Félix Candela Builder of Dreams

edited by

Fausto Giovannardi

Felix Candela Costruttore Costruttore di sogni

2

Felix Candela Costruttore di sogni

At the beginn inning ing of modern, steel

Life

manufacturers said the impulse to create

Outeriño Félix Candela, was one of the

new models. The next innovation to wrap

most important architects of the twentieth

the concrete has led to materialize the

century. His adventurous life can be

most extreme forms: the boldness was

divided into three periods, matching his

accompanied to the imagination and the

stay in Spain, Mexico and the United

forms and materials have been adapted

States.

at all efforts. One of the main protagonists

The first period runs from birth, in Madrid

of this this deve develo lopm pmen entt was was arou around nd the the

on January 27, 1910, until the end of the

midd middle le of last last centu entury ry Féli Félixx Cand Candel ela a (hereafter FC), who is remembered for his his

extr extrao aord rdin inar aryy

roof roof of rein reinfo forc rced ed

concrete shell, the shape of hyperbolic paraboloids. Spanish Civil War in March 1939. La obras mejor es la que sostiene por 1

su forma.

Son of traders from Crevillente (Valencia), which tells you not heard the

Eduardo Torroja

call, which seems to have had other famous architects or engineers, but that had little since the desire to build. Completed higher studies, is enrolled in the School of Architecture in Madrid for the event or the advice of a friend. Now you wilt in the study of descriptive geometry, and the third year in the Resistencia de Materiales, who studied with Professor Luis Vegas, where he became a student assistant. His interest in the artistic aspects was very low, and also in the field of design is declared incapable. Its focus was entirely on the technical side of architecture and usually for exact sciences.

1

The best work is that it maintains for its shape.

In Youth FC was a good athlete and won 3


the Architectural Form". Decided to use

the prize for an internship in Germany and Finsterwalder Dischinger, had already purchased the train ticket to leave on July 18 1936, when the news came the attempted military coup by the troops of Francisco Franco, and Félix Candela several national competitions in alpine

not departed. Shortly after it enlisted, the

skiing and rugby team.

army as a volunteer Republican to defend

The years of its formation were years of

the legality of golpisti against Franco.

great political and cultural effervescence,

Years later, thinking back to this choice,

culminating in 1931 with the proclamation

FC showed no regrets, and indeed i ndeed said:

of the Second Spanish Republic, which

"I could not even benefit from the

put an end to the monarchy of Alfonso

knowledge of German professors,

XIII. The cultural openness of the new

learned some lessons from the revolution

government allowed the proliferation of

and civil war, I was very useful ." ."

new and different philosophical and

FC was assigned to Comandancia de

artistic trends.

Obras to Albacete and shortly after was

He graduated in 1935, immediately

promoted to Capitán de Ingenieros. The

opened a small studio with Eduardo

civil war 2was long and ended with the

Robles and Ramirez Dampierre. While

victory of the nationalists of Francisco

arrangement giving repetitions and doing

Franco. After a long retreat through the

small jobs, Candela deepened the study of structure design of steel and reinforced concrete. The shell structures that are built in Europe in the twenties (Dischinger in Germany, Freyssinet in France, Nervi in Italy and Eduardo Torroja in Spain, etc.) Drew the attention of very young Candela, so much so that in 1936 won a scholarship Study of the Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, with the argument: "The influence of new trends in the technique of reinforced concrete above

2

The Spanish Civil War breaks out in 1936. The general elections of February 16 left-wing forces are returning to the government, through the first experiment of Popular Front. On July 18, however, the situation falls: some military garrisons arise against the Republican government ( "alzamiento") and General Franco arrived on the national soil with the colonial troops from Morocco. It is the beginning of the civil war, with serious repercussions on the international level. Spain is the scene of the first armed clash between fascism and antifascism, with the participation of many intellectuals from all over the world, from the U.S. (from Dos Passos to Hemingway), and with the Italians - the Mussolini black shirts from a hand, and the anti-fascists and anarchists on the other - committed on both sides. The war will end at the end of March 1939 with nearly one million dead and the victory of the nationalists of Francisco Franco and the establishment of a dictatorship based on the legislative power of the "Caudillo" and the repression of opponents (the "Feroz Matanza "), Which will last until 1975 and cause the deaths of 200,000 anti-fascists, hundreds of thousands of people sentenced to various penalties, 300,000 exiles. 4


Pyrenees, the group Candela found

moved to Mexico City to work with Jesús

refuge in the concentration camp at

Martí, a refugee himself Spanish, who

Perpignan, France, where he remained

directed a study of architecture. There it

for four months as an exile 3, the fate

remained for four years, probably the

wished that her name was among those

most peaceful of his life, working on the

that Mexico was willing to accept .

construction of many residential buildings,

Candela landed at Veracruz (Mexico) on

and the reconstruction of the Casino de la

June 13 1939. Among the more than a

Selva in Cuernavaca, recently returned to

thousand exiled Spaniards, who were

the fore because nearly destroyed to

welcomed in Mexico, 25 were architects,

make way for a supermarket4. In just

and Felix Candela one of the youngest. In

created a hotel and a cinema in

addition to Spanish, other architects also

Guamúchil and built its first line of section

arrived foreigners fleeing from totalitarian

(at trial) and then apply it in the draft of a

regimes in Europe, as Cetto and Hannes

ural school in Tamaulipas.

