Matmat Iong Kiunga

The new Catholic cemetery in Kiunga, Papua New Guinea, merges tradition and modernity through a new typology. The understanding of the local culture, the sensitive treatment of the landscape and the recourse to vernacular building forms lead to the creation of a unique site: a place that unites both man and nature as well as the faith of yesterday and today.

The new Catholic cemetery in Kiunga is the result of a spatialisation of cultural, climatic, topographic and temporal aspects. \nTo overcome the topographical challenge posed by the city´s hilly landscape, the cemetery is largely terraced. The newly created levels are concentrated around two hills, the graves spreading out in the landscape as the years pass. To shield the visitors from Papua New Guinea´s heavy rainfall and strong sunshine, shelters are set up on the terraces. The graves themselves are protected by roofs, giving the cemetery a distinct appearance.\nIn Kiunga, the deceased are traditionally taken to different places before being buried. Nowadays, this has become increasingly difficult for sanitary reasons. Consequently, the cemetery houses the necessary infrastructure for burials in a new interpretation of the longhouses traditionally found in the Western Province. The different functional areas, such as the mortuary, the mourning place and the funeral hall are lined up along a central passageway oriented east to west, an architectural representation of a deceased person’s last journey. The longhouse´s low eaves deny passers-by a view into intimate areas of the building, but recede at certain points to allow passage and frame the landscape.\nTraditionally, forests played a major religious role, as for many tribes they were the place where the spirits of the dead gathered. For this reason, part of the existing forest was preserved in the centre of the new cemetery. At the heart of this grove is a chapel which makes use of several fundamental principles of Papua New Guinea’s traditional sacred architecture, such as symmetry, repetition, or the striking expression of the roof. As such, it serves as an architectural link between the present and the original faith of the local people. A large wooden cross, placed in the forest and facing the chapel symbolises the coming together of traditional religions and Christianity. \nAll these elements are woven together by numerous smaller interventions, creating a singular place: a timeless landscape, for the dead as well as the living.