Bahá’í World/Volume 27/Mount Carmel Projects, Progress 1998-99
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MOUNT CARMEL PROJECTS:
Progress 1998—99
T o the more than five million followers of Baha’u’llah around the world, the edifices and terraces being built on Mount Carmel represent not just another construction project, but the fulfillment of a divine promise. When Baha’u’llah Visited Mount Carmel in the late 18008, a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire, He stood on the mountain and not only chose the spot where the Shrine of the Bab would be built, but also stated that Mount Carmel would become the center of the Bahá’í administrative order. Today His followers are laboring to enhance the beauty of the Bab’s shrine and to build structures that will befittingly house the highest Bahá’í administrative institutions.
The Eighth International Bahá’í Convention in April 1998 gave Bahá’ís from around the world the opportunity to Witness firsthand the progress made on the Mount Carmel Proj ects at the Bahá’í World Centre since work began in May 1990. Prior to the formal Convention program, delegates from more than one hundred and sixty countries toured the terraces above the Shrine of the Bab and sections of the Centre for the Study of the Texts. The
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Universal House of Justice later noted in its Riḍván message to
the Bahá’ís of the world that “...the construction projects on
Mount Carmel, beheld with such thrilling astonishment by the
delegates to the International Convention, press onward to their
scheduled completion at the end of the century.”
Terraces Of the Shrine of the Báb
Since its completion in 1953, the unique architecture of the Shrine of the Báb, blending Eastern and Western design principles, has attracted the interest and admiration of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and visitors each year. Its surrounding gardens, whose blend of structure and spontaneity also draws close attention, have recently undergone major renovation and expansion, with the construction of nine terraced gardens above and nine below the Shrine. With Hatzionut Street lowered and repaved, facilitating better traffic flow and creating additional space between the street and the projects, sections of the former road were then freed up for incorporation into the gardens adjacent to the Shrine. In the process, ducts for water and telephone lines were also installed.
More than one hundred and fifty tons of steel reinforcement and approximately one thousand cubic meters of concrete were
% ?’“4g4 “4 ”Ah... ._:=:svA view of the Shrine of the 8631) from one of the lower terraces,
Showing the vibrant colorsfound throughout the gardens.
6O
- 7‘ This detail of one
Of the lower
I terraces Shows the exquisite designfeatures that characterize each level.
used to raise the structure of the trapezoid-shaped bridge over Hatzionut Street. A five-pointed star made from the structural beams, each point fitted with a light fixture, is now Visible from the street underneath. By March 1999 all stonework 0n the bridge was finished, including the delicately carved pedestals and balustrades, at which point landscaping of the bridge’s surface began. With most of the street-level work completed, normal traffic was restored 0n the thoroughfare.
As the terraces approach completion and the mountain is transformed from stone to garden, more and more areas become ready for planting. In all, more than fifty thousand square meters of gardens on the terraces were brought under cultivation this year. To meet this suddenly larger demand for plants, an additional nursery was established to support the planting carried out on several of the terraces. As a tribute to the Bab, two seedlings propagated from an orange tree planted by Him in the courtyard of His house in Shíráz, Iran, were placed on the ninth terrace. Stone for some of the large ornamental fountains 0n the upper terraces was sent to Italy for cutting, while kilometers of stone that had been cut for stairs, tunnels, inner paving, and fountain pools were installed.
The final stage of the projects, the entrance plaza, lies at the foot of the terraces where Ben Gurion Street meets Mount Carmel. In keeping with the significant role that water plays in the overall design of the terraces, pools, fountain jets, and cascades are all planned for this area. After the successful testing of a full-scale
mockup of the plaza’s elaborate central fountain, which features'
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This landscaped courtyard leads to the tunnel connecting the
Louis Promenade 0n Yefe N of Street to the nineteenth terrace. ‘3‘" j
4sz
two concentric star—shaped bowls, detailed drawings were prepared for its production.
Appreciation for the Terraces
As the terraces are completed, revealing by degrees their grace and majesty, the residents of Haifa are paying increasing attention. In response to a request by the Mayor of Haifa, and with approval from the Universal House of Justice, the nineteenth terrace at the top of Mount Carmel was opened to the public in September 1998. Since then, thousands of people have Visited the site, which affords a clear View of the entire mountain.