Max Meier.

The gain realized that he was sufficient to

The arrival of this flower technicians

come to Mexico, Spain, his mother and

coincided with a period of great

his sister Julia and also shortly after his

development for the Central American

brother Antonio 5.

country, where government incentives

Confident and optimistic for the prospects

construction, to meet the popular demand

of his work, decided to found a building

of residences.

contractor specializing in roofing. Thus

Thus beginning the second period of his

cubiertas Ala, a company with the

life. Initially settled in a Spanish colony colony of exiles, 100 km north of Chihuahua, where shortly after she married Eladio Martin, who knew from Madrid. In 1941 both took the Mexican nationality. Since their marriage were born four children: Antonia, Teresa, and sister Pilar and Manola. During the years 1941 and 1942 Felix Candela worked in Acapulco, in partnership with a manufacturer. It then 3

France recognized the Franco government, and then exiles became a problem.

4

A serious attack on the World Cultural Heritage has been made in Cuernavaca in Mexico: the destruction of the Casino de la Selva, the Mexican Sistine Chapel. " The Mexican weekly 'La Jornada' reported the protest of Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez who, along with a group of intellectuals, will submit to UNESCO a project to transform the Casino de la Selva in an International Institute of the Arts. The building was a 'work of famous Spanish architect Felix Candela that ahead of the curve, the known hazards hyperbolic parabolic dome. The demolition, authorized by the Municipal Presidency, started by the U.S. supermarket chain Price costs, continuing with considerable environmental damage by the Wall-Mart, even without the permission of Environmental Management. A massacre aggravated by the destruction of works of art of painting murals that were inside the complex, signed works by Siqueiros, Orozco, Rivera, Silvio Benedetto, Atl, messenger, Camarena, Renau, Meza, Flores, Ballester, Gonzales, Cueva Del Rio, Pena, Icaza. An even ecological disaster, one that involved the "Jardin de l'Art" (another name of the Casino de la Selva). The weekly Valencia 'El temps' in an article entitled "Vandalism in Mexico'" the complaint also killing lots of trees. 5 The Rangel brothers were members for only 3 years. Felix assumed the presidency, while Antonio who was master builder, took care of yards and Julia administration. The company will operate until 1976, but will leave the Félix Candela in 1969. 5


architects brother Raul and Fernando

fortuitous double curvature surface.

Fernandez Rangel, who was also

In 1951 Candela achieves coverage that

participate Antonio and Julia.

will give him international fame: the

In this endeavor Felix Candela was

Pabellón de rayos Cósmicos. A small

architect, engineer, consultant, computer,

pavilion 12 x 10.75 meters, designed by

contractor and manufacturer. His first

Jorge González Reyna and build within

contract was a block of apartments with

the university campus, to host a

shops on the ground floor. The structural

workshop.

calculations and drawings executives

Specialist for measuring neutrons. The

were treated to the smallest details. The

request was that of the coverage had a

same client then entrusted the

thickness not exceeding 1.5 cm. Candela

construction of Hotel Catedral in calle de

propose to use a double curvature

Donceles (DF) on draft Nabor Carrillo,

instead of the cylindrical coverage

who later become rector of UNAM 6. While working hard, Candela continued to study and to upgrade. Reading an article about Winter Grorge Journal of the American Concrete Institute, which discussed the construction of times a double curvature, rekindled his interest for the young thin shell structures. He began to search for articles and, after having translated with the help of the dictionary from English, French and German, began to study them in depth, seeking the ability to calculate these structures using the simplest of those

provided in the draft Gonzàlez Reyna,

classics. A second trial, he was standing

arguing that this gave the geometric

in the soil of the Fabric Fernàndez. Issue

stiffness needed to allow the execution of

once conoidale 15 x 6 meters, with a

a cover thickness. This was the first

thickness of 3 cm, supported on the

example in which Candela used a

sides, two strings of different bolt, one of

solution of parabolide hyperbolic (or

them very low, much to generate a

Hypar 7), a geometric shape that had 7

6

National Autonomous University of Mexico.

