Baha'i Rants: Archives Building Undergoing Restoration
Fritz Gormann
· 2 years ago
When I was on Pilgrimage in 1972 it was a Pilgrimage of the soul. When I went again in 2005, it was a pilgrimage of marble and steel. Pilgrimage had lost its warmth and the faith was efficient and well oiled machine, like a visit to the Vatican.
I spent an afternoon on Mount Carmel. I could see the pillars and the façade of the archives building looking a little worn out.
We didn’t need those places for the Kings, we needed buildings that would do the job and last, and last, and last.
I have lived to see the sun of Baha-u-llah rise; will I live to see it set, also?
"The intention of this symposium is to open a discourse between architects, sociologists, philosophers and theologians by engaging an international and interfaith audience in the consideration of the powerful influence religion has come to exert in contemporary civic life, and the concretization of that role in the design and construction of prominent religious buildings."
Sercxu
· 2 years ago
Sadly, poor choices in building materials and an inability to properly conserve them is not an isolated phenomenon in the Baha'i world. Baha'is in the United States will be quite familiar with the "Kingdom Project," which had (has?) as one of its aims raising money for the restoration of the House of Worship in Wilmette.
Of course, the House of Worship is of similar age to the Archives building. Opened, if memory serves, in 1953, after a protracted construction process--Abdu'l-Baha laid the cornerstone in 1912, for heaven's sake--it took only fifty years for it to deteriorate to the point where it needed restoration. You can do the math--forty years to build, fifty years to deteriorate.
And why was that? Because the only way Louis Bourgeois' complicated designs could be produced for anything resembling a reasonable budget was to use what is essentially concrete mixed with quartz--and this on the shore of Lake Michigan, in an area known for the severity of its winter weather! As a result, it handles Chicago weather about as well as concrete does, which ain't sayin' much.
Compare and contrast this with the Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City, which had its design simplified from the original plans drawn by Truman Angell so that it could be constructed of granite. As beautiful as the Wilmette House of Worship is, they'd have been better off following the Mormons' example. As things stand now, the Baha'is will essentially be rebuilding it once a generation, as they will with the buildings on the Arc. It would be funny if it weren't so damn sad.
The Environmental Protection Ministry called Frutarom Industries to an emergency hearing after discovering that an unusual emission of odors from its factory was the cause for the air pollution detected in the Haifa bay area.... The Coalition for Public Health demanded an inquiry be made into why the bay's monitoring stations – which are connected to the Environmental Ministry's chief monitoring station – gave out normal readings throughout the event.
But you are more than welcome to enter into your own reality in order to escape the one that presents you with facts that are uncomfortable. I suppose a picture showing the rest of the buildings undergoing restoration in a few decades will also be explained away somehow.
> But you are more than welcome to enter into your own reality in order to escape the one that presents you with facts that are uncomfortable... Reality, it seems, needs to take a backseat when blind faith and imitation are involved...
Thanks, the first half of your post was informative.
Your second part suggests you read into my posting an intent it was lacking. I always like to know reality, which is why I stopped to read the article in the first place; so the first thing I did was do a search for an SO2 graph, and found the one in question. Given its nature, I raised it back for further comment. I hardly think that merits what you went on to write if you ask me, or anyone.
david
Baquia
· 2 years ago
David, from your comment, it appears as though you are taking a line from Richard Prior: "Who are you going to believe? Me or your lying eyes?"
The result of the air pollution is right there in the picture! Whether one chooses to see the real consequence or a colorful chart which has no bearing on the issue is up to each person.
David M
· 2 years ago
Baquia,
The issue here is your most extraordinary attitude to a very simple and very neutral post I made.
I was not taking a line from Richard prior; i did not even notice his comment, until you just raised it. It's very simply, just as I stated: I read one thing in the article, and then in an unbiased way without any expectations, went to check it as I do with all things irrespective of source, I encountered the graph, and queried it back for comment.
