Alison Killing: There’s a better way to die, and architecture can help

譯者: Yamei Huang 審譯者: Ashley Chang

I'd like to tell you a story about death and architecture.

我想和各位講一個 關於死亡和跟建築風格的故事。

A hundred years ago, we tended to die of infectious diseases like pneumonia,

一百年前， 人們多死於傳染性疾病，如肺炎

that, if they took hold, would take us away quite quickly.

一旦病情蔓延， 很快就會奪走我們的生命。

We tended to die at home, in our own beds, looked after by family,

我們往往選擇死在家裡， 臨終前，在自己的床上，受家人照顧，

although that was the default option

雖然這是內定好的選擇

because a lot of people lacked access to medical care.

因為很多人缺乏醫療照護。

And then in the 20th century a lot of things changed.

接著到了二十世紀，一切大不同。

We developed new medicines like penicillin

研發出新的藥物像是盤尼西林

so we could treat those infectious diseases.

所以我們可以治療傳染性疾病。

New medical technologies like x-ray machines were invented.

新的醫療科技， 像是 X 光機也在這時出現。

And because they were so big and expensive,

這些器材龐大且昂貴，

we needed large, centralized buildings to keep them in,

需要放置在寬敞集中的場所，

and they became our modern hospitals.

這些地方漸漸形成現代的醫院。

After the Second World War,

第二次世界大戰之後，

a lot of countries set up universal healthcare systems

許多國家建立全民醫療照護系統

so that everyone who needed treatment could get it.

任何有需要的人都能接受治療。

The result was that lifespans extended from about 45 at the start of the century

結果人們的壽命 在這個世紀初以來

to almost double that today.

人們的壽命從 45 歲 到現在幾乎增加了兩倍。

The 20th century was this time of huge optimism about what science could offer,

二十世是科學發展最為樂觀的時代，

but with all of the focus on life, death was forgotten,

人們一直關注壽命議題， 卻忽略死亡的議題，

even as our approach to death changed dramatically.

甚至死亡的方法也有戲劇性的改變。

Now, I'm an architect,

既然，我是個建築師，

and for the past year and a half I've been looking at these changes

過去一年半來我關注這些改變

and at what they mean for architecture related to death and dying.

以及這些變化 對建築與死亡關連的意義。

We now tend to die of cancer and heart disease,

現代人大多死於癌症或是心臟疾病，

and what that means is that many of us will have a long period of chronic illness

也就是說， 大部分的人臨終前

at the end of our lives.

會長時間面臨慢性疾病。

During that period,

在這段期間，

we'll likely spend a lot of time in hospitals and hospices and care homes.

我們大部份的時間在醫院裡、 安養院、居家照顧中心。

Now, we've all been in a modern hospital.

我們去過現代化的醫院。

You know those fluorescent lights and the endless corridors

你知道那些日光燈和沒有盡頭的長廊

and those rows of uncomfortable chairs.

以及一排排坐起來不舒服的椅子。

Hospital architecture has earned its bad reputation.

醫院建築已擁有壞名聲。

But the surprising thing is, it wasn't always like this.

但令人訝異的是 不是所有的醫院皆是如此。

This is L'Ospedale degli Innocenti, built in 1419 by Brunelleschi,

這是 1419 年由布魯內勒斯基 所建造的孤兒院，

who was one of the most famous and influential architects of his time.

他是當時最有名， 最有影響力的建築師之一。

And when I look at this building and then think about hospitals today,

當我看著這棟建築物 再想想現在的醫院建築，

what amazes me is this building's ambition.

令我驚訝的是 這棟建築物的偉大目標。

It's just a really great building.

真是一座偉大的建築物。

It has these courtyards in the middle

中間有個庭院

so that all of the rooms have daylight and fresh air,

所以每個房間 都有陽光和新鮮空氣，

and the rooms are big and they have high ceilings,

房間很大，有很高的天花板，

so they just feel more comfortable to be in.

