One of the most splendid structure of Delhi, The Lotus Temple is a Bahá'í House of Worship and known for its flower shape and pools.

1. LOTUS TEMPLE

2. ARCHITECT – MR. FARIBURZ SAHBA
CONCEPT - TO BRING OUT PURITY, SIMPLICITY
AND FRESHNESS OF BAHA’I FAITH,
THE FORM WAS CONCEIVED AS A
LOTUS.
CONTRACTORS – ECC CONSTRUCTION GROUP OF
LARSEN AND TOUBRO LIMITED
CONSULTANTS – FLINTH AND NEILL PARTNERSHIP
OF LONDON
9 POOLS AROUND THE TEMPLE REPRESENT FLOATING LEAVES. APART FROM SERVING
AN OBVIOUS AESTHETIC FUNCTION, THE POOLS ALSO HELP IN VENTILATION
WALKWAYS AROUND THE TEMPLE

3. LAYOUT OF THE TEMPLE
1) EXISTING KALKAJI TEMPLE
2) ROAD TO NEHRU PLACE
3) ENTRANCE
4) STEPS 7) PODIUM
5) BRIDGES 8) TEMPLE
6) POOLS 9) TOILET BLOCK
THE TEMPLE COMPLEX CONSISTS OF THE MAIN HOUSE OF WORSHIP, THE ANCILLARY BLOCK,
WHICH HOUSES THE RECEPTION CENTRE, THE LIBRARY AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING
AS WELL AS TOILET.THE TEMPLE BASEMENT ACCOMODATES THE ELECTRICAL AND PLUMBING
SERVICES.

4. MASSIVE ARCHES BELOW THE ENTRANCE
AND THE OUTER LEAVES
ROW OF STEPS LEADING TO THE MAIN
HALL THROUGH EACH ARCH
TOP VIEW OF INNER LEAVES
AND ARCHES
 THERE ARE 3 SETS OF PETALS OF THIN CONCRETE
SHELLS.
 OUTERMOST SET OF 9 PETALS - “ENTRANCE LEAVES”
OPEN OUTWARDS, FORM 9 ENTRANCES AROUND
THE CENTRAL HALL.
 THE NEXT SET OF 9 PETALS – “OUTER LEAVES”
 THE THIRD SET OF 9 PETALS – “INNER LEAVES”
THIS PORTION WHICH RISES ABOVE THE REST ,
FORMS THE MAIN STRUCTURE HOUSING THE
CENTRAL HALL.
ENTRANCE LEAVES

5. SECTION THROUGH ENTRANCE LEAF
AND INTERIOR DOME
1) ENTRANCE LEAF
2) OUTER LEAF
3) INTERIOR DOME SHELL
4) ARCH
5) INTERIOR DOME RIB
6) CENTRAL HUB
7) STEPS TO CENTRAL HALL
CUSP OF OUTER SHELL
GLAZING
6
7
INNER LEAF
OUTER LEAF
ENTRANCE LEAF
LEAF SHAPED POOLS

6. SECTION THROUGH INNER AND OUTER LEAVES
1) PODIUM LEVEL 12) MAIN ARCHES
2) POOL DECK LVL 13) STEPS LEADING
3) POOL TO ASSEMBLY AREA
4) BRIDGE 14) STEPS LEADING
5) INNER LEAF TO POOL DECK
6) INTERIOR DOME
7) OUTER LEAF
8) GLAZING
9) DOME RIBS
10) CROWN OF DOME
11) ENTRANCE LEAF
BRIDGE
POOL
POOL DECK
GLAZING
ENTRANCE
LEAF
12

7. 1) RIDGE OR CUSP OF OUTER LEAF
2) EDGE LINE OF SHELL
3) GLAZING
4) OUTER LEAF
5) ENTRANCE LEAF
6) PODIUM LVLENTRANCE LEAF
SHELL SPANS – 18.2m
HT OF SHELL – 7.8m
THICKNESS – 135mm TOWARDS THE BOTTOM
- 255mm TOWARDS THE TIP
OUTER LEAF
SHELL SPANS – 15.4m
HT OF SHELL - 22.5m
THICKNESS - 135mm TOWARDS THE BOTTOM
- 255mm TOWARDS THE TIP
INNER LEAF
SHELL SPANS – 14m
HT OF SHELL - 34.3 m
THICKNESS - 200mm UNIFORMLY
ENTRANCE LEAF WITH A
THICKNESS OF 255mm
ON THE TIP

