Venue: National Cemetery – 28. plot, Budapest
Client: National Memorial and Tribute Committee
Landscape architecture: Balazs ALMASI
Design period: 2011-2012
Implementation: 2012 June
Contractor: BTI Nemesko es epítoipari Kft. – Rakosy Glass
Cost: 50.000 €
Area: 200 m2
Photos: Balazs ALMASI
Allness or nothing? Between the two, faith draws the difference. The road to ‘nothing’ might be understood as the life path, where the tomb symbolizes a change of dimensions. The crystal like holy light ray hits the Earth. Its delicate shining, and the cross, only visible in the sunshine are representing our fragile values: they are demonstrations of faith, strength and thought.
The 28th lot of the National Graveyard, where Dr. Ferenc Mádl rests, is the sunniest area of the cemetery, as only the lot’s edge is planted with giant trees. The tomb is almost always sunny, especially during the summer period. It is located on the nearest point to the connecting point leading to the lot, thus it finds its place between other ‘ordinary’ tombs and the central role of the tomb of József Antall (former prime minister).
The composition is based on an overacted optical illusion. The main view was created for the visitors who arrive to the access point. Space, time and weather conditions are of thrive importance in the composition. On the path, at the head of the black granite monolith tomb, there is an unsymmetrical glass pyramid, showing a light cross by sunshine, just for a short time. But there is only one distinct period of the year, exactly the time of the anniversary of the funeral, when the shape of the light cross appears in a perfect way.