Bahá’í World/Volume 25/Mount Carmel Projects, Progress 96-97

Bahá’í World/Volume 25 Mount Carmel Projects, Progress 96-97

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[Page 114]One of the eight Ionic capitals for the portico of the Centre for the Study of the Texts being positioned, June 1996. [Page 115]

MOUNT CARMEL PROJECTS: Progress 1996-97

The energies released in the Bahá’í world through the completion of the Three Year Plan in April 1996 were also visible in the increased pace of work on the building projects on Mount Carmel between Ridván 1996 and Ridván 1997. Great progress was made in every aspect of work on the Arc and the terraces, with the goal of fulfilling the expectations of the Universal House of Justice that the projects will be finished at the end of the century.

With the completion of the structure of the Centre for the Study of the Texts, exterior finishing work began. Eight Ionic marble columns, each weighing at least 15 tonnes and comprising six sections, were erected in a semicircle around the entrance portico. Lifted into place piece by piece with the help of a crane, they were pinned together by marble specialists from France. Next, sixteen windows on the semicircular wall on the two levels of the entrance portico were fitted with marble frames. Eighteen precast marble panels, each weighing seven tonnes, forming the soffit between the inner and outer entablatures, were also installed. It was not until December 1996, however, that the portico of the Centre for the Study of the [Page 116]Texts was shorn of all scaffolding and its classic beauty unveiled. All that remained to be done was the marble work on the floor and radial stairs leading to the portico. As the facade of the building neared completion, interior finishing work speeded up. Turkish masons commenced local stone work on different levels of the three patios that will provide natural light to several areas of the Centre for the Study of the Texts and the Archives extension. Installation of ceramic tile on the walls and floors, terrazzo tile in service areas and along the Arc service tunnel, and internal marble work and drywall partitions transformed the interior of the building.

During the summer of 1996 work was completed on a network of drainage pipes to facilitate the irrigation of the planned roof garden on the Archives extension. Topsoil was added and temporary lawns developed to prevent runoff during the winter rains. By Ridván 1997, marble work inside the Archives extension had progressed along the corridors and lobbies; most of the utility stairs had been covered by quarry tiles, and aluminum windows had been installed in the patios. The vault door for the strong room, which will preserve the sacred texts and relics, had also been installed.

The building that will house the International Teaching Centre is a large nine-story complex comprising the main Teaching Centre, the parking building, and the "common area," with a total floor space of approximately 19,000 square meters. As work commenced in all areas of the site, the full extent of the Teaching Centre became easily discernible. By March 1997 work had advanced to level six of the building, while major efforts were also going into the construction of levels four and five-the most complicated floors in terms of design and execution. Featuring a 400-seat auditorium and a large kitchen, the facilities there require many openings and changes in [Page 117]One of the 7-tonne marble-clad, precast panels being maneuvered into position between two entablatures of the entrance portico of the Centre for the Study of the Texts.

MOUNT CARMEL PROJECTS

Turkish masons install local stone on the external walls of the Centre for the Study of the Texts.

levels in the floor slabs and walls above. Intensive coordination among the various disciplines and careful monitoring during construction are thus imperative.

Part of the complexity of the Teaching Centre is the need to allow for its future connection to the International Bahá’í Library when that building is constructed. The external walls along the east and southeast perimeter will form the boundary between the two structures and must be built so that many large openings may be cut in the future. However, before the International Bahá’í Library is constructed, these walls have to support large building loads, retain about ten to twenty meters of soil for the gardens, and resist lateral forces from backfill and earthquake loads. Meeting these requirements and achieving optimum flexibility entail special structural design incorporating a strong diagonal steel band rising from the foundations to the walls up to level five. With the completion of [Page 118]

Intense activity on the structure of the International Teaching Centre

these special walls, work proceeded to level six of the Teaching Centre, the floor area of which covers nearly the full extent of the building. The main vehicular ramp leading from the street to level six of the building was completed and construction of the entrance plaza commenced.

While work continued on the structure of the Teaching Centre, several initiatives were taken for its interior finishing. Contracts for marble, wood millwork, metal doors, local stone, drywall partitions, and for the supply and installation of catwalks in the mechanical service areas and in the space above the stage in the auditorium were also signed. By March 1997 several of the finishing items began to arrive on site. One delivery entailed the unloading of seven huge pieces of airconditioning equipment, the largest weighing 12.2 tonnes. A large 40-tonne crane lifted these units, manufactured in the United States, into the building through temporary four-meter by four-meter openings in the floor slab directly above the fan room. Three of the five elevator cabins that will serve the building arrived from Canada. Guide rails and hydraulic pistons were installed, along with one of the elevator cabins.