The structures in the shape of hyperbolic paraboloids (Hypar with the abbreviation USA) in architecture have been realized for the first time dall'ingegnere Russian Vladimir Shuklov 6


studied in an article published in 1936 8,

company cubiertas Ala, as a collaborator

and that will come to know and dominate,

of the main architects Mexicans10, who

used with great virtuosity, to generate

had their increasingly capricious projects,

those Manti soft and sinuous that

he was almost a magician. Candela

constitute its most emblematic creations.

defined geometrically, regularized,

The success that got him exclaim9: "que

rejected what seemed illogical and

es fácil hacerse famous", and such a

transformed ideas into a project, which

strong stimulus for creative and

instructed the calculation of the building

confidence in their skills. He began to

and then convert the idea into reality. In

write articles about his work and sent one

regards wrote in 1959: " My main job is to

of the first, entitled "Consideraciones al

simplify and regularize the rough and I

Diseño de Estructuras de Reforzado

have to convince that the outcome is not

Concrete", all 'ACI Journal, who refused

in constructing forms extravagant, but get

because little technical. (The newspaper,

things simple, carefully studying the

two years later, he accepted his job

details."

"Estructuras de Simples Concrete"). In

Between 1951 and 1953 created 5

1951 presented an essay, "Hacia una

residential buildings for the periodic

nueva de las Estructuras Philosophy," the

Novedades, who drawn between its

Mexican Scientific Congress II.

subscribers, in the Jardin del Pedregal,

Meanwhile (1953) became a professor

within the revolutionary project of urban

and then head of the department of

Luis Barragàn. Candela used shells, as

architecture at the University of Mexico

interp, but the experience is not found

City. From the construction of Pabellón de rayos Cósmicos, Candela began to receive assignments of greater importance. Mostly worked with his (1853-1939), which rifece to areas with double curvature, defined by analytically Russian mathematician Nikolai Lobachevsky. The first structure was the coverage of the Russian pavilion of 1896 to Nizhny Novgorod.

F. Amond “ Etude Etude statiq statique ue des voiles voiles minces minces en parabo paraboloid loidee ee hyperb hyperboli olique que travai travaillan llantt sans sans flexio flexion” n” Zurich,1936 9 “por “por fin, fin, al cump cumplilirr los los quar quaran anta ta anos anos,, desc descub ubrì rì asombr asombrado ado que mi desord desordena enata ta y casual casual formac formaciòn iòn parecì parecìa a haber haber sido sido mister misterios iosame amente nte dirigi dirigida da en un determ determina inado do sentit sentito o que me permit permitia ia encont encontrar rarme me prepar preparado ado para la labor que tenìa tenìa que ejecutar ejecutar”” F. Candela: En defensa del formalismo y otros escrittos , Xairat Ediciones, Bilbao 1985 , p.9 8

11

10

The key collaborations: Los Almacenes de Las Aduanas (customs warehouses) Vallejo, 1953 with Carlos Recamier. The markets, built between 1955 and 1956 in Coyoacan, Azcapotzalco and Anahuac, with Pedro Ramirez Vàzquez and Rafael Mijares. The Restaurant at Los Manantiales Xochimilco, in 1958, with Joaquin A'lvarez Ordoñez The Capilla de abierta Palmira in Cuernavaca in 1959 with Rosell and Manuel Guillermo Larrosa. Then there is a long and fruitful relationship with Enrique de La Mora Lopez and Fernando Carmona, which began in 1955 with coverage of the stock market (Bolsa de valores) of Mexico, the various churches: el Altillo (Coyoacan, 1955), San Antonio de las Huertas (DF, 1955), San Jose obrero (monterrey, 1959), San Vicente de Paul (DF, 1959), which continued even when the two architects are separated in 1960 with the church of Santa Monica Lopez of Carmona and in 1963 with the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Madrid, which was the first by a Mexican architect in Spain and which marked the return of professional Candela in his native homeland. In last collaboration with Santiago Calatrava for the project of 'Oceanographic in Valencia, work completed posthumously.

F. Candela, “Carta de Fèlix Candela al director” in Arquitectura, Madrid Ottobre 1959

11

7


positive and not the shots anymore.

works of the company cubiertas Ala are

A year after he built his own house, a villa

worthy of mention, in Mexico: Atzeca

in traditional Mediterranean style, a

Stadium, the University Theater Center

Tlacopac, in the south east of Mexico

and the Electronic National Autonomous

City. In this regard commented: commented: "I will not

University of Mexico, the monumental

chance to show my house a few architect

arch of Monterrey, and in the international

,..., all hope that living in a monstrous

arena, the Cuban Presidential Palace,

turned with the roof and walls of glass." 12

whose creation was decided before the

In this period Candela built the first

fall of Batista, the Auditorium of

prototype paraguas (umbrella).

