Hariri Pontarini Architects has won a prestigious international award for the Bahá’í Temple of South America. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) bestowed the project with its highest tribute ? the Honor Award for International Architecture ? at the AIA International Region Design Awards.
Photo: Bahá?í World News Service/Raul Spinassé
This AIA program celebrates the importance of architecture and the role of architects to design for people and planet, towards a future of health, inclusivity and stewardship.
?The International Award from the AIA is indeed a privilege for which I am grateful and I share the distinction with many collaborators in our pursuit to create a unique and timeless structure with universal appeal,? said Siamak Hariri, founding partner of Hariri Pontarini Architects. Photo Credit: doublespace photography
Perched above Santiago, Chile with the Andes Mountains as backdrop, this captivating temple is composed of nine gracefully torqued wings that are bound to a central oculus, creating a space that is both monumental and intimate. With an interior of translucent Portuguese marble and an exterior of cast-glass panels, the building is a beacon of embodied light that transforms the space throughout the day and casts an outward glow at night.

RAIC Promotional Video – Hariri Pontarini Architects, Bahá?í Temple of South America from Hariri Pontarini Architects on Vimeo.
Since opening in the fall of 2016, close to two million people hav...