissions suggested the architecture of death is a neglected and under-explored aspect of design and one that is ripe for revival,’ says Harry Parr, partner at Bompas & Parr. ‘Mausoleums are particularly interesting architecturally as they are removed from the usual practicalities required for human interaction in finished buildings, and allow you to ignore the usual rules.’

The 10 best designs from the competition, which have been turned into 3D models and auctioned at Christie’s, are on display at the Sir John Soane’s Museum until 24 January 2015.

The focus on the grandeur of death is reminiscent of The Polarity Paradox, where recession-beaten consumers swing between extreme states as they search for meaning greater than the material and the physical.