BAHA I TEMPLE

1. CASE STUDY ON
BAHA I TEMPLE
DONE BY –
TANYA
AJOY
SHRISTI

2. BAHA I TEMPLE
LOCATION : PANALOLEN, SANTIAGO, CHILE
ARCHITECT : HARIRI PONTARINI ARCHITECTS
At the heart of this building there is a belief and an aspiration: that even
now, in the fractured 21st century, we can respond to a human yearning
to come together, to connect to one another, and to something that
moves the spirit, […] The arced lines of the supple wooden benches
invite people to come together, not as part of a congregation, but to
congregate; to sit next to one another in quiet contemplation, sharing in
the communal act of being. It was commissioned by the Bahá‘í House
of Justice and is the eighth and final continental temple for the Bahá‘í
Faith. But, central to its brief and its design is that it be a place of
welcome, community, and meaning for everyone. -- Hariri Pontarini
Architects

3. Sacred Architecture
Sacred architecture is found throughout every culture and religion. It is an inevitable result of the human longing for divinity
and immortality. Usually the buildings are built in such a way that it is perceived to connect the society and individual to the
divine. Furthermore, they are constructed of materials that have a long lasting capabilities as well as a connection with
celestial alignments. However, celestial alignments change depending on the intended function with each faith, installation,
or congregation.
Bahá'í architecture successfully
incorporates spiritual, artistic, and cultural
influences within its eight Houses of
Worship around the world. In accordance
with principles of the Bahá'í Faith, the
edifices attempt to create an atmosphere
where people of all beliefs, cultures, and
traditions can come to pray, meditate, or
simply enjoy the tranquility and artistry.
Bahá'í architecture is very different from
the sacred architecture of any other era,
because its goals are to unify the people of
many different races, backgrounds, and
religions into one central area where
peaceful and harmonious thoughts prevail.

4. CONCEPT
In 2003 the Baha I international communities embarked on a journey to
realize the eighth and final continental temple in Santiago, Chile.
The design brief was deceptively simple; a nine-sided, one-room
structure welcoming people from all sides.
The architectural challenge was considerably more complex; to create a
sacred structure for prayer, designed to serve the needs of humanity,
bringing together science and religion, worship and service, and
antiquity and timelessness with modernity.
The temple needed to express the fundamental Baha I concept of the
oneness of spiritual truth, the oneness of religion, the oneness of
religion, the oneness of humanity.
Absent of clergy, pulpits, and iconography, the space would invite
worship without intermediaries, or idols.
A new expression of worship looking for a new expression in form.

5. FEATURES :
Surrounded by reflecting pools and a landscape of native grasses,
the Bahá’í Temple of South America is a domed, luminous
structure that echoes the rolling topography of the Andes while
appearing to oat some 30 metres above the earth. Its nine
monumental glass veils frame an open and accessible worship
space where up to 600 visitors can be accommodated on curved
walnut and leather seating. Looking up to the central oculus at the
apex of the dome, visitors will experience a mesmerizing transfer
of light from the exterior of cast glass to an interior of translucent
Portuguese marble. At sunset, the light captured within the dome
shifts from white to silver to ochre and purple.
Openness and transparency are fundamental to both the
structure and its site. The bahá’í house of worship can be
accessed by nine entrances located at regular intervals around
the domed structure, while curving paths lead visitors on walking
meditations through the sloped landscape.
One of the first development s towards constructability was
the division of each wing, originally sculpted in maya.
Aesthetically the final joining pattern was designed to achieve
a proportional harmony at various scale.