Crematoriums, morgues, funeral homes. These buildings, all of which are involved in rituals around death, often look as mournful as they sound.

Designed to be discreet, they are usually cold and depressing utilitarian concrete boxes, tucked far away from the land of the living.

But architects around the world have begun to embrace death, designing symbolic structures that exude beauty, peace and a sense of intrigue.

“Crematoriums and morgues, including modern architecture, have always been challenging topics for architects,” says German designer Nikolaus Hirsch, who recent helped design a museum for the dead.

“But architecture can build a bridge between the living and the dead and, to some extent, blur the boundaries.”

From a Museum of Immortality in Mexico to a poetic morgue in Spain, designers are on a mission to inject more life into architecture for the dead.

Read the full story on CNN.