Cartography of Caracas, the Auditorium

Quadrangular coverage consists of four

of Maracaibo, the Hemisfair Tower of San

timpani of hypar, supported by a single

Antonio, the Crystal Palace in London

central pillar, which found space inside

and the sports complex at the University

the pipe rain. Because of its cost-

of Rhode Brown Island.

effectiveness and speed of construction

They were the years when Félix Candela,

(you could reuse the same housing), this

now considered the main designer of

structure had a huge spread and was the

times in the world, was a constant

kind of coverage required by most

presence in magazines worldwide, and

builders and architects Mexicans, for

was invited to give lectures in many

industrial buildings and above all service

universities, mainly in the U.S.. His

stations.

reports were always an example of simplicity and they confirmed the

In its 26 years of operation (1950-1976)

skepticism of youth compared to the

the company cubiertas Ala performed an

complicated calculations of the theory of

impressive number of works: 1439 drew

membrane structures. The criticisms

up plans, which were built 896, of which

made to the theory that the role of

over 90% were industrial buildings. The

practice, created hostilities within the

period of increased activity was between

many small circuit of international

1956 and 1960, five of which were built in

specialists.

a total of 395 works. 13

In July 1961, in London, during the

Among the Giral, Giral, A. « la arquit arquitect ectura ura de Fèlix Fèlix Candel Candela a » in AA.VV.El desierro espanol en America. Madrid Min. Cultura. 13 Tabla de obras de Cubiertas Ala, Germenon Salum da Juan Tonda Magallón Ediciones Corunda 2000 Mexico DF 12

congress of the International Union of Architects (UIA) he was awarded 8


the prestigious Auguste Perret Prize for

were no more conditions (suitable for

the excellence of his work. A month after

manod'opera and low so, flexible rules

he was decorated with a gold medal that

and creativity) of the gold. And then

the Institution of Engineers structural

starts the third period of his life, in which

engineers assigned to the best structural

Candela had a profound transformation

engineers in the world (before him:

professional and creative led him to

JFBaker in 1052, Eugene Freyssinet

abandon his work as designer

1957, Hardy Cross 1958).

/manufacturer. Moved to Chicago where

In 1963 his wife died five years later she

he was a full-time professor at the

married Candela, the architect U.S.

University of Illinois from 1971 to 1978,

Dorothy Davies.

when it adopted U.S. citizenship. Do not

The last important work of Felix Candela

let all of his creative work, is associated

was the Palazzo dello Sport for the

to the study Idea Center in Toronto and

Olympic Games in Mexico City in 1968,

attended to ambitious projects, including

built in collaboration with Enrique

the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid

Castañeda and Antonio Peyre, which

(that project was not realized), the City of

replaced the use of shells of concrete, not

Sport in Kuwait, the Islamic Cultural

suitable for large lights , With an

Center Madrid, a tower of offices in

economic and ingenious semi-metal

Riyadh, an airport in Murcia, coverage for

structure, divided into panels that are

a stadium Islamic University in Riyadh,

inserted elements shaped paraguas,

the Feria de Muestras of Marbella, the

covered with plates of copper. The effect

Legislature of Veracruz, the Master Plan

is that of the shell of a large turtle, which

of Islamic, the Prosecutor of Xalapa hotel

has become a symbol of the Mexican

in Cancun, and ultimately the City of Arts

capital. In 1971, after nearly two decades decades

and Science in Valencia, with space built

teaching at the National Autonomous

in the park where Oceanographic

University of Mexico, decided to emigrate to the U.S., to teach at the University of Illinois. This influenced the decision, the misunderstandings with the management of the Faculty of Architecture, the new American wife and the decline of his company cubiertas Ala, a consequence of the fact that times had changed and there 9


coverage of access and the restaurant are underwater parabolidi hyperbolic concrete, made in collaboration with Santiago Calatrava, which has the merit of making worthy tribute to this great teacher, for too long forgotten. Is to Valencia, as a result of again of an old heart disease, Félix Candela returned to the United States, to Raleigh in North Carolina, where he lived from 1990 to be admitted all'Hospital de Duke, where he died on December 7 1997 .

