AEXN architects
THE TUMULUS, Crematorium
Year: 2017-2022
Gross built area: 311 m²
Project location: Volungiu st., Toleikiai, Lithuania, Europe
Building function: Religious
Team: Tomas Grunskis, Jūratė Kindurytė
Photography: Norbert Tukaj
Awards
- Best public space “Mano ervdė 2023”
- National Architecture Awards nominee 2023
- Building of the year nominee by Archdaily 2023
- EAEA runner up 2022
Press
Publications
The crematorium emerges from the flat landscape as a gentle sculptural form – a low, symbolic hill rising from the earth. The architectural vision is rooted in the metaphor of a burial mound covered with white linen. This image is translated into a soft, curved roof that acts like a ritual cloth, embracing the structure and merging with the ground. Earthen embankments separate the building from its surroundings, creating a threshold into a space of contemplation and transformation.
The design is based on three core principles: space, process, and material. The spatial layout introduces a system of calm inner courtyards and circular ritual areas – a refuge for visitors in moments of grief. The process element manifests through movement: from outside to inside and back again, from light to shadow and stillness, offering moments of psychological release through architecture. Materiality plays a critical role in defining the emotional atmosphere. Raw concrete is used deliberately as a symbol of timelessness – “wounded” and weathered to evoke the sense of modern ruin and eternal time. Inside, the contrast of concrete with warm wooden textures creates an emotionally resonant environment, immersing visitors in a reality beyond the everyday, where space and time take on a different meaning.