Visitors to Wilmette's shoreline will find the towering Bahá'í House of Worship hard to miss. The young faith chose to locate its first temple in the western hemisphere here for its geographic centrality, lake views and tranquility. The Bahá'í belief in the unity of religion is communicated throughout the design, with French-Canadian architect Louis Bourgeois bringing together characteristics of religious architecture from around the world. For instance, the Temple's arabesque panels embrace natural light during the day and illuminate from within at night, creating a "Temple of Light and Unity." The dome is composed of cast concrete panels mounted on a steel superstructure, and, to achieve the whitest possible surface, white Portland cement was combined with crushed quartz. The Temple's planning and construction spanned decades, finally completing in 1953.