10


The projects and achievements

Some of the major works and projects by Félix Candela: 1940 Hotel e appartamenti appartamenti ad Acapulco, in collaborazione collaborazione con Bringas. Bringas. 1950-1951 Pabellón de los Rayos Cósmicos, Città del Messico. 1953-1957 Iglesia de la Medalla de la Virgen Milagrosa, Navarte. 1954-1955 Fábrica Celestino Fernández, Colonia Vallejo. 1954-1955 Bolsa de Valores, Città del Messico. 1955 Capilla de Nuestra Señora de la l a Soledad, Coyoacán. 1955-1956 Quiosco de Música, Santa Fe. 1956 Capilla de San Antonio de las Huertas, Tacuba. 1956-1957 Club notturno La Jacaranda, Acapulco. 1956-1957 Restaurante Los Manantiales, Xochimilco. 1957-1958 Capilla abierta en Lomas de Cuernavaca, Palmira. 1958-1959 Basílica de Guadalupe, Città del Messico. 1958-1959 Iglesia de San José Obrero, Monterrey. 1959 Capilla de San Vicente Paul, Coyoacán. 1959-1960 Capilla de Santa Mónica, San Lorenzo di Xochimancas. 1959-1960 Planta embotelladora ditta Bacardí, Cuautitlán. 1962-1963 Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Madrid, Spagna. 1965-1968 Palacio de Deportes per la XIX Olimpiade Città del Messico. 1966 Parroquia del Señor del Campo Florido, Città del Messico. 1994-2002 L'Oceanogràfic, Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, Valencia, Spagna.

to

convert

the

structures

lami lamina nari ria a in a work work of art art ." . " His

greatest contribution in the field were were the the

stru struct ctur ural al lami lamina nari ria a

concre concrete te struct structure ures, s, gener generate ated d from from

hyper yperbo bolilicc

par parabo aboloid loidss

(Hyp (Hypar ar), ), a geom geomet etric ric shap shape e of Roofing read in concrete form of

extraordina extraordinary ry effectiven effectiveness, ess, which

arme armed d with with umbr umbrel ella lass spig spigol olos osii

in a draft version, has become the

(edg (edges es)) or sinu sinuou ouss mant mantle le,, that that

hallmark of its architecture.

Felix Candela built in the fifties and sixties, made it a symbol of

The first first shell shell (casca (cascaron rones es14) that

Mexican twentieth century. As Frei

has has built ilt Cand andela ela, was was once nce a

Otto said: "Candela only managed

14

Literally: Shell egg.

11


funi funicu cula larr tria triall in the the summ summer er of

which breaks away supported by a

1949. For its construction followed

small

support

the the exam exampl ple e of some some prot protot otyp ypes es

The

commitment

built in England during the Second

Candela had studied the Strength

World War. It seems that the

of

inventor of the time was Kurt

understand how illusory are the so-

Billing, and the system used to be

called analysis accurate: " When I

called "Ctesiphon", the name of an

star starte ted d to build build shel shells ls,, my mind mind

old arcade building in Syria. The

was

success

this

students we believe in everything

experiment encourages Candela to

that we is taught, for example, that

consider the possibility of devoting

there are methods to calculate the

them themsselv elves

shell hells. s.

exact structures. I started working

pro propos posing ing

to stop believing in everything that I

some someth thin ing g diff differ eren entt in orde orderr to

believed. But this is a necessary, if

surv surviv ive e in the the high highly ly comp compet etiti itive ve

one one

field of construction in Mexico. At

original

abou aboutt the the same same Cand Candel ela, a, said said::

The Pabellón de rayos Cósmicos

"despit despite e the Mexic Mexican an tradit tradition ion of

des designe igned d with with Jorg Jorge e Gonz Gonzal ales es

buildi building ng curve curved d shape shapes s and bold, bold,

Reyn Reyna, a, for for the the city city univ univer ersi sity ty of

concrete vaults were to look with

Mexi Mexico co City City,, with with its its undu undulat latin ing g

suspic suspicion ion.. We though thoughtt they they were were

concrete cover thickness of only 15

unsafe,

subsoil

mm, mm, whic which h allo allows ws meas measur urem emen entt

frequent

from the neutron, is one of the most

achieved

Indi Indisspens ensabie abie

to

build ilding ing was was

because

conditions

with

and

of

Materials

making

want wants s

to

V.

with

allowed

from

which him

school.

to buil build d

to

As

somet ometh hing ing

"

earthquakes"

emblematic buildings of his work.

Cov Coverag erage e for for a coach ach was the the

With its shape, almost a spaceship

second adventure of Candela with

about

hypars. The shape is very similar to

structure acclaimed by all and that

the time of the Pavilion de rayos

brings

Cosmicos But here were omitted

From 1951 to 1953, his work was

arcs irrigidenti. One of the edges

an impressive variety. These two

supp suppor orts ts the the rock rockyy soil soil and and the the

years were essential to understand,

other ther is suppo upport rte ed by a wall all of

almost almost intuit intuitive ively ly how how the shells shells..

conc concre rete te,, the the side sidess of the the shel shelll

Focused on the most simp imple,

to

land,

was

the

first

fame.

