ACI 124.

1 R-92
(Reapproved 1997)

An abstract:
Esthetics in Concrete
Slide Module S.01-92

BAHAI HOUSE OF WORSHIP

Repotted by ACI Committee 124
Mary K. Hurd
Chairman
Phillip J. Arnold
William M. Avery
Robert C. Bates
Charles M. Dabney

Russell S. Fling
C. Stewart Gloyd
Harry M. Palmbaum
Michael J. Paul

Peter Smith
Stewart C. Watson
Bruce R. Wellek

Consulting members:
Jose A. Fernandez Ordonez

J .G. Richardson

Lynn Olson

Paul Ritter

Bahai House of Worship is a slide and text module that presents an example of concrete experienced
esthetically. Twenty color slides are interpreted in the accompanying text folder that describes design and
construction of the structure. Historic notes and listed references guide the user to more in-depth
information about the building.
The Bahai Temple on Sheridan Road in Wilmette, Illinois, is just north of Evanston and Chicago. Lake
Michigan can be seen from its eastern entrance. It is the North American home for a faith originating in
Persia in the mid-1800s. Construction of the Temple was started in 1921. With many difficulties including
a fire during construction and delay caused by World War II, the building was finally dedicated in 1953.
The nine-sided building is topped by a magnificent dome, consisting of a precast concrete outer shell,
supported on a central steel superstructure with an aluminum and glass watershed inside of it. Inside the
weather barrier is a second intricately pierced shell of white precast concrete. Two tiers, each with nine
graceful pylons, complement and appear to support the dome structure. Intertwined detail in the precast
exposed aggregate concrete of the pylons contains symbols representing the worlds great religions.
Architect Louis Bourgeois and Bahai planners originally expected the structure to be built of ornamental plaster, but John J. Earley Studios submitted a lower bid for precast concrete, which all agreed
would be preferable for appearance, cleanliness, and permanence. The buildings surface reveals a close
attention to consistent size of the exposed quartz aggregate. John Earley devised a formula using white
cement and precisely gap-graded white and translucent quartz. In brilliant sunlight, or at night under
floodlights, the Bahai Temple is seen as a resplendent and luminous structure due to the reflective quality
of the quartz aggregate and the color of the cement.
ACI Committee Reports, Guides, Standard Practices, and
Commentaries are intended for guidance in designing,
planning, executing, or inspecting construction and in
preparing specifications. Reference to these documents
shall not be made in the Project Documents. If items
found in these documents are desired to be part of the
Project Documents they should be phrased in mandatory
language and incorporated into the Project Documents.

Copyright 0 1992, American Concrete Institute.

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124.1R-1