Between two worlds. Sverre Fehn and the Crematorium in Larvik

Abstract

Designed by Sverre Fehn in collaboration with Geir Grung in 1950, the crematorium of Larvik consists of a wall of 140 meters length and 3,60 meters height in front of the Sandefjord. The wall constitutes an element of distinction between the interior and the exterior; it builds a relationship and, at the same time, recognition between the town and the sacred space of the crematorium. This separation is made even more evident by the orography of the ground and by the wooded site that emphasizes the diversity of the area dedicated to the crematorium from the nature of the surrounding forest. The wall defines two fronts: one facing the woods and the other, more architectural hosting the funeral chapel, overlooking the sea. Architecture becomes, in its precision and essentiality, a symbol of a new idea of nature.

Keywords

• Crematorio di Larvik
• Sverre Fehn
• Limite
• Orizzonte
• Muro