12


guided by two principles that are

and to cover the Auditorium of the

essent essential ial in these these struct structure ures: s: the

Facu Faculty lty of Chem Chemic ical al Scie Scienc nces es of

stat static ic and and geom geomet etry ry.. Buil Builtt shor shortt

the University of Mexico City, which

times,

prismatic

and

is

corrugated

sheets,

formed

cones,

domes,

by

fan,

two

almost the entire range of

forms

known.

Reside idence Candela

In

Romero, ro, had

the

opportunity to do a cover sheet to 15

Sinusoidal Sinusoidal .

L'inspirazione

The

inspiration came from a photograph at

Copenhagen,

designed

by

Vilh Vilhelm elm Lauri Lauritz tzen en.. The The stru struct ctur ure e was so obvious that Candela was "trying trying to do someth something ing similar similar ." Cand Candel ela a built built two two more more of thes these e structures.

Methods

of

prefabricated steel were used for Escu Escuol ola a Mont Montes es Alpe Alpess and and for for a semi semina nar. r. The The first first is a twotwo-st stor oryy structure with light of 8 meters and sudd sudden en chan change gess of 2.5 2.5 mt from from both both sides. sides. The secon second d has four floors, and in the original intentions were to be six. Probably this was the first time that shells were used as interpiani. But there were a good solution and Candela came to be "search ch path path withou without t seen as a "sear hope."

1952

is

working

with

Guil Guille lerm rmo o Enri Enriqu que e Yane Yanezz Rose Rosell 15

The covers that folded prism or the Germans call "Faltwerke" and the French "toits plissés" follow the principle of resistance through the corrugated

trun trunca cate ted d cones ones,, join joined ed a long long comm common on bord border er.. The The ligh lightt cone cone risi rising ng from from 9 to 18 mete meters rs.. The The med media were were incl inclin ine ed an add added featur feature, e, compa compared red to the origin original al plan plan to impr improv ove e its appe appear aran ance ce.. Candela

such

comments,

"I

thoug thought ht to avoid avoid the problems problems of calculation on the rods and cones as

giving

form

of

line."

This is the only building in which Candel Candela a has worked worked with with cones cones,, and is also one of the few instances where he worked as a consultant

only

and

not

as

supervisor. In 1953, he built an elliptical dome to cover with a roof of the resi reside denc nce e

hall all

dan dance

Gall Galle ego

Center. The dome is relatively low and based on existing walls, but sinc since e the the plan plant't'ss dome dome does does not not correspond to the walls, his weight is trans transfe ferre rred d to them them thro throug ugh h a complicated

system

of

rays 13


perimeter. Its strength was put to

That this could be a prac ractical

the test when the owners, showing

solution for low cost housing was

a confi onfid denc ence tha that, as Can Candela dela

demonstrat demonstrated ed by several several hundred hundred

says, "I do not fully shared," did you

units erected on the plai lains of

hang

Mon Monterr terrey ey..

in

the

center,

an

old

The

umbr umbre ella lla

sid side

chandelier weighing over one ton.

produced a more attractive roof of

This This conc concen entra trate ted d load load huge huge,, so

the the tradi traditition onal al flat flat plat plate, e, usua usually lly

cheerf cheerfull ullyy impose imposed d on the dome, dome,

used in Mexico for such work. The

was born until now, without signs of strain. The simplest structure created with hypar was the umbrella upside down (paraguas invertido) which combines four rectangular sails, divided by straight lines and is

struct structure ure,, used used in repeat repeated, ed, was

joining the center in a single center

because all the economic load of

column where the exhaust pipe

the roof were focused on one point,

rain. For all this was a very simple

with with the the savi saving ngss resu resulti lting ng in the the

and economical to cover the space

foundations of walls that were not

industry, petrol stations and other

solicited. Candela built for a hotel in

places where moving vehicles.

Cuernavaca, thirty bungalows with

Umbrellas began to be used for

roofs that have a similar plant 14 x

shelters Input attractiveness of

7 mt. mt. Thei Theirr inha inhabit bitan ants ts call called ed the the

laboratories, warehouses and other

"Japanese houses."

buildings. In Candela there are a series of

Soon Soon this this solu solutio tion n cons consis ists ts of a

notes that describe the various

large number of variants, such as

types and sizes possible. One

plant forms rms with ith tria riangular or

show even an umbrella for sample

hex hexagon gonal. The use use of a

plan, designed to resist heavy

diagonal

loads, dedicated to many car parks

allowed to increase the size

plans or wholesale stores.

blanke blankets. ts. Advanc Advancing ing in this this

rib

and

curve

kind of evolution dell'hypar, very very soon soon discov discovere ered d they they 14


were

the

main

dishes

and

asym asymm metri etricc

and and

with ith

diff differ ere ent

horizontal cuts that are hyperbole

curvature to allow the passage of

from which it takes its name

light through this became suitable

pompous

for for buil buildi ding ng chur church ches es and and othe other r

this

surface

almo lmost

magi magica cal.l. Unit Unitin ing g them them for for thei their r

buil buildi ding ngss

curved edges, is formed when two

needs. So it came to designing the

similar

Church of the Virgen de la

at

the

intersection

cyli cylind ndric rical al crui cruisi sing ng aisle aisless of the the

with with

more more

aesth esthet etic ic

milagro.

