For our latest chapter of “On the Boards”, the Our Lady of Hope Chapel and Mausoleum in suburban Detroit presents a unique project first for the zpd+a team. Collaborating with Chicago planning and design firm, Mekus Tanager, we are working with Resurrection Cemetery to design and build an integrated mausoleum and chapel space for remembrance, healing and community. This expansive project includes a chapel with private mausoleums, three free-standing exterior mausoleums, and comprehensive landscape planning prioritizing non-invasive plants native to Michigan.
Our design language needed to convey a sense of peace, spiritual place and communal comfort. Significant attention was paid to the use of curved walls, providing visual interest while emphasizing indirect sightlines for visitor privacy to navigate emotional moments alone or with loved ones. Natural light is an integral design feature throughout the design: Operable window walls suffuse and blanket the chapel with illumination creating a sanctuary to uplift and give hope, while exterior mausoleums feature skylights and openings to create a well-lit sanctuary of remembrance. Universal design philosophy is incorporated throughout the project to consider access and usage for all populations and abilities.
Finish materiality speaks specifically to the natural world of Eastern Michigan’s abundance of waterways, wooded areas, and greenery, while also providing generational durability of materials and ease of building maintenance. Elegant granite exteriors are tempered with interior slat wood walls and serene upholstery to communicate familiarity, combining natural materials and textures for a sense of comfort and embrace. The warmth and durability of the finishes enables the chapel to perform a dual role as a flexible area for the community as an inclusive interactive indoor and outdoor event space for all four seasons.
We are excited to partner with Mekus Tanager to create these sacred spaces of memorialization and healing that can transition from ceremonial to communal use and look forward to breaking ground early 2025!
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