Gilgamesh's Lament for Enkidu performed by Peter Pringle
Listen, young men. Listen to me.
Listen, elders of great Uruk. Listen to me.
I weep for my friend Enkidu;
like a grief-stricken woman, I howl in despair.
The shaft at my side, the bedrock of my strength,
the sword at my belt, the shield before me,
the clothing for my festivals, the sash on my pleasure:
A fiendish force sprang up to snatch him from me.”
- Gilgamesh Mourning Enkidu
Listen, elders of great Uruk. Listen to me.
I weep for my friend Enkidu;
like a grief-stricken woman, I howl in despair.
The shaft at my side, the bedrock of my strength,
the sword at my belt, the shield before me,
the clothing for my festivals, the sash on my pleasure:
A fiendish force sprang up to snatch him from me.”
- Gilgamesh Mourning Enkidu
Site Analysis
Death is vague, mysterious, and multifaceted. The conception of death has evolved through time, and it has inspired many religions. Philosophers agree that death is neutral and that we need to understand death and life together. All religions share common motifs about death such as returnal and ascension. When it comes to Biology, death is hard to define but its affects after it arrives are well known. In psychology death needs to be dealt with so it doesn’t cause thanatophobia, and one way of dealing with that is through terror management. Rituals of various religions have more in common that we can lead to believe. The communal aspect of the rituals, the washing of the bodies, the disposal by returning to nature, as well as the mourning and funerals are all common aspects. Death’s communal depiction in art contrasts with the view of philosophers due to the different perspective they both follow.
Growth: Different Phases Over Time
Enkidu tries to understand death and the afterlife from a multifaceted perspective.
It interconnects the different aspects to achieve a holistic view of the subject.
Numerous philosophical and religious themes are distilled from the thorough research: the passage of time, links with nature, the duality of death, its ritualistic journey. All of this, as well as a key focus on ascension, helped guide the design of the project, as well as solve practical spatial and social problems associated with the topic such as:
- Space wastage on an urban scale.
- Sociocultural disconnection from death.
- Reviving the urban aspect of cemeteries.
Ascension was the main driving force as the code below animates the building's form in a rising pattern and then aggregates the tombs to follow this journey upwards.
Grasshopper Code
Tombs vs. Form
Structure: Flat Slab System & Columns
3D Model
Basement 7 Plan
Basement 6 Plan
Ground Floor Plan
14th Floor Plan Site Plan
Sections
3D Sections
Elevations
RE-DEATH is Enkidu's Prequel
