Qijin Columbarium

A public columbarium on Qijin Island, Kaohsiung, designed by Chao Chien-ming (趙建銘). It opened in March 2015 next to the Memorial Park for Women Laborers. The three-storey elliptical building, which the architect likens to a womb in reference to the cycle of death and rebirth, is wrapped in perforated walls of traditional Minnan red brick and hollow blocks; the brickwork recalls older Qijin houses and ventilates a building that has no air conditioning. Inside, an entrance wall spells the word for “remembrance” in many languages, and the main hall enshrines Kshitigarbha, while a ramp lined with a water wall for ritual purification looks out to sea.