住在裡面感到更加舒服。

And it's also beautiful.

這建築物也很美。

Somehow, we've forgotten that that's even possible for a hospital.

不知怎麼地， 我們忘了這是一家醫院。

Now, if we want better buildings for dying, then we have to talk about it,

如果我們要死在比較好的地方， 那我們要來討論一下，

but because we find the subject of death uncomfortable,

因為我們發現死亡這個議題 讓人感到不舒服，

we don't talk about it,

我們就逃避不想談，

and we don't question how we as a society approach death.

作為社會一份子 不去問死亡的方式。

One of the things that surprised me most in my research, though,

在我的研究中， 最令我感到驚奇的一件事是

is how changeable attitudes actually are.

多變的態度實際上是如何變化的。

This is the first crematorium in the U.K.,

這是英國第一座火葬場，

which was built in Woking in the 1870s.

於 1870 年建造於英國沃金。

And when this was first built, there were protests in the local village.

在建造完成之初， 當地居民提出抗議。

Cremation wasn't socially acceptable, and 99.8 percent of people got buried.

火葬不為當時的社會所接受， 有 99.8% 的人選擇土葬。

And yet, only a hundred years later, three quarters of us get cremated.

100 年後的今天， 有四分之三的人選擇火葬。

People are actually really open to changing things

事實上， 人們是以開放的心態面對改變

if they're given the chance to talk about them.

只要有機會去談論相關議題。

So this conversation about death and architecture

所以我以死亡和建築的對談

was what I wanted to start when I did my first exhibition on it

作為起點， 六月我在威尼斯

in Venice in June, which was called "Death in Venice."

舉辦我的第一場展覽， 稱為「魂斷威尼斯」

It was designed to be quite playful

這展覽設計得相當活潑

so that people would literally engage with it.

所以人們可以真正融入其中。

This is one of our exhibits, which is an interactive map of London

這是我們其中之一的展覽， 是一個互動式的倫敦地圖

that shows just how much of the real estate in the city

顯示倫敦市裡留給死人及垂死之人

is given over to death and dying,

地產的數量。

and as you wave your hand across the map,

當你的手滑過地圖，

the name of that piece of real estate, the building or cemetery, is revealed.

就可以看到地產，建築物及公墓的名稱。

Another of our exhibits was a series of postcards

另一個展覽品 是一系列的明信片

that people could take away with them.

可以免費自行拿取。

And they showed people's homes and hospitals

還顯示房子和醫院

and cemeteries and mortuaries,

公墓和太平間的位置，

and they tell the story of the different spaces

他們也講述不同空間，

that we pass through on either side of death.

穿越時空到死亡的故事。

We wanted to show that where we die

我們要展示的是 人們在哪裡死亡

is a key part of how we die.

是我們如何死亡的核心部分。

Now, the strangest thing was the way that visitors reacted to the exhibition,

最奇怪的事情是 參觀者反應的方式，

especially the audio-visual works.

特別是視聽教學產品。

We had people dancing and running and jumping

我們讓參觀者跳舞、奔跑和跳躍，

as they tried to activate the exhibits in different ways,

有如試著以不同方式 與展出的產品互動，

and at a certain point they would kind of stop

在特定的時點上 參觀者會停止

and remember that they were in an exhibition about death,

記住他們是在參觀 一場有關死亡的展覽，

and that maybe that's not how you're supposed to act.

或許這不是你應該去做事。

But actually, I would question whether there is one way

事實上，我有個問題， 是否有一種方式

that you're supposed to act around death,

在死亡這個議題上， 有你應該去做的事，

and if there's not, I'd ask you to think about what you think a good death is,

若沒有，我要求你去想關於 什麼是好的死亡，

and what you think that architecture that supports a good death might be like,

以及你想到的 好的死亡場所的建築物是什麼樣子，

and mightn't it be a little less like this and a little more like this?

可能不是很少像是這樣， 多一點像這個樣子？

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）