The Santiago Baháʼí House of Worship, also known as the Santiago Baháʼí Temple, is a

Baháʼí House of Worship A Baháʼí House of Worship or Baháʼí temple is a place of worship of the Baháʼí Faith. It is also referred to by the name ''Mashriqu'l-Adhkár'', which is Arabic for "Dawning-place of the remembrance of God". All Baháʼí Houses of Wo ...

located in

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

. Designed by

Siamak Hariri Siamak Hariri, OAA, AAA, AIBC, FRAIC, RCA, Intl. Assoc. AIA (; born 1958) is a Canadian architect and a founding partner of Hariri Pontarini Architects, a full-service architectural and interior design practice based in Toronto, Canada. Born ...

, it was inaugurated in 2016 and serves as the continental temple for South America. As with all Baháʼí Houses of Worship, it is open to people of all faiths and backgrounds.

History

In 1953,

Shoghi Effendi Shoghí Effendi (; ;1896 or 1897 – 4 November 1957) was Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith from 1922 until his death in 1957. As the grandson and successor of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, he was charged with guiding the development of the Baháʼí Faith, in ...

, then head of the Baháʼí Faith, designated Chile as the site for the continental House of Worship for South America. In 2001, the

Universal House of Justice The Universal House of Justice is the nine-member supreme ruling body of the Baháʼí Faith. It was envisioned by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, as an institution that could legislate on issues not already addressed in the ...

announced that efforts should begin to construct the «Mother Temple of South America». Later, in 2002, the

National Spiritual Assembly Spiritual Assembly is a term given by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Baháʼí Faith. Because the Baháʼí Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community. In addition to existing at the local level ...

of the Baháʼís of Chile launched a design competition for the temple, to be built southeast of Santiago. The winning design was submitted by Canadian firm

Hariri Pontarini Architects Hariri Pontarini Architects is a Toronto-based architectural practice founded by Siamak Hariri and David Pontarini. Established in 1994, HPA’s first critically acclaimed project was for McKinsey & Company's Toronto headquarters, which became o ...

. Fabrication of components began in 2007. The construction phase started in November 2010, with the installation of the cast glass cladding commencing in October 2014. Construction was completed in October 2016. The temple was dedicated on October 13, 2016, and opened to the public on October 19, 2016. Fabrication of components began in 2007. The construction phase started in November 2010, with the installation of the cast glass cladding commencing in October 2014. Construction was completed in October 2016. The temple was dedicated on October 13, 2016, and doors opened to the public on October 19, 2016. According to the Baháʼí World News Service, the Santiago House of Worship had received over 40,000 visitors by December 6, 2016. On November 6, 2019, the same source reported that more 1.4 million people had visited the temple. On 2024, it was reported that that number went up to 2.5 million visitors since its opening.

Architecture

All Baháʼí Houses of Worship are circular and nine-sided. Accordingly, the Santiago temple features nine entrances, nine pathways, and nine fountains, and its structure consists of nine arching «sails». These elements have also been described as nine «petals», giving the temple a floral appearance. The «petals» are separated by panes of glass that allow natural light to illuminate the interior. The exterior of the «petals» are clad in cast glass, while the interior surfaces are lined with Portuguese

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

. The structure is supported by a

steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...

and

aluminum Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

superstructure. The temple accommodates up to 600 people and measures 30 metres in both high and diameter.

Function and use

The Baháʼí Faith teaches that a House of Worship should be a space for people of all religions to gather, reflect, and worship. As with all Baháʼí Houses of Worship, the Santiago temple is open to all, regardless of religious background, gender, or other distinctions. The sacred writings of the Baháʼí Faith, as well as those of other religions, may be read or chanted within the temple. Choirs may perform musical renditions of prayers and readings, but the use of musical instruments is not permitted inside. There is no fixed format for worship services, and ritualistic ceremonies are not allowed. Despite the availabity of these temples, most Baháʼí gatherings worldwide take place in private homes, local Baháʼí centres, or rented venues. The Santiago temple serves as the continental House of Worship for South America and was the last of the continental temples to be completed.

Awards

* International Architecture Award from the

Chicago Athenaeum The Chicago Athenaeum is a private museum of architecture and design, based in Galena, Illinois. The museum focuses on the art of design in all areas of the discipline: architecture, industrial and product design, graphics, landscape architecture ...

, 2017 * Innovation in Architecture Award from the

Royal Architectural Institute of Canada The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) is a not-for-profit, national organization that has represented architects and architecture for over 100 years, in existence since 1907. The RAIC is the leading voice for excellence in the built ...

, 2017 * Innovation Award (category: Stellar Design) from the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

, 2017 * American Architecture Prize (category: Architectural Design / Cultural Architecture), 2017 * Design Excellence Award from the

Ontario Association of Architects The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) is the regulatory body responsible for registering and licensing all architects legally entitled to practice the scope of architecture in the Province of Ontario, Canada Canada is a country in N ...

, 2018 * Award for «Best in Americas, Civil Buildings» from World Architecture News, 2018 * Structural Award from the

Institution of Structural Engineers The Institution of Structural Engineers is a British professional body for structural engineers. In 2021, it had 29,900 members operating in 112 countries. It provides professional accreditation and publishes a magazine, '' The Structural Eng ...

, 2019 * International Prize from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, 2019

References

External links