Alison Killing: There’s a better way to die, and architecture can help | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

In this content, the author explores the connection between death, architecture, and societal attitudes, highlighting the need for better buildings for dying and encouraging a conversation about death and its impact on our built environment.

Key Insights

• 💀 The development of new medical treatments and technologies in the 20th century led to longer lifespans, but the focus on prolonging life overshadowed the importance of addressing death and dying.
• 🏥 Hospital architecture has evolved over time, but many modern hospitals have earned a bad reputation due to their uncomfortable and impersonal design. There is a need to reconsider and create more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing environments for patients.
• 💡 Attitudes towards death and dying are changeable. The social acceptance of cremation, for example, has significantly increased in just a hundred years, indicating that people are open to changing traditions and practices if given the opportunity to discuss and think about them.
• 🗺️ A conversation about death and architecture is essential to challenge societal approaches to death. By discussing and questioning how we approach death as a society, we can work towards creating better spaces and environments for dying.
• 🏛️ Architecture can play a vital role in improving end-of-life experiences. The architectural design of hospitals, hospices, and care homes can greatly impact the comfort and well-being of individuals during their chronic illness period.
• 🎭 Exhibitions and interactive experiences can help engage people in conversations about death. Playful and interactive exhibits, like the ones in the "Death in Venice" exhibition, can create a more accessible and open atmosphere for discussing death and dying.
• 🏠💒🏥 Postcards showing different spaces associated with death, such as homes, hospitals, cemeteries, and mortuaries, can tell the story of the spaces we pass through on either side of death and highlight the significance of where we die in the overall experience.
• ⚖️ There is no one right way to act around death. Society should challenge preconceptions and allow individuals to define what a "good death" means to them, promoting diverse perspectives and architectural designs that support a more personal and meaningful end-of-life experience.

Transcript

I'd like to tell you a story about death and architecture. A hundred years ago, we tended to die of infectious diseases like pneumonia, that, if they took hold, would take us away quite quickly. We tended to die at home, in our own beds, looked after by family, although that was the default option because a lot of people lacked access to medical ca... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the invention of new medicines and medical technologies impact the way we die?

The invention of new medicines like penicillin and medical technologies like x-ray machines in the 20th century had a significant impact on the way we die. These advancements allowed for the treatment of infectious diseases that previously caused rapid deaths. Additionally, the need for large and centralized buildings to house these medical technologies resulted in the emergence of modern hospitals.

Q: How did the improvement of healthcare systems affect lifespans?

The establishment of universal healthcare systems in several countries after World War II led to an extension of lifespans. At the beginning of the century, the average lifespan was approximately 45 years old, but it has nearly doubled since then. The availability of healthcare for everyone who needed it contributed to this increase in lifespans.

Q: How has our approach to death changed over time?

As the focus on life and advancements in medical treatments became prominent during the 20th century, our approach to death underwent significant changes. While people used to die at home, often succumbing to infectious diseases, the shift towards dying from illnesses such as cancer and heart disease led to a longer period of chronic illness at the end of life. Consequently, individuals now spend a considerable amount of time in hospitals, hospices, and care homes.

Q: How has hospital architecture evolved over time?

Hospital architecture has gone through an evolution over time. While modern hospitals are often criticized for their design, it is interesting to note that it wasn't always this way. Buildings like L'Ospedale degli Innocenti, constructed in 1419 by Brunelleschi, exhibited ambition, beauty, and functionality. With courtyards providing daylight and fresh air, and spacious rooms with high ceilings, this hospital exemplified a more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing approach to healthcare architecture.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• In the 20th century, advancements in medicine and healthcare extended lifespans, but led to a neglect of the architecture of death and dying.

• Modern hospitals have earned a bad reputation for their uncomfortable and impersonal designs, but historical hospitals like L'Ospedale degli Innocenti demonstrate that hospitals can be beautiful and comfortable.

• Attitudes towards death and design are changeable, as demonstrated by the shift from burial to cremation and the positive response to exhibits on death and architecture.