Balgriffin Cemetery Expansion

Commissioned by Fingal County Council, PKA's extension to Balgriffin cemetery provides the graveyard with an additional 3,600 burial plots, as well as columbaria for cremated remains and reburials.

PKA's commission was to develop an outline design prepared by Fingal County Council's architecture department, and to take bring this design through the tender, construction and completion stages.

Located to the east of the existing graveyard, the extension is laid out on a north / south grid that is bisected by two diagonal axes which meet in a small 'plaza' at the intersection of the first and second phases of the extended cemetery.

The existing entrance to the cemetery from Carr's Lane leads onto a tree-lined avenue, terminating in the ceremonial glass and steel pavilion that provides a place of prayer or contemplation before the funeral cortege makes its way to its designated burial plot.

The columbaria are laid out in two ranges, with seats and stone paving designed to form distinct courtyard spaces. The columbaria are made of precast concrete, set in walls lined externally in ashlar limestone with concrete cappings.

Landscape design was a key element in PKA's development of the FCC outline scheme: the main and secondary avenues have central bands of ground-cover planting; the entrance avenue is lined with flowering cherry trees; and the 200-space car park is surrounded by laurel hedging with a 'grasscrete' surface.

The overall expansion of the cemetery is planned to be developed in two phases: the first was completed in 2018 and the second is due to commence construction in 2021.

Client: Fingal County Council

Value: €2,000,000
Size: 4,000 sq.m. 
Reference: Ms Fionnula May, Fingal County Architect   
Design: 2017
Completion: 2019