Bahá’í World/Volume 24/Mount Carmel Projects

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[Page 55]

MOUNT CARMEL PROJECTS: Progress 1995-96

The momentous building projects on Mount Carmel continued to gather momentum between Riḍván 1995 and Ridván 1996. One of the most significant achievements of this period was the fulfillment of a major goal of the Three Year Plan-initiation of all seven phases of construction of the buildings on the Arc and the terraces above and below the Shrine of the Báb. At the conclusion of this fruitful time, the Universal House of Justice wrote to the Bahá’ís of the world that "The magnificent progress of the projects on Mount Carmel is pre-eminent among the measurable achievements of this period. Indeed, despite numerous difficulties, the stage of accomplishment anticipated in our message announcing the Three Year Plan is entirely evident."

There was intense activity throughout the year on the building of the Centre for the Study of the Texts. The concreting operation on this building reached a record pour of 1,000 cubic meters in a single month, enabling the structure to rise speedily. Its entrance portico was cast and bases prepared for eight Ionic marble columns to stand in a semi-circle in the facade of the building. With the major part of the structure complete, a contract was [Page 56]Installation of drywall partitions and air conditioning ducts inside the Centre for the Study of the Texts in February 1996 signalled the beginning of interior finishing work.

The almost completed structure of the Centre for the Study of the Texts is defined by its semicircular entrance portico.

signed with a Canadian company for the erection of gypsum drywall partitions, precast gypsum moulded ceilings and suspended tiled ceilings. Soon defined spaces within the building took shape as drywall partitions went up. Installation of the mechanical services also commenced. In late November 1995 a special meeting was arranged in Italy for the inspection and approval of the marble columns, during which all the contractors involved met with the project manager to chalk out various strategies for the installation of the marble before the entire consignment of marble columns arrived on site in April 1996. In the meantime, masonry work inside the north patio of the Centre for the Study of the Texts began with the arrival of Turkish masons and the delivery of 800 square meters of local stone.

Work commenced on the installation of the roof on the four-story underground extension to the existing International Bahá’í Archives building. By the end of the year it was waterproofed, and concrete screed and polystyrene panels were applied to protect the waterproofing and drainage gravel, preparing the roof for the addition of topsoil. The most important component of the [Page 57]

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Archives extension is a strong room which will house the sacred texts and relics of the Bahá’í Faith. The walls of this structure within a structure were waterproofed externally as well as internally for double reinforcement. A massive vault door has been put in place to provide security.

A sixty-meter-long, ten-meter-wide, five-meter-high tunnel was constructed to provide access from Crusader Road to the parking building, an ancillary structure between the Centre for the Study of the Texts and the Archives extension. Because of its dimensions, the roof of this tunnel was cast in fifteen sections, each four meters apart. A special steel form was prepared in the shape of the roof to assist in the concreting operations.

Steady progress was made on the construction of the International Teaching Centre, a large and complex building situated in close proximity to the Seat of the Universal House of Justice. While construction work progressed on two levels of the building, a ramp which had earlier been constructed to provide access for construction materials to the site was removed. The ramp had occupied almost 25 percent of the building areas and its removal

Project manager Fariborz Sahba inspects columns in the marble factory in Italy, November 1995. Also pictured are Mr. Hedayat of the National Spiritual Assembly of Italy and Mr. Hoffmann, General Manager of Henraux s.p.a.

By March 1996 the structure of the International Teaching Centre had reached its second level. [Page 58]enabled the extension of the foundations of the Teaching Centre right up to the retaining wall. About 10,000 cubic meters of earth were excavated and relocated, which also allowed the installation of the remaining three rows of rock anchors in the micropile retaining wall to provide complete support. Thirty-nine micropiles, varying in length from five to seven meters, were poured, bringing the loads of the sloping foundations of the building to a greater depth, and thereby enhancing the stability of these foundations.

