Visual

Lotus Temple, Delhi, India - 1986
Architect - Fariborz Sahba Arch 486 – Shefali E Thomas

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CONCEPT CONSTRUCTION INTERIORS 3D MODELLING REFERENCES

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CONCEPT Located awayfrom the city centre in the capital city of Delhi, the temple along with its landscape occupies a site of 26 acres.

Bahai faith believes in unifying all religions and so lotus which is a religioussymbol of symplicity and hope in all religions in India is used as an inspiration for the design of the temple. Bahai temples are supposed to have 9 sides and so there are 9 petals which are the 9entrances.

CONSTRUCTION
The petals are cast in site concrete and then clad with white marble. 9 radial beams at the top of the inner dome take the lateral loads. The petals of the inner and outerlayer stand on arches that support the roof. The 3 layers – inner, outer and entrance petals are shown in plan and section.
Phases of construction Section through the 3 layers of petals

The marblewas quarried from Greece and then each sheet of marble was cut in the exact shape in Italy and brought to site where they were screwed onto reinforced concrete using steel clamps. They are arranged ina uniform radial pattern with 810mm joints.

INTERIOR
The 9 radial beams on the top of the dome along with glass panels form an interesting detail at the top of the roof and provide plenty ofsunlight. The outermost layer of petals are the only ones that face outwards and so form the canopy for all 9 entrances.

The interiors is kept minimalist in accordance with the belief of the Bahaifaith.

Section through the inner layer of petals and dome.

3D MODELLING
For the setting out, the circle is divided into 18 equal parts or at 20 degrees from the center marking the ridges andvalleys of all the 3 layers of petals. Each surface of the entrance and outer petals are a part of a sphere and the surface of the inner petals are a part of a toroid with a dome on the inside.

These...