Episode 23: Siamak Hariri

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. In this episode I'm in Toronto, Canada at the lovely home of award-winning architect Siamak Hariri. Siamak is the architect of the Baha'i House of Worship for South America, located in Santiago, Chile, and he talks to me about his family and how he was first drawn to architecture, some of his thoughts and inspirations behind the design of the temple and its relationship with the community, and how architecture can touch the heart. We discuss the interplay between material and nonmaterial, where things like proportion and composition are enveloped in mysticism, ideas relating to prayer, and how things like composition and refinement are important and how they're connected to our higher aspirations. He also shares some of his understandings of the Baha'i Faith, some of his favorite Baha'i Writings, and the importance of shaping our thinking in a way that looks to the future and affects generations to come. I hope you enjoy this conversation. To find out more about Siamak Hariri and some of the things we covered in the podcast, check out the following links: * Here is the official site for the Baha'i House of Worship for South America: http://templo.bahai.cl/en/ * You can find out more about Baha'i Houses of Worship here: http://www.bahai.org/action/devotional-life/mashriqul-adhkar * Here's the link to Siamak's architecture firm Hariri Pontarini Architects: https://www.hariripontarini.com/ * You can watch Siamak's TED Talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/siamak_hariri_how_do_you_build_a_sacred_space * Siamak shares an excerpt from the following quote from the Seven Valley's of Baha'u'llah as one of his inspirations behind the temple design: "Whensoever the light of Manifestation of the King of Oneness settleth upon the throne of the heart and soul, His shining becometh visible in every limb and member. At that time the mystery of the famed tradition gleameth out of the darkness: “A servant is drawn unto Me in prayer until I answer him; and when I have answered him, I become the ear wherewith he heareth….” For thus the Master of the house hath appeared within His home, and all the pillars of the dwelling are ashine with His light. And the action and effect of the light are from the Light-Giver; so it is that all move through Him and arise by His will. And this is that spring whereof the near ones drink, as it is said: “A fount whereof the near unto God shall drink…." * You can watch more videos about the Baha'i Temple for South America here on Temple's Vimeo page: https://vimeo.com/templobahai * And you may enjoy these 19 Inspiring Instagram Photos of the Chile Temple: http://bahaiblog.net/site/2016/10/19-inspiring-instagram-photos-chile-temple/ Be sure to ‘subscribe’ to the Baha’i Blogcast for more weekly episodes on: *iTunes: itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/bahai…son/id1127132519 *Soundcloud: @user-545312385 If you would like to find out more about the Baha'i Faith visit BAHAI.ORG, and for more great Baha'i-inspired content check out BAHAIBLOG.NET. Thanks for listening! -Rainn Wilson