TEDGlobal 2014
Alison Killing: There’s a better way to die, and architecture can help
Filmed:
Readability: 3.9
1,316,847 views
In this short, provocative talk, architect Alison Killing looks at buildings where death and dying happen -- cemeteries, hospitals, homes. The way we die is changing, and the way we build for dying ... well, maybe that should too. It's a surprisingly fascinating look at a hidden aspect of our cities, and our lives.
Alison Killing - Architect
An architect and urban designer, Alison Killing uses journalism, filmmaking and exhibitions to help people better understand the built environment. Full bio
An architect and urban designer, Alison Killing uses journalism, filmmaking and exhibitions to help people better understand the built environment. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
I'd like to tell you a story
about death and architecture.
about death and architecture.
0
810
4031
00:16
A hundred years ago, we tended to die
of infectious diseases like pneumonia,
of infectious diseases like pneumonia,
1
4841
4630
00:21
that, if they took hold,
would take us away quite quickly.
would take us away quite quickly.
2
9471
3297
00:24
We tended to die at home,
in our own beds, looked after by family,
in our own beds, looked after by family,
3
12768
3734
00:28
although that was the default option
4
16502
1792
00:30
because a lot of people
lacked access to medical care.
lacked access to medical care.
5
18294
2590
00:33
And then in the 20th century
a lot of things changed.
a lot of things changed.
6
21614
2779
00:36
We developed new medicines like penicillin
7
24393
2097
00:38
so we could treat
those infectious diseases.
those infectious diseases.
8
26490
2485
00:40
New medical technologies
like x-ray machines were invented.
like x-ray machines were invented.
9
28975
3274
00:44
And because they were
so big and expensive,
so big and expensive,
10
32249
2252
00:46
we needed large, centralized
buildings to keep them in,
buildings to keep them in,
11
34501
3018
00:49
and they became our modern hospitals.
12
37519
2299
00:51
After the Second World War,
13
39818
1423
00:53
a lot of countries set up
universal healthcare systems
universal healthcare systems
14
41241
2640
00:55
so that everyone who needed
treatment could get it.
treatment could get it.
15
43881
2647
00:58
The result was that lifespans extended
from about 45 at the start of the century
from about 45 at the start of the century
16
46528
4249
01:02
to almost double that today.
17
50777
2183
01:04
The 20th century was this time of huge
optimism about what science could offer,
optimism about what science could offer,
18
52960
4098
01:09
but with all of the focus on life,
death was forgotten,
death was forgotten,
19
57058
3727
01:12
even as our approach to death
changed dramatically.
changed dramatically.
20
60785
2405
01:15
Now, I'm an architect,
21
63580
1203
01:16
and for the past year and a half
I've been looking at these changes
I've been looking at these changes
22
64783
3242
01:20
and at what they mean for architecture
related to death and dying.
related to death and dying.
23
68025
3154
01:23
We now tend to die
of cancer and heart disease,
of cancer and heart disease,
24
71179
3233
01:26
and what that means is that many of us
will have a long period of chronic illness
will have a long period of chronic illness
25
74412
3996
01:30
at the end of our lives.
26
78408
1974
01:32
During that period,
27
80382
1113
01:33
we'll likely spend a lot of time
in hospitals and hospices and care homes.
in hospitals and hospices and care homes.
28
81495
5063
01:38
Now, we've all been in a modern hospital.
29
86558
2206
01:40
You know those fluorescent lights
and the endless corridors
and the endless corridors
30
88764
3390
01:44
and those rows of uncomfortable chairs.
31
92154
3018
01:47
Hospital architecture
has earned its bad reputation.
has earned its bad reputation.
32
95172
3762
01:50
But the surprising thing is,
it wasn't always like this.
it wasn't always like this.
33
98934
3157
01:54
This is L'Ospedale degli Innocenti,
built in 1419 by Brunelleschi,
built in 1419 by Brunelleschi,
34
102091
4334
01:58
who was one of the most famous
and influential architects of his time.
and influential architects of his time.
35
106425
3747
02:02
And when I look at this building
and then think about hospitals today,
and then think about hospitals today,
36
110172
3343
02:05
what amazes me is
this building's ambition.
this building's ambition.
37
113515
3088
02:08
It's just a really great building.
38
116603
1649
02:10
It has these courtyards in the middle
39
118252
1834
02:12
so that all of the rooms
have daylight and fresh air,
have daylight and fresh air,
40
120086
2533
02:14
and the rooms are big
and they have high ceilings,
and they have high ceilings,
41
122619
2413
02:17
so they just feel
more comfortable to be in.
more comfortable to be in.
42
125032
2484
02:19
And it's also beautiful.
43
127516
1765
02:21
Somehow, we've forgotten
that that's even possible for a hospital.
that that's even possible for a hospital.
