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.
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]
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