Board of Bahá’í Temple Unity ordered Mr. Bourgeois to prepare a set of drawings altering this particular feature. This work was in the nature of an experiment to assure the members of the Board in whose hands the responsibility rested, that the Bahá’ís were not making a mistake in building a structure that thus radically departed from recognized architectural standards. The result of the experiment justified Mr. Bourgeois, for it was found that the life and beauty of the original model was not in the building shown in the experimental drawing. “It became a rigid structure and lacked motion.” (Bourgeois).
The Executive Board also felt it necessary to submit the design to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and since it was obviously impossible to send the model to Haifa they directed Mr. Bourgeois to prepare drawings showing a front elevation and a cross section of the building intending that the architect himself should take these to Haifa and there receive ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s instructions regarding the building. This was done. About the middle of January, 1921, Mr. Bourgeois sailed to the Holy Land. The drawings were left with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and they now hang in the shrine of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
It will also be noted that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Tablet just quoted directed that if possible the size and cost of the building should be considerably reduced. To comply with this instruction the Executive Board directed Mr. Bourgeois to make experimental drawings to determine whether or not the design would lend itself as it stood to the necessary reduction. It was in the main found to be feasible, the only notable change in the building being in the number of windows on either side of the entrance doors. All of this work was done in the period intervening between the Convention, which was held in April 1920 and the first of January 1921. The size of the structure was reduced from 450 ft. in diameter to 153 ft. in diameter, and the estimated cost reduced to about $1,200,000.00. This includes a rough plaster interior, an ornamental iron rail on the balcony, but no decorations for the interior.
ENGINEER’S REPORT
“My contact with the Bahá’í Temple project in Wilmette started in the fall of 1920. I met some members of the Board at that time in connection with the discussion of some municipal plans of the Village of Wilmette in their relation to the Temple project. I also conferred with Mr. McDaniel regarding the foundation plan, which he was preparing at that time, and gave some assistance to the Board in securing bids and letting the contract for the caisson foundations which supported the central portion of the building. This contract was let to Mr. Avery Brundage on the 17th day of December, 1920.
“On January 5, 1921, I entered into a contract with the Bahá’í Temple Unity to serve as its structural engineer and superintendent of construction. By this contract I undertook to prepare the structural, mechanical, electrical and sanitary engineering plans and specifications and to supervise the entire construction. This contract is still in effect. It was stipulated in the contract that I was authorized to proceed with the preparations of the plans for the foundations and basement structure and that should not prepare any plans of the superstructure until further authorized.
“It was further contemplated that it would not be necessary for me to make plans of the caisson foundations so that on this item my compensation would
be for supervision only. How-