Soon after the contracts for the supply and installation of local stone for the building were signed, stone work began on three patios along the eastern external walls of the common area. Concreting progressed at the building's higher levels, while mechanical and electrical work was carried out at levels one to three.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá is reported to have shared with pilgrims the following vision: "The entire harbor from ‘Akká to Haifa will be one [Page 119]

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path of illumination. Powerful searchlights will be placed on both sides of Mount Carmel to guide the steamers. Mount Carmel itself, from top to bottom, will be submerged in a sea of light...." On another occasion He prophesied: "The day will come when this mountain will be resplendent with light lights from top to bottom."

On the evening of 16 October 1996 Haifa residents were briefly dazzled by a display of lights on the terraces, from a test conducted by the Mount Carmel Projects' electrical team to determine the type and amount of lighting equipment necessary to illuminate the beautiful balustrades and stone work on the contour walls.

Work progresses on the sixth level of the International Teaching Centre.

The lighting of the terraces of the Shrine of the Báb forms a very significant component of the terraces' overall design, placing lights in strategic locations to highlight details on the terraces while keeping the exquisite structure of the Shrine of the Báb the focus of attention. Lights flanking the central stairway have been placed in a manner that strongly accentuate the "Kings' Pathway," while maintaining the primacy of the Shrine itself. The arcs of cypress trees in the outer areas on both sides of each terrace have between them bronze lanterns with hanging globes of light that highlight the geometric curves. Both sides of the main section of each terrace have ornate lampposts, and the fountain pools on each terrace have soft lights that turn the water into liquid gold.

With the completion of the landscaping of the terraces below the Shrine of the Báb, and advancement of the construction of

1. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, quoted in Star of the West, Volume XXIV, p. 302. 2. Ibid. [Page 120]the buildings of the Arc, the project manager's office began to put together maintenance teams for the gardens as well as for the mechanical, electrical, electronic, and irrigation work, with ongoing training of personnel so that experienced teams will already be in place when the projects are completed.

A glimpse of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s vision that the day will come when Mount Carmel will be resplendent with light-lights from top to bottom.

An exciting development for the terraces below the Shrine took place on 7 March 1997: the last building obstructing the construction of the first two terraces was demolished, clearing the site "for the monumental entrance to the majestic path leading from the southern end of Ben Gurion Avenue up to the central edifice of the Shrine and beyond to the crest of God's Holy Mountain." This was accomplished as a result of over four years of delicate negotiations with the tenants of the building and the Haifa Municipality.

While these negotiations were under way, an application for the modification of the town planning scheme, to cancel that portion of Ben Gurion Avenue extending into the Bahá’í property, was submitted to and approved by the local committee in Haifa and the District Committee of Galilee.

Intense activity, both structural and architectural, occurred on the terraces above the Shrine. The completion of the structure of terrace nineteen enabled stone work to commence; and by Ridván 1997 almost fifty percent had been completed. One of the major

3. Message from the Universal House of Justice, transmitted electronically to all National Spiritual Assemblies, dated 4 April 1995. [Page 121]Structural and architectural details on the terraces above the Shrine of the Báb, presaging the extension of beauty to the crest of Mount Carmel.

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A view of the lower terraces and the Shrine of the Báb, taken from the bridge over Abbas Street, August 1996.

architectural features of this terrace is seventeen arches of varying sizes and proportions. Installation of stone on four of them was finished and work began on the central and largest arch. The structure of the concrete pools on this terrace was completed, and work began to cover them with stone. At the end of the period under review terrace nineteen was ready to receive balustrades carved for it in Italy.

Hatzionut Avenue remained a critical area of work during the year. As one of the main thoroughfares connecting downtown Haifa with Central and Upper Carmel, this street sees continuous vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Work on such a busy street presents challenges as it interfaces with traffic and major municipal services such as sewage, water, electricity, telephone, and cable T.V. As work moved to the second and third phases of lowering the road, traffic and underground services had to be relocated to enable excavation to proceed. A 300-meter retaining wall was [Page 122]Members of the Universal House of Justice are seen visiting the terraces below the Shrine of the Báb soon after they were opened to Bahá’í visitors and pilgrims.

built to strengthen the mountain face, and fifty-two anchors were installed behind the building housing the information center and security office, located on Hatzionut Avenue under terrace eleven. As this structure began to rise, contracts were signed for finishing work such as drywall partitions, tiling, and the installation of steel doors. By the end of March 1997, the configuration of Hatzionut Avenue had changed dramatically, with traffic moving at the new elevation on the south side and most of the municipal services connected to the new system. Work also commenced on the north side of the road, and a temporary pedestrian walkway was created within the Bahá’í property.

