ITALIAN CEMETERY The mausoleum (the first phase of the Italian Cemetery) is organized as a series of eight atria strung together on a long site. The atria are each skylit except the entrance court, which is distinguished by its structurally glazed clerestory. A secondary space is a corridor that will eventually stretch to more than three hundred feet. The roof is designed so that the narrow glass-covered slot will uninterruptedly extend the length of the building.
Jennings’s greatest monument of all: seven hundred crypts are used to create a language of pure solid and void at a scale and of a reductivist beauty not often seen in Northern California. Artspace 12/98
Like much of Jennings’s architecture, his design for the mausoleum derives serenity from its simplicity. Elemental geometries, unadorned surfaces, a minimal color palette, and generous sunlight work together to impart a tranquil, dignified demeanor to the work. Jennings manages to achieve a rich range of spatial and material effects with minimal moves. By keeping his material list simple and the building’s luminous volumes crisp and spare, the architect conveys a sense of serenity, helping a small building quietly approach grandeur.
Architecture 06/98
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