An Analysis Of The Lotus Temple

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Maggie Hildebrand Mr Brooks Art 10 14/05/2014 Bahá’í House of Worship (Lotus Temple), Delhi, India The Lotus Temple is located in Delhi, India, and serves as a major tourist attraction for the city, in fact it maintains the world record for most visited place of worship. When you take a look at this building it’s not difficult to see why. All Baha’i Houses of Worship share certain similar aspects as defined in their scripture, usually a nine sided circular shape, however the distinct lotus shape composed of the 27 marble petals made with Greek imported marble makes this temple stand above the rest (sahbaarchitect). Fariborz Sahba, the architect of this unique building won many awards and received much praise after its completion in 1986. Many elements of this design followed the designated scripture that all Baha’i houses of worship follow, a nonagon composition, and one large undivided room featuring no alters and no pictures. The building itself is composed to reflect cultural and social aspects of the location it was built, and since this building is located in India, the use of the lotus flower, a flower that represents peace and unity, was an ideal symbol to get across the message of the Bahá’í Faith. The use of space and light is extremely evident in this building, the one large room can hold over 2500 people, and is designed so that people of every religion can come and worship their god(s) while not being influenced by more traditional religious style buildings. The central hall is 40m tall and is often illuminated by natural light during the day, giving it a peaceful mood The (Jewel in the Lotus). Many design principles are also featured, specifically the use of pattern and balan... ... middle of paper ... ...r different names (Architectural Blossoming of the Lotus). Equality and balance is a key design aspect and is shown throughout the composition of the building and also continues as a key aspect of the Bahá’í belief, indicates we are all balanced people who are equal regardless of race or any other factors. The form of this building created a large space that makes this form truly functional for its purpose, allowing massive amounts of visitors and worshippers while simultaneously being a visual masterpiece. On certain religious occasions there have been more than 150 000 visitors to this amazing building. The Lotus Temple has received seven architecture based awards and the architect has been acknowledged on several occasions for his outstanding design, which is why I consider the lotus temple to be one of the most incredible structures built to this day.

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