The design for to the new crematorium of the city of Rennes is a supreme demonstration of elegance and restraint. The plan, based on circles and fluid routes with multiple breakways, provides an environment appropriate for private thought and intimate reflection, while simultaneously using space to induce a restorative mood. The overall effect is pitch-perfect in terms of subtlety and understatement. The author, Philippe Trétiack, an architect and a town planner, considers how this effect is achieved and the necessary quiet authority that is required and is manifest in the design.