The Baha’i Temple, situated along the lakeshore north of Chicago, is a major spiritual site for the Baha’i Faith and a National Historic Landmark. Integral to the site is a series of nine gardens originally designed by landscape architect Hilbert Dahl, set below a terrace surrounding the temple’s nine sides. Each garden has a simple circular fountain and an avenue leading to the elevated terrace. A circular walk bounds the outside perimeter of the gardens, providing a meditative path linking all nine gardens. Trees, flowers, fountains, and other garden images and metaphors are commonly used in the Baha'i Writings, making the landscape design an important part of the spiritual experience. Under Chicago’s harsh weather conditions the the terrace and gardens in particular had steadily deteriorated to the point where an extensive
overhaul was necessary.
Critical to the restoration was a complete restoration of the crumbling terrace. A new terrace deck of precast pavers produced by the Baha'i Temple conservation staff provide an attractive and durable walking surface surrounding the Temple’s monumental stairs. New stainless steel guardrails were installed with a design slightly modified to meet the newer building code requirements. All nine gardens were completely restored following Dahl's original planting design. New precast concrete elements were produced using a white quartz mix to carefully match the existing work. New ornamental benches provide further definition of the garden areas, while the fountains were completely rebuilt. Beneath the terrace, new vault spaces
provide space for fountain and irrigation systems.
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