BAHA'I TEMPLE FOR

SOUTH AMERICA
SANTIAGO, CHILE
BAHA'I TEMPLE FOR
SOUTH AMERICA
A temple of light expressing a faith of inclusion.
It is an architectural landmark in Chile, set within
the Andean foothills just beyond the metropolis
of Santiago. The complex- curved temple is
designed by the distinguished Canadian architect
Siamak Hariri as an invitation for spiritual
contemplation and architectural pilgrimage.

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
BAHA'I TEMPLE FOR
SOUTH AMERICA
Without ritual or clergy, without icons or images,
Bahá’í Temples are conceived to reflect an ideal
of universal worship where women, men and
children can gather together as equals. The
Bahá’ís believe in the critical role of
volunteerism (known as service) to heighten their
prayer and reflection within a House of Worship.

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.
BAHA'I TEMPLE FOR
SOUTH AMERICA

Designing a structure as complex and varied as

nature required the most advanced computer
technology. Led by Siamak Hariri, the team at
Hariri Pontarini Architects.

A temple of light open to all religions, it’s a

stunningly beautiful combination of organic and
futuristic design.

The Bahá’í faith was founded in Iran in 1863,

making it one of the world’s youngest religions.
It currently has around 6 million followers.
BAHA'I TEMPLE FOR
SOUTH AMERICA

Bahá’í arrived in South America in 1919, introduced by Martha Root, a woman from
Ohio who became one of the most prominent traveling teachers of the faith.

The temple looks as if an organic, bud-like alien spaceship landed on the hills above
Santiago. Nine monumental glass veils form its exterior, each built to different
specifications but forming a beautifully cohesive domed whole.

At sunset, the light inside the dome begins to shift from white to silver to ochre and then to
purple, giving the exterior the appearance of a glowing flower bud slowly changing colors.
And once night has fallen, you could easily be looking at something straight out of a sci-fi
movie.

The Bahá’í Temple of South America took 14 years to build and required plenty of
innovation.
SIAMAK HARIRI

Siamak Hariri is a founding Partner of Hariri

Pontarini Architects

His portfolio of nationally and internationally

recognized buildings has won over 60 awards

So in 2003, there was an open call for designs for

the Bahá'í Temple for South America. This was the
first temple in all of South America.

It had to be open, welcoming to people of all faiths,

walks of life, backgrounds, or no faith at all; a new
form of sacred space with no pattern or models to
draw from.
LIGHTING DESIGN APPROACH AND
MATERIALS OF THE STRUCTURE
An investigation into material qualities that
embody light resulted in the development of two
cladding materials: translucent marble from the
Portuguese Estremoz quarries for the interior
layer, and cast-glass panels for the exterior.

Pictured here is the process used to fabricate the

cast glass sheets for the exterior.
The final fabrication of the steel superstructure
was made possible only through advanced
fabrication techniques. The multitude of parts
was assembled in Germany into manageable
sections, and then shipped and assembled on
site in Chile.
Hand-finished interior materials such as walnut
and leather were selected to bring a warm
textural quality. Patinaed bronze for elements
such as doors, exterior soffits, and railings was
chosen as a durable complement to the interior
cladding materials.

Translucent marble panels form the interior wall

of the Temple. Flat pieces were water-jet cut from
slabs to the exact shape defined by the computer
model. Each wing of the nine-sided Temple
contains over 870 unique pieces of marble.
Alabaster is a fine-grained,massive gypsum that
has been used for centuries for statuary,
carvings, and other ornaments. It's normally is
snow-white and translucent but can be artificially
dyed; it may be made opaque and similar in
appearance to marble by heat treatment.

Borosilicate glass is a type of glass that contains

boron trioxide which allows for a very low
coefficient of thermal expansion. This means it
will not crack under extreme temperature
changes like regular glass.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE STRUCTURE
2019 AIA Institute Honors Award
2018 Faith & Form Religious Art &
Architecture Award
2017 RAIC Innovation in Architecture Award
Award for Structural Artistry in the 2017
Structural Awards competition.


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