Ontario city unveils breathtaking design for first-of-its-kind new building

An Ontario city has unveiled the final, breathtaking designs for a new temple that will be the first Bahá’í House of Worship in Canada.

Back in 2023, the international supreme governing council of the Bahá'í Faith, the Universal House of Justice, revealed that a temple would be built in Markham, near the intersection of Leslie Street and Steeles Avenue East and adjacent to the Bahá'í National Centre administrative building. 

Although the site will be home to a new temple, the land has been a place of prayer and meditation for decades. Back in 1958, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada acquired land in Toronto to build a temple. A decade later, it sold the land and subsequently secured the current property just outside of Toronto.

The temple's design was inspired by a vision to keep the building transparent and modest, while integrating it into the surrounding woods. The House of Worship's principal architect, James Jing Yi Jiang from Vancouver, B.C., says its design began with the idea of unity in diversity, which is a principle central to the Bahá'í teachings.

"Nine identical panels arranged in an asymmetrical order, creating a composition that is varied yet cohesive, expressing the idea that differences do not need to disappear for a greater whole to emerge. Beneath the panels, a symmetrical structural rhythm provides an underlying order, allowing individual elements to come together as one," Jiang explained.

The design also gives expression to the idea of living in relationship with the land, which was inspired by Indigenous understandings of the land as an active, living presence.

"Through its openness and natural wood tones, the Temple aims to blend into the forest, creating a place of reflection that feels as though it has always been there," Jiang said.

During the design process, Jiang met with local youth who regularly pray at the temple site.

"When the youth described their idea of the future temple, it was as if it had a personality. They said the temple is like a mother, it's like a friend, it's like someone who can support you when you run into difficulties," Jiang explained, noting that after these conversations, the temple's colours were adjusted to be warmer and more welcoming.

Once complete, the Bahá'í House of Worship will be the first constructed in Canada, and the Don Valley Education Centre will serve as a facility for the training institute, offering educational programmes to families, children, and youth.

Houses of Worship are currently located around the world in Kampala, Sydney, Frankfurt, Panama City, Apia, New Delhi, Santiago, and Wilmette near Chicago. Along with Canada, there are also plans to build Houses of Worship in Brazil, Malawi, and the Philippines.

"The temple is a gift to Canada as a nation," said Karen McKye, Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada. "It is a place of acceptance, of oneness, and belonging."

The Bahá'í Faith is an independent religion based on the spiritual and social teachings of Bahá'u'lláh. The religion has been present in Canada since 1898, and has grown to include more than 35,000 people among its membership.