A new generation of designers, undertakers and start-ups is rethinking the end of life, offering paper urns, natural burials in cocoons and mourning spaces resembling artist studios. Death is increasingly being approached with intention — individually, sustainably, and often with surprising beauty. Thoughtful design can help to personalise farewells and ease some of the fear surrounding death.
by Martina Metzner
The presentation of “The Last Pot” by the iconic Italian brand Alessi was undoubtedly one of the most talked-about moments of this year’s Milan Design Week. Alberto Alessi, who initiated the project with Giulio Iachetti, remarked: “There is one vessel we have yet to explore – a category that has received surprisingly little attention: the funerary urn.” One design in particular caused a stir: an urn shaped like a dog bone by Philippe Starck himself. True to form, Starck doesn’t shy away from a touch of wit, even on sombre topics. As provocative as this may seem, it is precisely such gestures that are helping to remove the taboo surrounding death. The darker aspects of life are increasingly becoming part of the design discourse, and design is playing a crucial role in creating new, more accessible ways of confronting death.
“Totem” by EOOS (left and right) and “Swan Song” by Michael Anastassiades for “The Last Pot” by Alessi | Photos: Claudia Zalla, © Alessi
‘There is one vessel that we have not yet explored, a design category that receives surprisingly little attention: the burial urn.’
– Alberto Alessi
Cremation on the Rise
People’s attitudes towards death, burial and grief have changed significantly. Today, the majority opt for cremation over traditional casket burials – around 80 per cent in Germany in 2023. Cremation has only been widely practised for around 150 years, and is often considered more practical and affordable as it requires no grave maintenance. Consequently, cemeteries are noticeably emptier. Many people also seek a more natural and personal burial, as reflected in the growing popularity of forest burials. These trends are supported by research, including studies by trend researcher Matthias Horx as part of the “Raum für Trauer” initiative and the Sterbereport by the Ahorn Group. The entire sector is undergoing transformation.
“Meine Erde” currently only offers funerals in Kiel and Mölln | Photos: © Meine Erde
Natural Composting Burials
A new technology that is particularly well-suited to people’s desire for a nature-based final resting place is so-called terramation, or natural organic reduction. While its legal and environmental safety is still under review in Germany, the USA is further ahead, with companies such as Recompose already offering the service. Now, the Berlin-based start-up “Meine Erde” is bringing the method to Germany. The body is placed in a straw, hay, alfalfa and biochar cocoon and transformed into nutrient-rich soil at around 70°C over several weeks. Meine Erde is already operating in Schleswig-Holstein, and the resulting soil can be buried in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Unlike conventional funeral providers, Meine Erde uses a completely different visual language that is sensuous, modern and rooted in nature. Their black, elegantly shaped cocoon resembles a bathtub more than a traditional coffin. During the farewell ceremony, wooden slats surround the cocoon in the presence of loved ones – a gesture radiating warmth and reconciliation.
DIY Urns
“The final image of someone you loved should be beautiful and memorable,” says Katharina Scheidig. Together with Kristina Steinhauf, she designs paper urns under the “Urnfold” label – a project that won them the 2024 German Design Award in the “Excellent Product Design, Eco Design” category. Like many newcomers to this field, they were inspired by a personal experience: when Kristina Steinhauf lost her father in 2014, she made her own wooden urn. The idea stayed with her. She later developed the first paper urn with Scheidig.
Their focus is on personalisation: the urns can be labelled and decorated, or even assembled at home. One model, “Zeit”, is available as a DIY kit. The paper used comes from Gmund and is biodegradable, as are the hemp cords used to lower the urn. Urnfold is not alone in experimenting with natural materials – other designers are also creating urns from wood (Die Holzurne), charcoal (Kohleurne), mushroom mycelium (Loop) and spelt husks (Urnique), demonstrating the diversity of sustainable afterlife design.
which was honoured with the German Design Award 2024
| Photo: © Urnfold
Funerals as Design Rituals
Modern undertakers are increasingly embracing natural, personalised spaces. At providers such as plan b. in Regensburg and Junimond in Berlin, there is no gloomy atmosphere. On the contrary, warm colours, soft fabrics and literature on grief make the spaces feel homely and inviting.
These founders, who are mostly young and often women or career changers, see themselves as creators of rituals, not just organisers of funerals. They support bereaved families with empathy and openness, and often share details of their work on Instagram or TikTok. Their goal is to create deeply personal farewells that reflect the life of the deceased. If the deceased was a music lover, for example, the funeral hall might play their favourite tracks loudly.
Death and Transparency
Companies like Mymoria represent a growing trend in the funeral sector, offering digital, accessible and growth-oriented services. The Berlin-based start-up clearly resonates with the times. Since its foundation in 2015, Mymoria has taken over several funeral parlours with a total of around 40 branches and opened its own ‘funeral boutiques’.
According to co-founder Björn Wolff, their mission is to change how we deal with death through digital processes, transparent pricing and an open design philosophy. For Mymoria, transparency means clear costs and open discussions about death. Their shopfronts are deliberately unobscured – there are no heavy curtains or hiding places.
‘In recent years, a tremendous amount of energy and drive has built up in a sector that had been static for a long time.’
– Charlotte Wiedemann from “Ahorn Space” in Berlin
Bringing Death into the Heart of Life
This changing culture around death can be experienced in a unique venue at Hermannplatz in Berlin: “Ahorn Space”. Despite being backed by the Ahorn Group, Germany’s largest funeral network with over 300 branches, Ahorn Space does not offer funeral services. Instead, it seeks to bring death, dying and mourning back into the heart of society through culture.
Curated by journalist and death doula Charlotte Wiedemann and a small team of designers, the light-filled, minimalist space features plenty of wood. Events held here include readings, creative workshops and guided meditations on death. Wiedemann also runs the hugely popular social media format “Der Tod und Wir” (‘Death and Us’), which has nearly 400,000 followers. She says that a new generation is far more open and conscious about death. The demand is there; it’s just that the offerings still lag behind. “There’s so much untapped potential for design.”
Art for Grief
While rituals and objects evolve, Germany still enforces the Friedhofszwang, which is the legal requirement to bury human remains in a cemetery. However, there are signs of change. One example is “Die Eiche”, a columbarium that opened in 2024 in a former granary belonging to the Thomas Mann family in Lübeck. The result of 12 years’ work by Michael Angern and Peggy Morenz, it was designed by the architectural firm Atelier 522 and is supported by the Salvation Army.
Alongside the elegantly designed niches for urns, visitors will find reading corners and a library – spaces for reflection, comfort and contemplation. Artworks exploring death and mourning complete the visual aesthetic of the space.
Whether or not this kind of environment suits one’s taste is, of course, personal. However, what matters most is the individual wishes of the deceased and how the living choose to remember them, whether it’s terramation, biodegradable urns, or design-led columbaria. Taking a personal, sensory and thoughtful approach can help to reduce fear, break taboos and make death more tangible, ultimately helping us to grieve more deeply and heal.
About the Author
Martina Metzner is a design and architecture journalist with a focus on socio-ecological transformation. For her, good design and sustainability go hand in hand. After studying journalism, Italian philology and psychology, she worked in editorial departments for eleven years, first at TextilWirtschaft and then at Stylepark. Since 2018, she has been working as a freelancer for leading trade and consumer magazines and is head of the editorial team at the German Design Club.
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