New-Look Funeral Homes Keep Death at Arm's Length

In an article is yesterday's Tribune, Blair Kamin reviews the bright, life-affirming architecture of the new home of Chicago Jewish Funerals in Skokie. He then goes on to posit that funeral home design is moving away from death. Stopping short of giving an A-grade to the Chicago Jewish Funerals building on its architectural merit, Kamin argues nonetheless that the attributes of the structure are in choice of material—maple, Jerusalem stone—and abundance of windows, contrasted with usually windowless brick funeral homes that resemble mausoleums. In other words, it's great because it breaks the mold. Said founder David Jacobson to The Tribune, "I'm around death all the time. I didn't want something that reflects death." A recent issue of industry mag, The Director, spotlights other examples around the country of funeral homes with a light, casual character. A suggestion even surfaces that funeral homes be re-conceived as places for diverse celebrations, like birthday parties. We know birth and death are linked and all, but you won't catch us treating a funeral home as rec center anytime soon.
·Modern architectural design helps Skokie funeral home celebrate life [Cityscapes]