During this period massive excavations were carried out at the site of terraces thirteen and fourteen above the Shrine of the Báb. A seven-meter-high rubble concrete wall on the east side of terrace thirteen was constructed, over which the curved stairs leading up to terrace fourteen will be built. Much of the excavated material was used as backfill behind the collar wall at the back of the Crusader Road tunnel to close the gap between the tunnel and the east side of terrace fifteen.

Behind all the progress visible on the Arc buildings and the terraces of the Shrine of the Báb has been much groundwork. Negotiations with agencies of the Government of Israel have been pursued throughout, covering applications for building permits, permits to import materials and equipment from around the world, modifications of town planning schemes in areas adjacent to the Projects, and permits to bring workers into Israel from Romania, Turkey, France, and Canada. Negotiations with and coordination of work between the large number of contractors employed in the [Page 123]

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projects are ongoing. The Mount Carmel Projects Office also undertook to procure materials directly from suppliers both within and outside Israel at considerable discounts, thereby saving millions of dollars.

As the Mount Carmel Bahá’í Projects progressed rapidly, the restoration and development of the historic German Templer Colony by the government authorities in Haifa also picked up momentum. This project is of great interest to the Bahá’í World Centre as it conjoins the site of the entrance plaza of the terraces of the Shrine of the Báb.

The colony of distinctive red-roofed houses was founded in 1868 by the members of the Templer Society from Württemberg in southern Germany whose founder, Christoph Hoffmann, was convinced that according to the prophecies of the Old and New Testaments, the return of Jesus Christ was imminent in the Holy Land.

In his book The Bábi and Bahá’í Religions, 1844-1944 Moojan Momen notes, "It is interesting that both the Templars [sic], who came to Palestine fired by the desire to witness the imminent return of Christ, and Bahá’u’lláh, Who claimed to be that return, arrived in the Haifa-’Akká area within a few months of each other... Believing the second coming of Christ to be so near,... Hoffmann with his principal lieutenant Georg David Hardegg landed in Haifa on 30 October 1868. Hardegg remained in Haifa as the head of the colony... [which] became the largest and most important of the Templar colonies in Palestine."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá had foreshadowed the conversion of the main avenue through this colony into "the Highway of the Kings and Rulers of the World," starting from the sea and reaching up to

Moshe Katsav, Israel's Minister of Tourism, was received at the World Centre on 15 December 1996 by architect Fariborz Sahba, left, and Albert Lincoln, right, Secretary-General of the Bahá’í International Community. [Page 124]the Shrine of the Báb and beyond to the crest of Mount Carmel. Now the task of restoring this area has been taken up by the Israeli authorities.

The year saw several dignitaries and official delegations from Israel and elsewhere visit the Projects. There were also a number of television crews and photographers from Hungary, Canada, Israel, Jordan, and Korea. The Mayor of Haifa visited several times, accompanying a Minister from the Prime Minister's Office, managers of municipalities in Israel, members of the Knesset Economic Affairs and Finance Committees, and the Minister of Tourism. Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Israel escorted members of the Science and Technology Commission of China.

As it faces the many tasks that remain to be accomplished on the Arc and terraces projects before the end of the century, the Mount Carmel Projects team gratefully acknowledges the prayers and encouragement of the Universal House of Justice and the worldwide Bahá’í community. In tribute to the universal participation of Bahá’ís in this endeavor, the Universal House of Justice wrote in its Ridván Message of 153 BE: "The physical reality of the progress [of the Projects] thus far so marvelously realized is proof of an even more profound achievement, namely, the unity of purpose effected throughout our global community in the pursuit of this gigantic, collective enterprise. The intensity of the interest and support it has evoked has expressed itself in an unprecedented outpouring of contributions, reflecting a level of sacrifice that bespeaks the quality of faith and generosity of heart of Bahá’u’lláh’s lovers throughout the planet...."

4. The Universal House of Justice, Ridván 153 B.E. (1996).