Bahá’í House of Worship for South America
Hariri Pontarini Architects / Siamak Hariri · Santiago, Chile · 2016
The South American Bahá’í Temple is formed by nine translucent wing-like shells arranged around a luminous central worship space. Hariri Pontarini developed the enclosure as layered cast glass and marble surfaces over a complex steel structure, allowing the building to glow differently throughout the day. Set at the foot of the Andes above Santiago, the temple uses landscape, filtered light and radial geometry to create a non-hierarchical interior focused on contemplation rather than conventional religious iconography.