Santiago Baháʼí Temple
General information
TypeBaháʼí House of Worship
LocationSantiago, Chile
Coordinates33°28′20″S 70°30′33″W / 33.472222°S 70.509167°W / -33.472222; -70.509167
CompletedOctober 2016
Height30 metres (98 ft)
Dimensions
Diameter30 metres (98 ft)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Siamak Hariri
Other information
Seating capacity600
Website
templo.bahai.cl/en/

The Santiago Baháʼí House of Worship or Santiago Baháʼí Temple is a Baháʼí House of Worship located in Santiago, Chile that opened in 2016. It is circular and composed of nine arched "sails" made from marble and cast glass. Like all Baháʼí 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.

History

In 1953, Shoghi Effendi, then head of the Baháʼí 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 Baháʼís 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 Baháʼí 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 from 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 Baháʼí 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 Baháʼí Houses of Worship.[13] The sacred writings of the Baháʼí 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 Baháʼí gatherings in the world are held in private homes, local Baháʼí centres, or rented facilities.[14] The Santiago Baháʼí 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 Baháʼí 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

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Razmilic, Rayna (26 October 2016). "This Baháʼí Temple Took 14 Years To Build—It Was Worth the Wait". Metropolis. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Baha'is in Chile announce call for Temple designs". Baháʼí World News Service. 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". Baháʼí World News Service. 19 February 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  5. ↑ "Excavation work commences for Chile's "temple of light"". Baháʼí World News Service. 28 November 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  6. ↑ Watkins, Katie (27 January 2015). "In Progress: Baháʼí 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". Baháʼí World News Service. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  9. ↑ Badiee, Julie and the Editors. "Mashriqu'l-Adhkár". The Baháʼí Encyclopedia Project. Retrieved 14 January 2017. {{cite web}}: |first1= has generic name (help)
  10. 1 2 Díaz, Francisco (12 January 2017). "In the Heights: The Baháʼí Temple of South America, Peñalolén, Santiago, Chile". Canadian Architect. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  11. 1 2 "Baháʼí Temple of South America". Architecture MasterPrize. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  12. 1 2 "RAIC names recipient of the Innovation in Architecture Award". Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. 4 April 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Rafati, V.; Sahba, F. (1996). "BAHAISM ix. Bahai Temples". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopaedia Iranica. Vol. 3 (Online ed.). New York. pp. 465–467. Retrieved 24 December 2016.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  14. ↑ Momen, M. (1997). "The Baháʼí Community". A Short Introduction to the Baháʼí Faith. Oxford, UK: One World Publications. ISBN 1-85168-209-0.
  15. 1 2 "South America Temple bridges two eras". Baháʼí World News Service. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  16. ↑ "Temple for South America awakens sense of the sacred". Baháʼí 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". Baháʼí 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. ↑ "Baháʼí Temple of South America". Hariri Pontarini Architects. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  22. ↑ "Baháʼí 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.
  24. ↑ Bozikovic, Alex (25 October 2019). "Global $100,000 prize in architecture goes to Toronto's Hariri Pontarini Architects". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
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