If you don't like the fact that someone with a neutral mind raises an appropriate and neutral question, I suggest you avoid typing anything until you think about the way truth is established through simple and neutral exploration; and your use of unfounded attacks on integrity if something is raised for consideration.
If it was your article (I haven't looked) then all you would have succeeded in doing is undermining the foundation of the trust in the article, certainly any other that may come from your pen, by showing such a biased approach to the establishment of truth.
Well, I certainly shall not write any further on this.
All Comments
When I went again in 2005, it was a pilgrimage of marble and steel.
Pilgrimage had lost its warmth and the faith was efficient and well oiled machine, like a visit to the Vatican.
I spent an afternoon on Mount Carmel. I could see the pillars and the façade of the archives building looking a little worn out.
We didn’t need those places for the Kings, we needed buildings that would do the job and last, and last, and last.
I have lived to see the sun of Baha-u-llah rise; will I live to see it set, also?
Fritz
"The intention of this symposium is to open a discourse between architects, sociologists, philosophers and theologians by engaging an international and interfaith audience in the consideration of the powerful influence religion has come to exert in contemporary civic life, and the concretization of that role in the design and construction of prominent religious buildings."
Of course, the House of Worship is of similar age to the Archives building. Opened, if memory serves, in 1953, after a protracted construction process--Abdu'l-Baha laid the cornerstone in 1912, for heaven's sake--it took only fifty years for it to deteriorate to the point where it needed restoration. You can do the math--forty years to build, fifty years to deteriorate.
And why was that? Because the only way Louis Bourgeois' complicated designs could be produced for anything resembling a reasonable budget was to use what is essentially concrete mixed with quartz--and this on the shore of Lake Michigan, in an area known for the severity of its winter weather! As a result, it handles Chicago weather about as well as concrete does, which ain't sayin' much.
Compare and contrast this with the Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City, which had its design simplified from the original plans drawn by Truman Angell so that it could be constructed of granite. As beautiful as the Wilmette House of Worship is, they'd have been better off following the Mormons' example. As things stand now, the Baha'is will essentially be rebuilding it once a generation, as they will with the buildings on the Arc. It would be funny if it weren't so damn sad.
This weblink seems to question its general tenor though:
http://www.aironline.info/haifa/tekster.cfm?id=...
david
Source: YNetNews
But you are more than welcome to enter into your own reality in order to escape the one that presents you with facts that are uncomfortable. I suppose a picture showing the rest of the buildings undergoing restoration in a few decades will also be explained away somehow.
Reality, it seems, needs to take a backseat when blind faith and imitation are involved. No need to actually use your own brain, as Counsellor Murphy said, we are blessed to have the UHJ do all that for us!
Thanks, the first half of your post was informative.
Your second part suggests you read into my posting an intent it was lacking. I always like to know reality, which is why I stopped to read the article in the first place; so the first thing I did was do a search for an SO2 graph, and found the one in question. Given its nature, I raised it back for further comment. I hardly think that merits what you went on to write if you ask me, or anyone.
david
from your comment, it appears as though you are taking a line from Richard Prior: "Who are you going to believe? Me or your lying eyes?"
The result of the air pollution is right there in the picture! Whether one chooses to see the real consequence or a colorful chart which has no bearing on the issue is up to each person.
The issue here is your most extraordinary attitude to a very simple and very neutral post I made.
I was not taking a line from Richard prior; i did not even notice his comment, until you just raised it.
It's very simply, just as I stated: I read one thing in the article, and then in an unbiased way without any expectations, went to check it as I do with all things irrespective of source, I encountered the graph, and queried it back for comment.
If you don't like the fact that someone with a neutral mind raises an appropriate and neutral question, I suggest you avoid typing anything until you think about the way truth is established through simple and neutral exploration; and your use of unfounded attacks on integrity if something is raised for consideration.
If it was your article (I haven't looked) then all you would have succeeded in doing is undermining the foundation of the trust in the article, certainly any other that may come from your pen, by showing such a biased approach to the establishment of truth.
Well, I certainly shall not write any further on this.
david