An integrated and adaptive spatial module organized around inner courtyard for ash interment chamber in public columbaria: Insights from Nanjing

Against the backdrop of urban-rural integrated development and intensifying land-use conflicts, there is an urgent need for constructing public columbaria in China. However, these facilities currently lack effective design paradigms, while interdisciplinary and sectoral barriers impede spatial integration, resulting in fragmented spatial organization. Focusing on the core functional unit—the ash interment chamber—this study analyzes the Public Columbarium Project Series in Jiangning District, Nanjing, and proposes a spatial module centered around an inner courtyard. This module integrates natural and cultural elements while addressing multiple needs, including facility layout, spatial configuration, environmental quality, safety evacuation, and ritual processes. It establishes a coherent multi-scale relationship spanning “niche – shelf unit – building module – site". Leveraging its high integration efficiency and spatial adaptability, this approach provides an integrated design methodology for public columbaria in high-density urban-rural environments, promoting the future development of compact and vertical ash interment practices.