Sky House Altar

For Vietnamese people, the worship room is a spiritual space where the living person commemorates the deceased. A traditional worship space is organized according to the hierarchy of generations: the previous generation will be on a higher level than the next. People who visit the shrine room often have to dress solemnly and formal, and the visit to this room is almost exclusively for the purpose of worshiping. The question is how can a solemn spiritual space become close and full of life? How can it be easier for people to not feel uncomfortable when visiting their late relatives? Our design tries to answer with a space where the past and present meet, comfortably and harmoniously. A space full of light, that tries to simplify be omitting hierarchy, surrounded with a garden of fruit trees, resulting in a place where the family can gather, have a conversation and remember memories of their ancestors. The wall that separated the past from the present has been demolished. The roof garden makes a dialogue with an existing square, as an extension of its landscape to contradict the urban development tendency of maximizing construction area with little consideration for landscape and its benefits to improve life quality. The garden with seasonal vegetables and fruit trees also helps to keep the house temperatures low, grow vegetables for family meals and provides a place where children can learn about agriculture, thus increasing their interaction with nature in urban environments. Instead of having an enclosed room, the proposal offers a gentle and intimate memorial space with a strong connection with the garden. The roof of the altar is a pre-engineered steel structure, with a large but thin 10mm thick steel plate, supported by multiple 20mm diameter rebar that act as a vine rig for vegetables, as well as an anti-glare filter for the strong tropical sun. The result is a roof garden and a small memorial space that acts as a retreat where the family can relax from the busy urban life.