More than 45 years ago Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, wrote to the Bahá’ís in the East sharing ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s vision of a monumental pathway leading from the foot of Mount Carmel to the Shrine of the Báb and reaching beyond to the crest of the mountain. The preliminary outline of nine terraces as an approach to the Shrine from the central avenue of the former German Templer Colony was completed by the Guardian himself in pursuance of this vision. As he wrote, “This beautiful and majestic path which extends from the Shrine of the Báb to the City of Haifa in line with the greatest avenue of that blessed city, which is adorned with trees and verdant plants and illumined with bright lights, which is the object of admiration of the people of this region and a source of joy and pride to the authorities of this land, will subsequently be

Aerial photograph showing dramatic progress on the Arc and Terraces Projects, March 1996. [Page 59]

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converted, as foreshadowed by the Center of the Covenant, into the Highway of the Kings and Rulers of the World." The completion of seven terraces below the Shrine of the Báb and the decision of the Universal House of Justice to open five of them to pilgrims and Bahá’í visitors from Ridván of 153 B.E. (April 1996) has been a major step towards the realization of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s and Shoghi Effendi’s vision of these terraces.

As part of the adornment of the ceremonial approach to the Shrine of the Báb, ornamental statuary, diverse colorful plants within brick edgings and planter urns, and paths covered with crushed ocher-colored roof tiles were prepared. Bronze railings and light fittings were also placed by the sides of the Duranta repens hedges planted on both sides of the central stairway. The informal areas to the east and west of terraces nine to five were developed with beautiful rockery plantings, cacti, succulents and other drought-tolerant plants.

In an interview with an architectural magazine, architect Fariborz Sahba explained: "The goal of the design of these terraces is to create the most appropriate setting for the Shrine of the Báb, one of the holiest places of pilgrimage for Bahá’ís. They are meant to prepare the Bahá’í pilgrims, as they walk through these terraces towards the Shrine for pilgrimage, for the spiritual encounter ahead of them. The terraces are primarily being built, then, to heighten the spiritual experience of the Bahá’í pilgrim to the Shrine of the Báb. For this reason they must not only be beautiful gardens and landscape, but must create an atmosphere of reverence and peace, conducive to meditation." One element in the creation of such an atmosphere is the use of water as a main concept of the landscape: It flows from the top of the mountain to the bottom in a continuous cascade along the sides of the central stairway. Several beautiful fountains, carefully designed to provide crystal clear water, with a gentle sound to mask the noise of the city, will assist pilgrims to concentrate on their meditation. The irrigation system on the lower terraces became operational, enabling visitors to enjoy the visual beauty

1. From a letter dated Naw-Rúz 108 (March 1952) addressed to the Bahá’ís in the East by Shoghi Effendi, translated from the Persian. [Page 60]of the fountains bubbling with water and running down the stone runnels along the sides of the stairs.

Work on the steep slopes of the terraces above the Shrine of the Báb was also pursued at a brisk pace. The structure of four of these terraces—numbers fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen—was completed, and mechanical, electrical, plumbing and irrigation services were put in place. Soon after, spreading of topsoil and planting on their central slopes began.

Concomitantly, the construction of the uppermost terrace, the nineteenth, commenced. This terrace, at the crest of Mount Carmel, is designed with two levels of balconies. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá envisioned that “A person standing on the summit of Mount Carmel...will look upon the most sublime and majestic spectacle of the whole world...” These balconies will provide a visitor with a spectacular view of the Shrine of the Báb, and beyond it down to the harbor and across Haifa Bay towards the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh. A tunnel under the terrace’s first level will connect it to the Louis Promenade on Panorama Street, built by the Municipality of Haifa. This will enable visitors strolling on the promenade to enter the terrace with ease without crossing the road, which sees plenty of vehicular traffic. During the year the structure of the balconies of terrace nineteen was completed; work on the pedestrian tunnel was also finished and a 300-meter-long promenade on the side of terrace nineteen was built.

Bird’s eye view of the bridge over ‘Abbás Street, which provides continuity between terraces four and five below the Shrine of the Báb.

2. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, quoted in Star of the West, Volume XXIV, p. 302. [Page 61]

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Terrace nineteen at the crest of Mount Carmel provides access from Panorama Street and the Louis Promenade to the upper terraces and has over 700 square meters of floor space. This photo was taken in March 1996.

