Mausoleo Memorial Dignidad is an initiative of  “Gente de la Calle” Foundation.

Faced with the impossibility of acquiring a conventional plot of land, GRASS+BATZ proposed constructing the mausoleum on an existing structure to mitigate land acquisition costs.

The project involves the rehabilitation of an abandoned elevated structure measuring 100 meters in lengt. It is located at the northwest edge of the cemetery with views overlooking the urban skyline of the capital.

The project also includes the reconstruction of two different access points to ascend to the existing structure, which is elevated over existing graves.

Underneath one of the stairs, GRASS+BATZ proposes to construct an enclosed space for the informal workers who maintain the graves within the cemetery.

Avoiding any demolition of the existing building, two parallel and opposing rows of graves also function as benches for the living, adding up to 372 available units.

The selected roofing material is corrugated galvanized painted aluminum, the most commonly used in the national market.

The color black was chosen for its cultural association with death in Western culture, and to contrast with the textured layers of history accumulated on the pre-existing tomb pavilion.

The new roof, which has an inclination that provides shade and also allows views toward the Andes mountains.

The section of all structural elements is the same (40x40x3mm) for greater economy.

The Mausoleo Memorial Dignidad is not just an architectural project.

Its aim is to provide funeral units and a space of remembrance for people who died living on the streets of Santiago de Chile, the first of its kind in Latin America.

It is supported by a structure that embraces the existing concrete brackets that protrude from the original pavilion.

It is also the establishment of a new institution aimed at raising funds to support the burial and remembrance of individuals who pass away while living on the streets in Chile.