The seventh stage of the Karrakatta Mausloluem, with its finely-detailed but bold, timeless design was commissioned to address the expectations of a new century.The mausoleum and chapel combine timeless design with innovative systems to achieve a 100-year lifespan.
Commissioned by the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, Stage 7 of the Karrakatta Mausoleum included ten crypt blocks, four family chapels, a forecourt pavilion, and the St Francis Chapel, providing 936 crypts in total. With a design life of 100 years, the project demanded rigorous attention to durability, materiality, and lifecycle efficiency.
More than 40 bespoke elements were developed, from furniture to finely detailed stonework, ensuring the complex would endure across generations.
Innovative building systems were central to the design. The chapel incorporates Western Australia’s first radial geothermal bore, paired with hydronic floor heating and indirect evaporative cooling, creating a stable year-round temperature and continuous fresh air flow. This not only reduced the carbon footprint with a forecast payback of just ten years, but also significantly improved indoor air quality – a crucial design outcome now seen as a model for future public buildings.
Extensive research and consultation shaped the project, including international study of mausolea and careful sourcing of stone to harmonise with earlier stages. The resulting complex balances timeless aesthetics with environmental performance, delivering a contemplative, respectful place for reflection that will serve the Perth community for generations.
Shortlisted in the 2020 Australian Institute of Architects Awards for both Sustainability and Public Architecture, the project represents a major milestone in our practice’s design journey.
