A Living, Evolving Sanctuary
The design for Cedar Dell at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, thoughtfully bridges the site's rich history with contemporary needs, creating a space that honors the past while responding to evolving uses. Established in the 19th century, Green-Wood Cemetery has long been a place of reflection and remembrance. The design respects this legacy while introducing subtle enhancements that invite deeper engagement with the landscape, preserving the cemetery’s timeless character and ensuring its continued relevance.
The design embraces the Cedar Dell's natural topography with a central allée of canopy trees that flow gently from the southern edge. This intervention enhances the site's visual coherence and preserves historic views from the northern rim, maintaining the space's serene atmosphere. The allée offers visitors a tranquil pathway, allowing them to experience the site’s natural beauty while encouraging reflection and connection with the landscape.
The burial plan provides a range of options that align with personal preferences and ecological values, integrating traditional burial practices with green burials and scattering gardens. This inclusive approach strengthens the cemetery's role as a sanctuary for nature and the green burial area supports a vision of sustainability, fostering a respectful relationship between the land and those who rest there, ensuring that future generations can continue to find respite in this natural space.
New headstones and a collective memorial have been thoughtfully woven into the design, balancing the cemetery's historic identity with contemporary needs. These elements complement the existing character of the landscape while providing spaces for modern commemorations. The collective memorial invites shared reflection, fostering connections between past and present generations and ensuring the space remains meaningful and inclusive for all.
The design for Cedar Dell creates a contemplative environment where visitors can find peace and renewal. Through the careful integration of ecological, historical, and modern elements, the space continues to serve as both a historic landscape and a living, evolving sanctuary — welcoming those who come to reflect, remember, and connect with the land and its history.