8. SECTION SHOWING INTERIOR DOME AND ARCHES
THE ARCH - ALL AROUND THE CENTRAL HALL THERE ARE 9 SPLENDED ARCHES PLACED AT AN ANGULAR
INTERVAL OF 40°, BEAR ALMOST THE ENTIRE LOAD OF THE SUPERSTRUCTURE.
THE DOME – FROM THE CROWN OF EACH ARCH SPRING 3 RIBS. WHILE THE CENRAL ONE RISES RADIALLY
TOWARDS THE CENTRAL HUB, THE OTHER TWO MOVE AWAY FROM THE CENTRAL RIB AND
INTERSECTING WITH SIMILAR BASE RIBS OF THE ADJACENT ARCH. FROM EACH OF THESE
INTERSECTION RISES ANOTHER RADIAL RIB, ALL OF WHICH MEET AT CENTRE OF THE DOME.
3 RIBS SPRINGING
FROM EACH ARCH

9. SETTING OUT
FOR EACH ARCH, 18 RADIAL LINES FROM THE CENTRE
OF THE BUILDING WERE FIRST ESTABLISHED. ALONG
THESE LINES, USING INCLINED AND VERTICAL
DISTANCES, PT A & B FOR SURFACE 1 WAS
ESTABLISHED. BY USING A SET OF CURVED
TEMPLATES, EACH OF VARYING CURVATURE,
SURFACE ONE B/W THESE LINES WAS DEVELOPED.
FROM THIS SURFACE THE OTHER SURFACE OF THE
ARCH WERE SET OUT USING STEPPED TEMPLATES
WITH RESPECT TO SURFACE ONE.

10. SEQUENCE OF CONSTRUCTION
THE BASEMENT AND INNER PODIUM WAS CONSTRUCTED FIRST. THE STRUCTURE WAS DIVIDED
INTO CONVENIENT PARTS AS FOLLOWS:-
1) ARCH – ALL 9 ARCHES WERE CAST ONE AFTER OTHER, IN TWO LIFTS, TILL THE CIRCLE WAS COMPLETED.
THE DE-SHUTTERING OF SOFFIT OF EACH ARCH WAS TAKEN UP AFTER THE ADJACENT ARCHES HAD
ATTAINED SPECIFIED STRENGTH.
2) INNER BEAM, RADIAL BEAMS, CENTRAL HUB –
AFTER COMPLETION OF ALL THE ARCHES THE STRUCTURAL STEEL
STAGING FOR THE INNER LEAF WAS ERECTED. THREE SHELLS 120º
APART, WERE TAKEN UP AT A TIME AND CAST IN TWO LIFTS, ONE
AFTER THE OTHER TILL THE RADIAL BEAM LVL.. THE PROCESS WAS
REPEATED TILL ALL 9 SEGMENTS WERE CAST.
CASTING OF THE CENTRAL HUB WAS TAKEN UPAS AN
INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY. AFTER ALL THE SHELLS WERE CAST ,
AND WERE CONNECTED TO THE HUB BY CASTING RADIAL BEAMS.
3) INTERIOR DOME – AFTER DEWEDGING OF INNER LEAF, THE STEEL
STAGING WAS MODIFIED AND TWO FOLDS OF SHELLS OF INTERIOR
DOME TAKEN UP ONE AFTER THE OTHER. FOR EACH FOLD, 3 SHELLS
120º APART, WERE TAKEN UP AT A TIME AND CAST ONE AFTER THE
OTHER. FOR EACH SHELL THE BOUNDARY RIBS WERE TAKEN UP FIRST
AND THEN THE SHELLS CAST IN ONE SINGLE LIFT.
4) ENTRANCE AND OUTER LEAVES – CONSTRUCTION OF ENTRANCE AND OUTER LEAVES WERE TAKEN UP
AS A PARALLEL ACTIVITY WITH THE CASTING OF INNER LEAVES AND INTERIOR DOME. TWO ENTRANCE LEAVES
AND ONE INTERMEDIATE OUTER LEAF WERE TAKEN UP FIRST. THEREAFTER THE OUTER AND THE ENTRANCE
LEAVES CAST ALTERNATELY, THE OUTER LEAF FIRST AND THEN THE ADJACENT ENTRANCE LEAVES.
SEQUENCE OF CONSTRUCTION

