The Plano Center in Texas

The dream of building the Plano Center was initiated by the Bahá’ís of Plano, Texas around 1992. It was essentially a grassroots Bahá’í development project arising out of the assessment of local needs, and its development is focused on increasing the capacity of the Plano Bahá’í Community and its Local Spiritual Assembly to take concrete steps that promote the spiritual transformation, social and economic development in the Plano, and to contribute toward the realization of the Bahá'í vision of the future in the creation of a peaceful global society that fosters both individual and collective well-being. 

The vision, passion, and sacrifice of the Bahá’ís of Plano carried the idea from its simple beginning to the opening and dedication of this magnificent place of worship in 2003. 

During those eleven years, the Bahá’ís of Plano were challenged to reach new heights of service and dedication to their growing faith, and to the vast project they had undertaken.

In spite of enormous financial challenges, and their obligations to contribute funds regularly to other national and international Bahá’í projects that were underway, and their relatively small numbers in Plano, which currently is about 270 Bahá’ís, and the recent global economic downturn, they persevered.

Financed almost entirely by voluntary contributions by the Bahá’ís of Plano with some help from the other believers in the surrounding cities of Allen, Carrollton, Frisco, Garland, McKinney and Richardson, the Plano Center is a testimony to the unity of the human race.

Mr. Hossein Amanat, the world-renowned and distinguished Canadian architect who is originally from Iran is the chief architect of the Plano Center.

Among some of his high-profile and prestigious modern architectural projects are the Shahyad, or Freedom, Monument in Tehran, which represents the Persian civilization and has become the symbol of modern Iran today. His design of the Iranian Embassy in China is recognized as one of the most distinguished landmark architecture in Beijing . These designs represented Mr. Amanat’s avant-garde style of architecture which applied the principles of traditional Persian architecture and geometry to modern structures.

Mr. Amanat’s contributions to the Bahá’í World are enormous and include such magnificent buildings as the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, Centre for the Study of the Texts, Centre for International Counselors, and the Archives Building constructed on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. These buildings were designed in the classical Greek style, and are pavilions above ground adorning the existing beautiful gardens with the rest of the spaces underground, and using light wells to ensure natural light. This represented a departure from his earlier avant-garde style of architecture. In design of these buildings, he has managed to combine the design elements of the Western classical architecture with the Eastern principles at its heart to create his unique, complex and beautiful style of architecture.