Huntingdon
Crematorium
ceremonial hall, waiting rooms, flower court and crematory with capacity for two cremators. The second building contains a multi-purpose function room and café with associated catering facility, administration offices and a family room for the collection of ashes.
The buildings are constructed of white brickwork and are bright and striking in the landscape. The design focuses around a central drum form which contains the ceremonial hall for 125 people. It features double height spaces and mezzanine seating, along with floor to ceiling glazing and high levels of natural light.
The processional route through the building, for the funeral party and guests, is marked with copper cladding on columns and principal doorways. This is a strong visual aid and assists movement through the building.
Huntingdon Crematorium is a new build crematorium facility for Huntingdon Town Council and CDS Ltd in Cambridgeshire. We worked with consultants Cemetery Development Services Ltd and MAC on the project, and Kier completed the £7.1m build in 2021.
Our challenge was to design a collection of buildings equipped with ceremonial and flexible function spaces along with the appropriate crematory functions. It needed to include a chapel space that would be flexible for gatherings of various sizes and be fully accessible for those with limited mobility and visual impairment. Our clients were also looking for a sustainable design that seamlessly integrated water features and landscaping.
We designed two buildings that are set out in the landscape and separated by planting, car parking and the funeral party route. The two buildings have separate functions: the main building contains the multi-faith
