Memorials tend to be a very tricky task for architects because they need to find the balance, meaning and aesthetics, all while keeping the people being memorialized at the centre of the design. A South African memorial project has received international recognition for their state-of-the-art memorial garden which will be built in Lanseria, South Africa.
Afribiz Invest with Hogins Enterprises have partnered on a world class memorial site that uses the latest technology and service. “We are creating a space where the two worlds collide, the outgoing and incoming. This memorial garden is a tranquil place, where the six senses are awakened and linger on you through the sights, the plants, the reflection spots, the benches placed for a view of the horizon.”
The garden uses the latest technology through an online portal with multiple features where there is an augmented reality experience as well as online virtual visits available with a full concierge service. Wifi is available throughout the entire site. The memorial site will be operational 24 hours an day and have drone security implemented.
Both companies are extremely excited for the project as they believe it will bring comfort and peace to everyone who interacts with the site. The site caters for individuals and also caters as a family site where families can invest in a generational memorial. “This garden, where you will bury your beloved departed, is a place of remembrance and celebration, a generational meeting space, where all the members of a family are joined in rest as they were in life. It is a symbolic landscape embedded with spiritual meaning. A visual rest for the eyes and the soul. A garden that brings quietude to the body and mind. Hopefully, you will gain a sense of purpose after visiting, transforming the pain to peace.”
In the UAE, the burial system is very different as funeral rituals are based on the religion of Islam where a deceased person must be buried as soon as possible preferably on the same day however this project in South Africa is seen to hold the same level of brilliance and prominence as the Museum of the Future here in the UAE.