Medalla

ancien ancientt church churches, es, often often built built with with masonry

brick

or

stone.

The

This church, built from 1953, is an

diff differ eren ence ce now now is that that inst instea ead d of

extraordinary

building.

The

inte inters rsec ectition on of cyli cylind nder ers, s, it has has

powe powerf rful ul stru struct ctur ure e is a fear fearle less ss

un'intersecazione of iperboloidi and

combination of deformed surfaces,

inst instea ead d of maso masonr nry, y, rein reinfo forc rced ed

which create an impressive impressive interior

concrete, concrete, two important important features features of

space. As it seems chaotic, there is

modernity.

the play of natural forms of Gaudi and Picasso cubist experiments.

Subsequently, many works were

Based

on

the

pattern

of

a

performe rmed with the base of a

traditional plant with three naves, at

para parabo bolo loid id with with only only the the edge edgess

shells

limited by arches and many other

thickness, in this work reaches its

combinations were sought from the

highest expression plastic. Candela

edge edge rect rectum um comb combin ined ed with with that that

achieves

bent bent.. With With this this last last comb combin inat atio ion n

innovative structure that recalls the

was very spectacular the Church of

goth gothic ic

4

cm

spectacular

cath cathed edrrals als,

in

and

expr expres esssed

through the structure a sense of

Fern Fernan ando do Lópe Lópezz Carm Carmon ona a and and

asce ascens nsio ion. n. The The main main fron frontt is a

enfo enforc rced ed by cubie cubierta rtass Ala. Ala. In its its

large triangle, while the front side is

plant with a fan, ten branches of

shaped shaped zigza zigzagan gante te genera generated ted by

paraboloid with a clearance of 30 m

the extremes of the four triangular

that have joined the center in one

side chapels. In fact, the structure

stur sturdy dy colu column mn,, whic which h give givess the the

of this church is the result of

impression of being a big palm.

succes successiv sive e paragu paraguas, as, with with whom whom

Then

designed

a

of

by

Santa anta

Món Mónica ica,

coverage

umbrellas

became

he played Candela, a modified form 15


and breaki breaking ng the symmet symmetry. ry. The The

domes daring were built without aid

colu column mnss take take a dist distor orte ted d form form,,

of differential calculus, but instead

desi design gned ed intu intuiti itive vely ly as the the load loadss

of it, made use of a great sense of '

that must lead, and there are no

balance and sensible view of the

capitals

no

game of forces, as very necessary

commun communica icatio tion n betwee between n suppor supportt

for for a manu manufa fact ctur urer er,, much much more more

and coverage, which results in a

profound knowledge of discoveries

single item. Even the high tower is

of mathematics"

made made with with hypar hypars. s. Develo Developer perss of

In an interview at a premium,

the the chur church ch want wanted ed a trad tradititio iona nall

Candela said that this was the work

design (in the Gothic style) and not

that that had given given more more satisf satisfact action ion,,

suspect

and and the the ques questition on of whet whethe herr the the

and

that

virtually

they

might

get

something more. It is as if Candela

public public liked, liked, said, said, "espec "especial ially ly for

you would see how far you can go

women architects like ,..., not. "

with this type of structures. In this

Candela in 1955, built by Enrique

resp respec ect, t, the the Goth Gothic ic chur church ch is a

de la Mora and Fernando Carmona

tria triang ngul ular ar,,

Lópe Lópezz a seri series es of stru struct ctur ures es.. La

with ith all all

its its vert vertic ical al

emphasis. Given the basic idea of

Capilla

umbrellas and their zigzag edges

comple completely tely differ different ent conce concept pt than than

thro throug ugh h the the air, ir, Can Candela dela said aid:

that of the church de la Medalla

"Eve "Every ryth thin ing g in her her desi design gnss are are

mila milagr gro. o. Artw Artwor orkk crea create ted d by this this

more or less by himself." The

collab collabora oratio tion n was the New Stock Stock

prel prelim imin inar aryy draf draftt was was done done in an

Exch Exchan ange ge of Value Valuess of Call Calle e de

afternoon, designed in a week and

Uruguay in Mexico City, which was

calculated during construction. The

built in a coverage of 15 x 26 m

calculations (necessarily extended,

and a height of 8.25 m in the

because all surfaces have different

center,

configuration)

an

corners

the the

example of an object with the draft.

