Santiago Bahá'í Temple

The Santiago Bahá'í House of Worship or Santiago Bahá'í Temple is a Bahá'í House of Worship located in Santiago, Chile and opened in 2016. It is circular and composed of nine arched "sails" made from marble and cast glass. Like all Bahá'í Houses of Worship, it is open to all regardless of religion or any other distinction. The temple was designed by Canadian architect Siamak Hariri and has won several awards from Canadian and international architecture organizations.

Santiago Bahá'í Temple
General information
TypeBahá'í House of Worship
LocationSantiago, Chile
Coordinates33.4722°S 70.5092°W / -33.4722; -70.5092
CompletedOctober 2016
Height30 metres (98 ft)
Dimensions
Diameter30 metres (98 ft)
Design and construction
ArchitectSiamak Hariri
Other information
Seating capacity600
Website
templo.bahai.cl/en/

History

In 1953, Shoghi Effendi, then head of the Bahá'í Faith, decided that a continental House of Worship for South America would be built in Chile.[1] In 2001, the Universal House of Justice said efforts should begin to construct the "Mother Temple of South America."[2] Then, in late 2002, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Chile announced a competition for the design of the temple, to be built southeast of Santiago.[2] The chosen design was by Siamak Hariri of Hariri Pontarini Architects in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[3]

Fabrication of components began in 2007.[4] The construction phase started in November 2010,[5] construction of the cast glass cladding commenced in October 2014,[6] and construction was completed in October 2016.[7] The temple was dedicated on October 13, 2016[8] and doors opened to the public on October 19, 2016.[1]

Architecture
.

All Bahá'í Houses of Worship are circular and nine-sided.[9] Accordingly, the Santiago temple is ringed by nine entrances, nine pathways, and nine fountains, and the structure is composed of nine arching "sails."[1] These have also been described as nine "petals" and the temple's shape as "floral"; the "petals" are separated by glass which allows light to illuminate the temple's interior.[10] The exterior of the "petals" is made from cast glass while the interior is made form Portuguese marble.[11] The sides of the temple are held up on the inside by a steel and aluminum superstructure.[1] The temple can seat 600 people[12] and it is 30 metres high and 30 metres in diameter.[10]

Purpose

The Bahá'í Faith teaches that a House of Worship should be a space for people of all religions to gather, reflect, and worship.[13] Anyone may enter the temple irrespective of religious background, sex, or other distinctions, as is the case with all Bahá'í Houses of Worship.[13] The sacred writings of the Bahá'í Faith as well as other religions can be read and/or chanted inside.[13] Musical renditions of readings and prayers can be sung by choirs, but no musical instruments can be played inside.[13] There is no set pattern for worship services, and ritualistic ceremonies are not permitted.[13] Despite these functions, most Bahá'í gatherings in the world are held in private homes, local Bahá'í centres, or rented facilities.[14] The Santiago Bahá'í House of Worship serves as the continental House of Worship for South America and it was the last continental House of Worship to be completed.[15]

Visitors

According to the Bahá’í World News Service, the Santiago House of Worship had received over 40,000 visitors by December 6, 2016.[16] On November 6, 2019, the same organization reported that over 1.4 million people had visited the temple.[17]

Awards

See also
  • Bahá'í House of Worship
  • Lotus Temple
  • Chicago Bahá'í House of Worship
  • Sydney Bahá'í House of Worship
  • Bahá'í teachings
  • Prayer in the Bahá'í Faith
  • Bahá'í Faith in South America
  • Bahá'í Faith in Chile
  • Tourism in Chile
  • Religion in Chile

References
  1. Razmilic, Rayna (26 October 2016). "This Bahá'í Temple Took 14 Years To Build—It Was Worth the Wait". Metropolis. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  2. "Baha'is in Chile announce call for Temple designs". 12 September 2002. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  3. Scott, Alec (13 July 2006). "Higher Power: Toronto architect Siamak Hariri ascends to architectural greatness". CBC. Archived from the original on 2 December 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  4. "Fabrication begins on components for Baha'i temple in South America". Bahá’í World News Service. 19 February 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  5. "Excavation work commences for Chile's "temple of light"". Bahá’í World News Service. 28 November 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  6. Watkins, Katie (27 January 2015). "In Progress: Bahá'í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects". Arch Daily. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  7. "Baha'i Temple of South America". Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. Archived from the original on 18 July 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  8. "Temple hailed as a transcendental 'gift' to Chile and the continent". Bahá’í World News Service. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  9. Badiee, Julie and the Editors. "Mashriqu'l-Adhkár". The Bahá'í Encyclopedia Project. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  10. Díaz, Francisco (12 January 2017). "In the Heights: The Bahá'í Temple of South America, Peñalolén, Santiago, Chile". Canadian Architect. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  11. "Bahá'í Temple of South America". Architecture MasterPrize. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  12. "RAIC names recipient of the Innovation in Architecture Award". Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  13. Rafati, V.; Sahba, F. (1996). "BAHAISM ix. Bahai Temples". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopaedia Iranica. 3 (Online ed.). New York. pp. 465–467. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  14. Momen, M. (1997). "The Bahá'í Community". A Short Introduction to the Bahá'í Faith. Oxford, UK: One World Publications. ISBN 1-85168-209-0.
  15. "South America Temple bridges two eras". Bahá’í World News Service. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  16. "Temple for South America awakens sense of the sacred". Bahá’í World News Service. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  17. ""The hand of the community crafted the outcome": Baha'i House of Worship receives prestigious international prize". Bahá’í World News Service. 6 November 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  18. "International Architecture Awards 2017". The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design. 18 August 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  19. "AIA Innovation Award recipients selected". American Institute of Architects. 30 October 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  20. "Winners of 2018 Ontario Association of Architects Awards Revealed". Ontario Association of Architects. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  21. "Bahá'í Temple of South America". Hariri Pontarini Architects. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  22. "Bahá'í Temple of South America". The Institution of Structural Engineers. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  23. "Hariri Pontarini Architects Wins 2019 RAIC International $100,000 (CAD) Prize for Excellence in Architecture". Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
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