One of the most challenging and critical stages of the Terraces Project was initiated in February of 1996 when a contract was formalized with a well-known Haifa contractor for the lowering of Hatzionut Avenue and the construction of a pedestrian tunnel and retaining walls for the bridge that will span the street, linking the terrace of the Shrine of the Báb to the footpath on the Arc and the upper terraces. A joint announcement by the Bahá’í World Centre and the Haifa Municipality was carried in three major newspapers informing the general public of the nature of work to be undertaken and changes in the traffic arrangement in the entire section adjoining the Bahá’í properties on this street. Of the three principal stages of work on the roadway, one was accomplished by Riḍván 1996. During the first stage, work was undertaken on the north side close to the terrace of the Shrine. A temporary sewage line was constructed; the north pedestrian sidewalk was reduced to 1.5 meters; and street lamp posts, traffic lights and bus stops were relocated. When this was completed, the traffic was restored to the north side and work began on the excavation of the south side. [Page 62]As the projects on Mount Carmel have advanced, the interest they have generated among the citizens of Haifa has also become more intense. This resulted in an invitation from Haifa's Chamber of Commerce and Industry to the Bahá’í World Centre to participate in "Haifa 2000,” an exhibition designed to display unique projects in the city, depicting its development and changing business climate. The organizers offered the Bahá’í World Centre, free of cost, the best and most central location to display models of its projects. Held 19-27 June 1995, the exhibition attracted an estimated 250,000 visitors, including those attending two international conferences occurring in the city at the same time. Visiting dignitaries included Israel's then Foreign Minister Shimon Perez and dignitaries from the United Kingdom, who came with a large delegation of businessmen. Other visitors included well-known Israeli businessmen, economists, investors, and residents of Haifa. The event garnered wide media coverage. Afterwards, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry expressed its appreciation to the Bahá’ís, saying that the success of the exhibition "would not have been possible without your participation and the presentation of your impressive projects..."

An exciting development related to the Mount Carmel Projects but initiated by the government of Israel was the commencement of the first stage of work on the restoration of the German Templer Colony. Nestling at the foot of Mount Carmel, the Templer houses flank Ben Gurion Avenue from Haifa harbor to the junction of Hagefen Street, where the entrance plaza to terrace number one is located. In the section immediately conjoining the entrance plaza, work began on the implementation of the German Colony's main axis, the design of which had been previously selected from an array of competitors.

The media maintained their interest in the projects and continued to report about them throughout the year. In its July 1995 issue, a prestigious Israeli architectural magazine, Architecture of Israel, published a fourteen-page article on the Mount Carmel Projects in Hebrew and English, with beautiful color photographs. Dedicated to the work of architect Fariborz Sahba and focusing on his design of the Bahá’í House of Worship in [Page 63]

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Members of the Universal House of Justice visit the Mount Carmel Projects in December 1995.

India as well as the terraces of the Shrine of the Báb, the article also provided information about the history of the Bahá’í Faith. While the beauty of the terraces of the Shrine of the Báb—called "the hanging gardens" by the Israeli media—has often been extolled, this article highlighted the contribution of the Terraces Project to the environment of Haifa, saying: "The eternal shine of the dome of the Bahá’í Shrine is one of the best known features of Haifa. In the past few years the construction of the 'Hanging Gardens' has begun—a garden strip of 400-meter width, its foot in the German Colony in lower down-town, and its head at the Panorama Towers on Carmel. With the completion of this project in about four years, these gardens will not only be one of Haifa's significant urban projects but also the most protected 'green lung' in the country."

To the worldwide Bahá’í community the projects on Mount Carmel are much more than "significant urban projects." Their realization constitutes "part of a process clearly perceived by Shoghi Effendi as synchronizing with two no less significant developments: the establishment of the Lesser Peace and the evolution of Bahá’í national and local institutions." It is this understanding which impels the pursuance "with deliberate speed [of] the gigantic building projects on God's Holy Mountain."⁴ But the speedy pursuit of these "gigantic building projects" would

3. The Universal House of Justice, Riḍván 150 B.E. (April 1993). 4. Ibid. [Page 64]not have been possible without the tremendous material sacrifices of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh in every land. In response to the summons to sacrifice issued by the Universal House of Justice, the Bahá’ís of the world "stepped forward and made sacrificial offerings for the furtherance of this vast undertaking so highly extolled by the beloved Guardian," and the goal of raising 74 million dollars during the Three Year Plan was achieved.

"5 5. The Universal House of Justice, in a letter dated 20 June 1995, transmitted electronically to all National Spiritual Assemblies.