LITERATURE STUDY - 1

Lotus Temple, Delh

INTRODUCTION
NEW DELHI

BUILDING TYPE Religious Center ( Meditation Center)

BUILDING USE Public building
ARCHITECT - Fariborz Sahba
LOCATION New Delhi, India
YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION - 1986
AREA - 105,000 m
HEIGHT - 40 meters
MATERIAL - Marble

Since its inauguration to public worship

and visits in December 1986, the Baha'i
House of Worship known as The Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India has drawn to its portals more
than 70 million visitors, making it one of the most visited edifices in the world.
On an average, 8,000 to 10,000 people visit the Bahai House of Worship each day. These visitors
have admired its universal design in the form of a lotus and have been fascinated by the Teachings of
the Bah Faith, especially its tenets of the Oneness of God, the Oneness of Religions, and the Oneness
of Mankind.
Built as per the modern architectural style, Lotus temple represents serenity,
harmony, tranquility and calm.
This building represents the Baha'i faith or the Baha'i culture, an independent

 It has been recognized throughout the world for its one-of-a-kind, petal-shaped design, the Lotus
Temple, is an icon both for architect Fariborz Sahbas award-winning design and its home to
multiple religions. The architectural brilliance includes 27 free-standing marble clad petals
arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides, with nine separate entrances to a grand hallway.
This monumental structure is marked by the entry through the mesmerizing
gardens along the stretch of the road which leads to the Lotus Temple itself.
The main building is elevated on a high plinth
with steps leading to it.
It is surrounded by small ponds with water in
order to maintain the climatic conditions within
the building. This also helps in the aesthetic
appearance of the building as well.
This was based on the concept of the lotus that
grow on the water body. Hence the form also
represents the same.
This entire area also consist of other public
buildings such as the library, administration
building, etc.

CONCEPT THE LOTUS

The building follows the form of the lotus petals

and the pond signifies the water body that the
lotus grows in.

Lotus flower signifies purity and

peace. This symbol give a modern and
contemporary form in the structure of
the temple drawing into its sanctum,
the people from different races, culture
and religion from all around the world.

SITE PLAN

COMPONENTS OF THE STRUCTURE:

Main building consisting of
Basement
Three groups of Nine shells springing from the podium
Double layered Interior dome
Nine arches
Nine ponds
Walkways
Ancillary building consisting of
Information center
Library
Administrative building
Rest rooms

PLAN OF LOTUS TEMPLE

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES :
The construction of the Lotus temple began in stages. The architect, Fariborz
Sahba, began designing the Temple in 1976. The construction of the temple was
completed in 1986.
The Lotus temple reaches a height of more than 40m. One can see 27 giant white
petals of marble in a lotus shape, 21,000 running meters (interior and exterior) of
area in slopes and curves requiring sealing, springing from nine pools and
walkways indicative of the nine unifying spiritual paths of the Bahais faith.
The surfaces that create the shell on both sides of the ridge inlet and the outer
leaves are formed from spheres of different radii with their centers located at
different points within the building. Is a set of fields for entry blades, some of
which define and other interior surfaces defining the exterior surfaces of the shells.
The diameters of the spheres are set to meet structural consideration of variable
thickness of the petals.
Twenty-reinforced concrete structures shaped petals, covered in marble, were
arranged in groups of three, to realize their nine faces.

 The surfaces that create the shell on both sides of the ridge inlet and the outer leaves are formed
from spheres of different radii with their centers located at different points within the building.
To the outer leaves, the shell is uniform, 1.33 m thick towards the bottom and towards the top
end 2.55m.
The outer leaf area entrance to the temple is 15,4m wide and 22.5m rises above the podium, the
interior has 18,2m wide at the entrance area and rises above the level 7,8m the podium.
Most of the structural load of the interior space of the temple is supported by nine arcs are deployed
around the central hall, set at angular intervals of 40 .
The shape of these arcs is created by flat, conical and cylindrical surfaces. The intersection of these
surfaces offers interesting contours and greatly enhances the beauty of the arches.
9 arches were placed one after the other until the circle was completed. Disassembly of the soffit
of each arch was made after the adjacent arcs reach the necessary strength.

IMAGES SHOWING THE

CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

CONCLUSION AND INFERENCE

The Bahai temple is probably one of the most special and most distinctive buildings to be built in
todays world.
The structures complexity and the high standard of quality demanded of the workers meant that
supervision of construction had to be very dynamic and endowed with an acute capacity to
immediately perceive innovatory processes.
The concept has been derived from the lotus flower which indicates the meaning of Unity.
The Lotus petals have been constructed of reinforced white concrete and are covered with white
marble panels.
27 giant marble petals surround the interior space, with capacity for 2,500 people, respecting the
alignments of the Baha'i architecture with circular shape. Inside is reached through nine bridges
that are out of 9 ponds surrounding the temple and giving access to 9 doors leading to a central
site that reaches 40 meters in height.
9 arches support the entire edifice, enclose the central hall.
It is welcomed through the beautiful gardens that follow the Moghul architecture.
Lotus temple is a place for all religion which helps in attracting the visitors.
The temple is built of marble, cement and sand.
The 27 petals were coated with marble from Rajasthani Macrana, dolomite cement in mine Alwar,
near Delhi, and white silica sand Jaipur. The structure is concrete combining precast concrete also
fluted petals.