11. STAGING AND FORMWORK –
DEFLECTION WAS AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION IN THE DESIGN OF
FORMWORK.
- K .THE MAX. DEFLECTION WAS LIMITED TO 3mm OVER A DISTANCE OF 1M
(INCLUDING ERRORS IN FABRICATION AND ERRECTION)
FOLLOWING ASPECTS WERE CONSIDERED -
THE CONCRETE OF THE SHELL SHOULD BE TAKEN UP 3 AT A TIME, 120º
APART, SO THAT THE LATERAL LOADS ON THE STAGING SUPPORTING THE
FORMWORK WERE REDUCED.
CONSTRUCTION JOINTS WERE, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, WERE AVOIDED SO
THAT THE EXPOSED CONCRETE DID NOT SHOW ANY LINES. FOR THE INNER
LEAF, CONSTRUCTION JOINTS WERE TO BE LOCATED ABOVE 24.8m LVL.
THE STAGING SHOULD SUPPORT THE RADIAL AND THE BASE RIBS WITHOUT
INTERFERENCE WITH THE STRUCTURAL STEEL MEMBERS. AFTER
DESHUTTERING OF INNER LEAF, STRUCTURE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SUPPORT
THE FORMWORK OF INNER LAYERS OF SHELL OF INNER DOME.
AFTER THE FORMWORK WAS APPROVED THE SHEATHING JOINTS WERE
SEALED WITH PUTTY MADE OF EPOXY RESIN, PLASTER OF PARIS AND A
PROTECTIVE COATING APPLIED OVER THE PLYWOOD SURFACE.
SECTIONAL PLAN
CROSS SECTION
1) CUSP FRAME
2) RE-ENTRANT FRAME
3) INNER LEAF SHELL
4) INTERIOR DOME RIBS
5) RADIAL BEAMS
1) STRUCTURAL STEEL PURLIN
2) 100X100mm TIMBER JOISTS
3) SHUTTER FRAME
4) ANGLE CLEAT
5) 12mm PLYWOODFORMWORK DETAIL

12. DETAILS OF FORMWORK
IN INNER LEAF
DETAILS OF SHAPED MEMBERS
AND BACK FORM
DETAIL OF THROUGH SUPPORT
1) INNER STEEL STAGING
2) INNER FORM
3) OUTER FORM
4) OUTER STEEL STAGING
5) WORKING PLATFORM
6) CONCRETE SHELL
7) 10mm THICK RUBBER WASHER
8) 40mm DIA PIPE
9) 60mm DIA PVC SLEEVE
10) SHAPED MEMBER
11) BACK FORM PANEL
12) LONGITUDINAL MEMBER
13) WEDGES

13. MARBLE CLADDING –
THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE SHELLS AND ALSO THE INNER SURFACE OF
THE ARCHES ARE CLADDED WITH WHITE MARBLE PANELS FIXED TO
CONCRETE SURFACE WITH SPECIALLY DESIGNED STAINLESS STEEL
BRACKETS AND ANCHORS.
MARBLE WAS CUT TO THE REQUIRED SIZE AND SHAPE TO SUIT THE
GEOMETRY AND ARCHITECTURAL PATTERN.
FOR EACH MARBLE PANEL EDGE HOLES WERE DRILLED AT GROUND LVL.
BEFORE THE PANELS WERE PLACED IN POSITION.
THE HOLES IN CONCRETE TO ACCOMMODATE THE ANCHOR FASTENERS
OF THE STAINLESS STELL BRACKETS WERE DRILLED TO SUIT THE HOLES IN
THE MARBLE, AFTER EACH PANEL WAS ALLIGNED.
AFTER FIXING OF THE BRACKETS THE AREA AROUND THE BRACKET HOLE
WAS SEALED WITH SPECIAL WATER PROOF COMPOUND.
GAPS 8 TO 10mm WIDE, AT THE JOINTS WERE FILLED WITH MOULDED
RUBBER CORDON AND THE TOP OF THE JOINTS AS ALSO THE HOLES IN THE
MARBLE, SEALED WITH SILICON SEALANT. THE ENTIRE MARBLE SURFACE
WAS FINALLY WASHED WITH MURIARTIC ACID, 30% SOLUTION IN WATER, TO
REMOVE DIRT AND STAIN. MARBLE FIXING DETAILS
1) S.S. BRACKETS
2) S.S. ANCHOR FASTENERS
3) WATER PROOF RESIN
4) MARBLE PANEL
5) MOULDED RUBBER CORDON
WITH SILICON SEALANT
6) SILICON SEALANT
7) 8 TO 10mm JOINT B/W PANELS
8) CONCRETE SHELL
9) CURVED SURFACE