Funeral home in Toledo by TASH

Description of the project

We situate ourselves in Toledo, beside the cemetery of the city to see one of the few examples of this architectural typology in Spain that can serve to the architects, with this building we will learn to take constructive and functional decisions when we deal with a project of this entity.

Antonio and Emilio studied deeply the adaptation of the building to create a perfect place for dialogue Between the City and the Funeral Home due to the context surrounding, to achieve a very interesting result. We must recognize that the architects respected the city of Toledo, declared as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is worth seeing the building from various points of the city to see the difference of scale and its dialogue with the environment.

Funeral home in Toledo by TASH. Photography © Miguel de Guzmán.

The Funeral Home´s program is organized in several levels:

- Ground floor: there are 14 vigil rooms, vigil rooms, ecumenical room, coffin showroom and receive as public program, and the embalming room, storage and cold rooms for coffin as private program.
- First floor: public and private offices.
- Basement: there is a restaurant as public program and parking and coffin storage as private program.
- There is a mezzanine floor for private use, maintenance, utilities, etc.

Regardless of the program this architectural typology may have, the functionality is a determining factor to build effective buildings. It has differentiated between public and private flows to distinguish the circulations that exist in this place. According to regulations, the flows can´t cross between them. This building meets functional expectations perfectly.

The architects made two very important formal gestures, providing tension and coherence to the project, on the one hand the rotation on the ground floor in its longitudinal axis establishes a dialogue from inside the building with the Old Town of Toledo, generating a vigil rooms hall very plastic from the architectural point of view as the funerary architecture. On the other hand the location of courtyards in vigil rooms generates much more dynamic spaces, providing more quality and comfort for moments of peace and vigil for the family of the deceased.

It should be noted the flexibility of the vigil room, through a hydraulic wall that generates a double vigil room for the family who want it, an additional service offered by this building.

The conditions of the plot and terrain required to make different decisions that affected the structure and consequently emerged different spaces quite useful.

Not less important is the interior design of each space and control of natural and artificial light, both in public and private spaces. In fact, much of the success of this building is generated by the comfort offered by each of the spaces.The architects took special care in choosing materials to relate with the family.

Vigil rooms´ hall, Funeral home in Toledo by TASH. Photography © Miguel de Guzmán.

It is noted that this project has been carefully thought from beginning to end, so we realize that with work and effort achievements come, this is an example of it. Congratulations!

I would like to end with a quote from an architect, Antonio Fernández Alba...

“Building for the territories in whichhalf-light becomes shadow and function becomes a metaphor has always been in the history of death an over whelming exercise, difficult to enclose in aesthetic composition manuals."

Text.- Sergio Cidoncha.

CREDITS. TECHNICAL SHEET.-

Main architects.- Emilio Sánchez-Horneros, Antonio Sánchez-Horneros. TASH.
Team collaborators.- Javier Rodríguez, Alberto Di Nunzio, David Melar, Marta Zamanillo, Eusebio Sánchez de Gracia (structural engineer), Francisco Ruiz Guadamillas (technical engineer).
Client.- José María San Román  S.L. y Nueva Funeraria S.L. (U.T.E. Tanatorios de Toledo).
Constructor.- FCC Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas.
Surface.- 1.698,65 m².
Date.- 2006 - 2008.
Site.- Toledo, Spain.

Materials.-

Glass framings.- Jansen.
Floors and bathroom fittings.- Porcelanosa.
White Ibiza Marble.
Concrete.- Cemex.
Concrete surface treatment.- JamServeis I Acabats.
Natural Rock of the area.
Lighting and lamps.- Targetti/Lledó/Zumtobel.
Emergency lighting and signaling.- Daisalux.
Signalling.- Arcon.
Door fittings.- Tecosur.
Furnishings.- Dekoart.