The idea that a cemetery, funeral home, crematoriums and morgues are considered creepy or spooky is not a new concept. They have been featured prominently in pop culture as nefarious locations for villains and horror scenes. But a new wave of architecture spanning the globe is helping people connect with these sacred places and turn these spaces into usable, tranquil areas.

One such location is the Tanatorium located on the outskirts of Zaragoza, Spain.

Tanatorium was designed by award-winning architect Juan Carlos Salas, who wanted to bring a sense of security to visitors of the morgue. The building was carved out of solid stone (called stereotomic architecture) to give the building a cavernous feel and a sense of protection to visitors. A diagonal roof on the 2,110-square-foot faces the sun and creates shadows inside the building to convey a sense of the passage of time.

Salas states, “Architecture won’t help deceased people, but it helps to keep their memories alive among the living. The quality and symbolism of buildings like crematoriums and morgues are getting better every day, (Architecture, Springer).”

Other areas of the world that have embraced an update in visual esthetic include the Green Park Crematorium Extension design in New Delhi, India and the Museum of Immortality architecture piece in Mexico City, Mexico.

For more on this story by Kate Springer of CNN, click here.