Shortly after the opening, the Municipality of Haifa released a brochure on the city, which prominently features the terraced gardens and buildings on the Arc and describes the Bahá’í projects as “the eighth wonder of the world.” The brochure was soon followed by a twenty-page booklet entirely devoted to the Bahá’í projects, entitled The Bahá’í' Shrine and Gardens on Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel. Published in English by the Municipality Of Haifa, with the assistance of the Mount Carmel Bahá’í Projects office, the booklet is directed at tourists visiting the city and features beautiful photographs of the Shrine of the Báb, the terraces, and the buildings on the Arc. It also provides basic information on the Bahá’í Faith, introducing it as an independent world religion and explaining its historical connection to the Holy Land. By April 1999, French, German, Hebrew, Russian, and Spanish editions were also available, and Arabic, Chinese, Italian, and Japanese translations were in preparation. Bahá’ís
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around the world have ordered more than sixty thousand copies, and Haifa’s Tourist Board is distributing it widely.
The Bahá’í proj ects and their contribution to the beautification of Haifa were also recognized through the presentation of the 1998 Ephraim Lifshitz Award of the City of Haifa, to the Bahá’í World Centre. Instituted in the name of an esteemed citizen of Haifa, this prestigious award is granted annually for outstanding work in the fields of education and culture.
3"“4:
figfi j: v .4? ‘— K V ,1,“ The Shrine of the Báb and lower terraces, as seen from the air, with the City of Haifa and the German T empler C olany in the background.
Buildings on the Arc
When Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, initiated construction of the International Bahá’í Archives, he envisaged that the other buildings which would eventually be built nearby would be designed in a harmonious style of architecture. The establishment of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice was the first step in the realization of the Guardian’s Vision. With the construction of the Centre for the Study of the Texts and the progressive completion of the International Teaching Centre, the harmony of the buildings on the Arc is now Visible. Designed and constructed according to the highest building standards, equipped in all areas with state-of—the—art
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With its ‘ surroundings __ * landscaped, the f V C entre for the Study of the T exts appears as a delicate pavilion in the
gardens.
technology, and incorporating the latest requirements for the disabled, the administrative buildings on the Arc have been built to withstand the tests of time and use by the hundreds of staff who will eventually occupy them.
The Centre for the Study of the Texts
During the spring of 1999, the electrical infrastructure for lighting control, fire alarms, closed Circuit television, and access control was installed in the Centre for the Study of the Texts and the Archives Extension, in preparation for occupation. The nerve center for the telephone and computer systems for the Terraces and Arc buildings, located to the west of the International Teaching Centre building in a small structure known as the Arc and Terraces Communication Centre, was also completed. Office partitions, furniture, computers, and maintenance equipment were ordered, while the design of fitouts like chandeliers and carpets was finalized and production commenced.
Outside, landscaping around the buildings began in earnest. The ground in front was graded to a gentle slope, topsoil was added, and vistas of green gradually began to emerge. By April 1999, more than sixteen thousand square meters of land around and above the Centre for the Study of the Texts and the Archives Extension was under cultivation. A panorama of different shades, from the emerald green of the grass and silver green of the olive trees to the various shades and textures ofjunipers and cyads, dotted in between with the reds, purples, lavenders, blues, pinks, and
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yellows of flowering plants, began to dot the landscape. The mountain’s colors, muted throughout the winter, became more Vibrant with the approach of spring. To prevent erosion and consequent soil run-off into the buildings, an extensive network of shallow depressions was created to provide drainage 0n the slopes above.
On the roof of the Centre for the Study of the Texts, green tiles similar to those on the roof of the International Teaching Centre building and the Seat of the Universal House of Justice were installed. Marble pedestals, which will eventually receive ornamental vases, were put in place, and the roof garden was graded, covered in gravel, and made ready for planting.
The International Teaching Centre
The International Teaching Centre building is located at the east end of the Arc path and oriented towards the Shrine of the Báb. The installation of marble cladding on its vaulted roof finished efforts to complete most of the building’s external marble work by the end of 1998. Cladding on the front and rear faeades and the walls of the
The entrance portico Of
the Centre for the Stuaj/
Of the T exts.
An interior view of one of the levels of the
Archives Extension.
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east and west wings had been completed earlier, and window frames, entablature above the columns, and precast marble soffit panels had been put in place. External wooden windows were installed before onset of the rainy season, making the building weatherproof for internal finishing work on all levels. By March 1999, the entrance portico was also paved with marble.
Inside, all finishing items such as drywall partitions, glazing, windows, doors, hardware, and ceilings were completed on the first level of the building, with similar work well underway on the next two levels. Stonework on the walls and columns inside and outside the auditorium was completed and made ready for wood panelling, and light fixtures were placed in the ceiling. The auditorium, which occupies levels four and five and has a seating capacity of about four hundred, will be equipped with the latest audiovisual equipment, translation tools, and a satellite broadcast system. Also on level four is a communal kitchen and dining area, now almost complete. The dining room will provide an audiovisual link to the auditorium, enabling larger audiences access to programs taking place there.
The completion of external marble work reveals the International Teaching Centre building in its pristine beauty.
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