 The 58 Pentelikon marble Corinthian columns add to the majesty of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice. |
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 Dignitaries and pilgrims from all over the globe are received in these formal reception rooms by the members of the Universal House of Justice. |
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The second building completed on the Arc, the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, faces across the bay from 'Akká. It was completed in 1983 under the direction of the Universal House of Justice (C-434). Bahá'u'lláh designated the institution of the Universal House of Justice to be the divinely guided international council of governance in the Bahá'í Faith. This institution is comprised of nine Bahá'ís who are democratically elected, without campaign or nominations, every five years during the holy festival of Ridvan, which commemorates the Declaration of Bahá'u'lláh (T-44, 45). Regarding the Seat the Universal House of Justice, Shoghi Effendi wrote that it "will not only serve the practical needs of a steadily consolidating administrative center but will, for centuries to come, stand as a visible expression of the majesty of the divinely ordained institutions of the Administrative Order of Bahá'u'lláh (D-204)." Also, the following from the Holy Bible (Mich. 4:1-2) is believed by many Bahá'ís to refer to the Seat of the Universal House of Justice.
Hossein Amanat, the building's architect, fashioned its structure using the classic style of the International Bahá'í Archives Building. Its dome is also directly proportional to the dome on the monument of Bahá'u'lláh's daughter, the Greatest Holy Leaf. Inside is the council chamber of the Universal House of Justice and the offices of its members. Its six stories, encompassing 11,000 square meters, are made of Ferro-concrete and covered in Pentelikon marble from Greece (W-2). The interior is furnished with polished granite, wood, and decorations from around the world.
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