European Landscape Architecture: Best Practice in Detailing

cemetery’s landscape and urban context are not
hidden from view.

A special innovative construction method was
developed to build this type of enclosure. The walls
are built as dry-laid stone walls. In order to ease the
earth pressure from the sloped side, layers of geo-
textile were integrated every 40cm, which stretch
up to 1.30m into the sloped berm. The structural
stability of the retaining wall is maintained, even
though it only has a cross-section depth of 50cm
at its base.

Masonry walls made of layered Stainz gneiss form
the framework for the water stations, found at each
bend in the pathways. The stones also form the
freestanding urn walls. The water basins are made
of light-coloured concrete with robust stainless
steel taps, and similar wall units house the water-
ing cans.

The urn walls have a long urn ledge, where flowers,
candles and other mementos of the deceased can
be placed.^27 The intensive use of this ledge by the
mourners is reminiscent of the urn walls found in
southern European countries.

In addition to the traditionally influenced urn walls,
the landscape architects developed a new form of
urn grave. The urns are placed into a steel frame,

which is sunken and thus allows uninterrupted

planting areas. The urns can be added and taken

away according to need and still allow for exten-

sive areas of vegetation. Despite this very efficient

and economic design, in this very modest-looking

community grave area, the honour of the individual

remains respected.28, 29

The design of the pathways’ edges and the stair-

ways is very consistent. The gravel paths are lined

with upright gneiss stone pavers and the gneiss

material is found again in the stairs, which offer an

alternative to the gently-sloping access ramps to

the grave islands, for people with limited mobility.

In the third grave island, the linear pathway bends

again and leads to the fourth and final island. From

this last island, the path bends one last time and

leads to a green stair made of gneiss to a viewing

platform within the noise barrier of the motorway.

This viewing platform, with its tower-like concrete

column, is meant to make drivers along the auto-

bahn aware of the neighbouring cemetery, and also

allows visitors to the cemetery a view out into the

everyday urban context. It symbolises the brief but

energy-laden meeting of the spiritual place of the

cemetery with the banal place of the motorway.^30

4.47

Opposite: urn grave, plan and section construction

details

4.48

Stairs made of Stainz gneiss with a riser to run ratio

of 14.5:33cm

4.49

Pathway edging

The New Cemetery, Riem