44
129281
3831
02:25
Now, if we want better buildings
for dying, then we have to talk about it,
for dying, then we have to talk about it,
45
133112
4023
02:29
but because we find the subject
of death uncomfortable,
of death uncomfortable,
46
137135
2571
02:31
we don't talk about it,
47
139706
1440
02:33
and we don't question how we
as a society approach death.
as a society approach death.
48
141146
3312
02:36
One of the things that surprised me
most in my research, though,
most in my research, though,
49
144458
3174
02:39
is how changeable attitudes actually are.
50
147632
2685
02:42
This is the first crematorium in the U.K.,
51
150317
2392
02:44
which was built in Woking in the 1870s.
52
152709
2809
02:47
And when this was first built,
there were protests in the local village.
there were protests in the local village.
53
155518
3407
02:50
Cremation wasn't socially acceptable,
and 99.8 percent of people got buried.
and 99.8 percent of people got buried.
54
158925
4883
02:55
And yet, only a hundred years later,
three quarters of us get cremated.
three quarters of us get cremated.
55
163808
3776
02:59
People are actually really open
to changing things
to changing things
56
167584
2527
03:02
if they're given the chance
to talk about them.
to talk about them.
57
170111
2401
03:04
So this conversation
about death and architecture
about death and architecture
58
172512
3323
03:07
was what I wanted to start
when I did my first exhibition on it
when I did my first exhibition on it
59
175835
3159
03:10
in Venice in June,
which was called "Death in Venice."
which was called "Death in Venice."
60
178994
3226
03:14
It was designed to be quite playful
61
182220
3274
03:17
so that people would
literally engage with it.
literally engage with it.
62
185494
2198
03:19
This is one of our exhibits,
which is an interactive map of London
which is an interactive map of London
63
187692
3255
03:22
that shows just how much
of the real estate in the city
of the real estate in the city
64
190947
2675
03:25
is given over to death and dying,
65
193622
1879
03:27
and as you wave your hand across the map,
66
195501
2369
03:29
the name of that piece of real estate,
the building or cemetery, is revealed.
the building or cemetery, is revealed.
67
197870
4829
03:34
Another of our exhibits
was a series of postcards
was a series of postcards
68
202699
2508
03:37
that people could take away with them.
69
205207
1997
03:39
And they showed people's homes
and hospitals
and hospitals
70
207204
2461
03:41
and cemeteries and mortuaries,
71
209665
2415
03:44
and they tell the story
of the different spaces
of the different spaces
72
212080
2461
03:46
that we pass through
on either side of death.
on either side of death.
73
214541
2833
03:49
We wanted to show
that where we die
that where we die
74
217374
2345
03:51
is a key part of how we die.
75
219719
3251
03:54
Now, the strangest thing was the way
that visitors reacted to the exhibition,
that visitors reacted to the exhibition,
76
222970
4783
03:59
especially the audio-visual works.
77
227753
2368
04:02
We had people dancing
and running and jumping
and running and jumping
78
230121
3692
04:05
as they tried to activate
the exhibits in different ways,
the exhibits in different ways,
79
233813
2995
04:08
and at a certain point
they would kind of stop
they would kind of stop
80
236808
2444
04:11
and remember that they were in
an exhibition about death,
an exhibition about death,
81
239252
2734
04:13
and that maybe that's not
how you're supposed to act.
how you're supposed to act.
82
241986
2624
04:16
But actually, I would question
whether there is one way
whether there is one way
83
244610
2647
04:19
that you're supposed to act around death,
84
247257
2275
04:21
and if there's not, I'd ask you to think
about what you think a good death is,
about what you think a good death is,
85
249532
4551
04:26
and what you think that architecture
that supports a good death might be like,
that supports a good death might be like,
86
254083
3669
04:29
and mightn't it be a little less like this
and a little more like this?
and a little more like this?
87
257752
4728
04:34
Thank you.
88
262480
2214
04:36
(Applause)
89
264694
2020
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Alison Killing - ArchitectAn architect and urban designer, Alison Killing uses journalism, filmmaking and exhibitions to help people better understand the built environment.
Why you should listen
Alison Killing is an architect and urban designer working to engage people with their built environment, via design of buildings and urban strategies, film making, exhibitions and events. She explores the relationship between death and modern architecture, looking at how cities are rebuilt after disaster.
Recent projects include Death in the City (and its first iteration, Death in Venice, which was shown as an independent event during the opening week of the Venice Architecture Biennale), a touring exhibition about death and modern architecture; work with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on better rebuilding after disaster and how to integrate relevant urban design tools into humanitarian response; and a study of financial models for arts and community projects temporarily using vacant buildings to help these projects become self-sustaining.
Alison Killing | Speaker | TED.com