Nyle Macaranas from Waipapa Taumata Rau, The University of Auckland, Te Pare School of Architecture and Planning is a finalist for his project 'Between Life and Death: A Study of Necropolitics in the Graveyard-Living Informal Settlements of Manila'.
Judges citation
This is a brave and compassionate response to the seemingly insurmountable problems faced by the thousands of impoverished families living informally among the dead at a Manila cemetery.
This is necro politics, where life and death converge, and the living and the dead are both compromised. The response is necro-urban acupuncture – five adaptable, scalable interventions that inject fresh thinking and a new framework for the severely marginalised.
Respectful design addresses accommodation, sanitation, safety and economic needs. Using traditional, accessible, sustainable and affordable materials, the new built environment touches the ground lightly, relieving the heaviness of concrete tombs.
Against a backdrop of willful and systematic political neglect, this project seeks hope for an equitable future, creating dignity for both the living and the dead.
Project description
Life and death converge at Manila North Cemetery in the Philippines. Tens of thousands of impoverished families live informally among the dead, transforming burial spaces into homes, markets and places of everyday life. This coexistence of the living and the dead exposes deep inequalities that render both parties invisible within the urban fabric, revealing the stark realities of necropolitics.
This project reimagines Manila North Cemetery through a series of interventions, amplifying marginalised voices and creating dignified sites for both the living and the dead.
