3099067 Regarded rather as structural art than architecture, his notable thin shell structures combine structural rationality, extraordinary form efficiency, and high aesthetic value. Félix Candela worked as an architect upon his arrival in Mexico until 1949 when he started to engineer many concrete structures utilizing his well-known thin-shell design. In 1956, Mexican President Adolfo Ruiz Cortinessaid “Nothing could b… By closing this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Thanks to self-education in shell design and construction during 1950 and 1951, by the end of 1951 Candela began to gain international recognition. I use the methodology of semiotic analysis to study selected examples of churches designed by Candela in Mexico. To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our Cookie Policy. The impact of these forms on the subconscious level is especially important in ecclesiastical architecture, which is both a community space for social gatherings and a very special personal space for contemplation and divine experience. Download; Tools. roof. But the shells that made Candela’s international reputation were those whose twisted forms were very complex, with spectacular, soft, sinuous forms. I argue that understanding the inherent logic of the structure and reading the encoded symbolic meaning of the form leads to the intuitive perception of architectural space as a sacred place. Register to receive personalised research and resources by email, The semantics of Félix Candela’s thin shell structures: a case study of two churches, Department of Architecture and Habitat Sciences Centro Roberto Garza Sada Universidad de Monterrey Neuvo Leon, Mexico, /doi/full/10.1080/13602365.2020.1784980?needAccess=true. In this article, I focus on the semantics of Candela’s structures and the meaning they convey. Candela emigrated to Mexico in 1939 and began to design and help construct buildings in that country. Félix Candela’s contribution to modern architecture is internationally acknowledged. Félix Candela is one of the greatest structural engineers of the twentieth century. All of these concepts are realized in the thinness of Candela’s concrete shells, with their grace and refinement of form, and their endurance. Candela did most of his work in Mexico throughout the 1950s and into the late 60s. Felix Candela, Spanish-born architect, designer of reinforced-concrete (ferroconcrete) structures distinguished by thin, curved shells that are extremely strong and unusually economical. Félix Candela’s fourth thin concrete shell built, the Cosmic Rays Laboratory, was the first of his stunning hyperbolic paraboloids, the form of his most famous structures. Recommended. Registered in England & Wales No. Candela was born in Spain, and in 1939 he was exiled to Mexico where he created all of his major thin shell concrete constructions. The laboratory is the thinnest major structure ever built. The presentation examines these three ideals, and it presents a detailed examination of Candela’s greatest works through a structural engineering lens. Scholars have focused on the spatial and formal characteristics of the hyperbolic paraboloids, the geometric form Candela worked most intensely with. Félix Candela is one of the greatest structural engineers of the twentieth century. He was responsible for more than 300 works and 900 projects in this time period. Felix Candela, exponent of thin-shell concrete structures, has died aged 86. We use cookies to improve your website experience. This work was supported by the Universidad de Monterrey. Most of his early thin-shell forms during this period were copies, with minor modifications, of those he had read about. Candela’s work demonstrates three ideals which are essential to the education of structural engineers and to anyone with an appreciation for the built Download Citation; Add to Favorites; Track Citations; Permissions; Share. But his radical designs have so far been mainly studied from a constructive point of view. Thin Shell Structures of Felix Candela By Jennifer Anna Pazdon. Félix Candela’s contribution to modern architecture is internationally acknowledged. Many of his larger projects were given to him by the Mexican government, such as the Cosmic Rays Pavilion. Candela was born in Spain, and in 1939 he was exiled to Mexico where he created all of his major thin shell concrete constructions. Most of his coverings were 4 cm thick, although on special occasions he made them as thin as 1.5 cm. The aesthetic beauty of these forms has also been considered only in its relation to the function, efficiency, and economy of these structures. Regarded rather as structural art than architecture, his notable thin shell structures combine structural rationality, extraordinary form efficiency, and high aesthetic value. Admired equally by architects and engineers, he was an honorary fellow of the riba, and an Institution of Structural Engineers gold medallist. Candela’s work demonstrates three ideals which are essential to the education of structural engineers and to anyone with an appreciation for the built environment: first, the true ethos of engineering, namely, to conserve natural resources by minimizing materials; second, the ethic of engineering, to reduce cost by intimately connecting design to construction; and third, the aesthetic of engineering, to create beautiful forms. 77 Massachusetts Avenue - Cambridge, MA 02139, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University. Los Manantiales was created as Candela’s mastery thin-shell concrete construction was solidifying. He Born in Madrid, Candela emigrated to Mexico in 1939, and eventually moved to the us in 1971. 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG.