Despite slowdowns in aspects of the project to ensure the safety of personnel on the construction site, foundational work advances and nears completion.

BAHA’I WORLD CENTRE — The momentous process of raising the Shrine of ‘Abdu’l-Baha continues to advance, while work practices adhere to all public health measures required by the authorities that ensure the safety of personnel on the construction site.

A tower crane now rises over the site, assisting the work to lay the foundations for the edifice. On Thursday, the support piles that had been driven deep at the center of the site were capped with a layer of concrete that will help provide stability for the structure to be erected above.

The foundations that will support the north and south entrances leading toward the central structure and the walls that will enclose an inner garden area are taking shape. As a result, an imprint of the design’s elegant geometry is now visible for the first time.

Although certain operations have necessarily slowed or stopped, progress is being made at each stage with the approval of local authorities.

The detailed designs needed for future work are taking their final shape while preparations for further stages of construction have begun. Initial tests are underway on innovative techniques needed to build the intricate marble-clad trellis and skylights that will stretch out from the central structure to the surrounding gardens.