unex nexpecte ected d

revealed push ush

towa toward rdss

del

Altillo

supported which

had

16

a

in

the

four

was

the

first

upper edges of the roof. The

This is a particular feature which

comm commen ents ts on this this proje project ct led led to

has qualified the work of Candela:

Cand Candel ela a wrot wrote: e: "Som "Somet etim imes es the the

the develop lopment of the draf raft.

imposing ing stone of the Gothic cathedrals

and

Renaissance

Ramire Ramirezz Dampie Dampierre rre in Arquit Arquitect ectura ura n.30 n.30 giugno 1961 Madrid. 16

16


Candela says have come almost by

to Xochimilco, built between 1957

intuition: "I knew that the draft was

and and 1958 1958,, the the arch archititec ectt for for the the

a

project project Joaquín Joaquín Álvarez Álvarez Ordóñez, Ordóñez,

practice,

long

before

we

inte intelle llect ctua ually lly unde unders rsta tand nd how how

it

worked," and also describes how to

where sometimes polygonal came at 25 and 30 meters in diameter.

obtain the necessary resistance, "if we want to keep the edges free, we must

provide

some

edges

or

corners, that reach the ground for inclined lines ... "17

From such a time of four branches, it was proven proven variant variant three, five six more branches, to become a plant poly polygo gona nall time timess with with the the same same solu solutio tion n to iper iperbo bolo loid idii cloa cloaks ks.. With With this this type type were were carr carrie ied d out out

many jobs, the most extraordinary of which is the dining room at the Casino de la Selva in Cuernavaca (five branches) and the restaurant Los Manantiale Manantialess (eight branches) branches) F.Candela in Arquitectura/Mexico anno XXX tomo XXIII,n.100 aprile/giugno 1968

17

17


Another work is characterized in its

that allow the passage of light. The

great production, quality and

outer perimeter arches are closed

innovative proposal: the building of

by large windows which, the

bottling factory Bacardi (1958). For

dynamic space, along with ribs and

the building of Bacardi, Candela

triangular windows, an amazing

was inspired to form the airport of

brightness.

San Luis Minoru Yamasaki of

The building of Candela is not far

Missouri. Six large domes of 30

from the project that Mies van der

meters of light and 4 cm thick,

Rohe has done in Mexico: the

arranged in pairs to form three

place of Bacardy y Cia. Open as

rows, covering an area of more

usual Candela, he criticized the

than 5000 square meters. Each

large flat recital coverage against

dome is a square and composed

nature to the concrete work in that

from two hypar, with the four sides

form little logic, and then

by archways delimited parabola

estrendere dissent across the

profile inclined to "draft", from

rationalist architecture.

which, in parts of fit, vertical

In 1961, while he was in London,

triangular sections, sealed glass,

the sixth International Congress of 18


Architects, FC was impressed by

One recent work (1967)

the project of the "itinerant theater,"

which ich

was

design igned

by a young Spanish student Emilio

cove covera rage ge of the the hall hall of stat statio ion n of

Perez Piñero (1935-1972) and

Metro Candelaria, which uses the

won. He began a passionate

same kind of umbrella of x14 m 6,

friendship and cooperation that is

repeated for 22 times, grouped in

expressed in the draft competition

11 pairs pairs symm symmet etric rical al leav leavin ing g an

for the coverage of the Anoeta

aisle Central to the central zenithal

Velodrome in San Sebastian (ES).

lighting. In these umbrellas formed

For this job FC returned to Spain in

a kind ind of palm palm leaf leaf with ith twe twelve lve

1972. The project provided a great

man mantle. tle. The resu result ltin ing g effe effecct is

dome geodetic, obtained the

striking, with the columns (4 meters

intersection of three families of

high) that seem the trunk of the

arms, forming reticles regular

palm species naturally.

hexagons and triangles and a

One recent work (1967) (1967) which was

mesh is inserted covering elements

designed Candela coverage of the

of hypar. Emilio Perez Piñero, a

hall of station of Metro Candelaria,

young genius of the structures,

which uses the same kind of

ended his earthly extraordinary

umbrella of x14 m 6, repeated for

adventure, in an accident with his

22 times, grouped in 11 pairs

Ferrari, a Dali, and visited some

symmetric rical

sites.

Cent Centra rall to the the centr entra al zenit enitha hall

.

lighting. In these umbrellas formed

leaving

Candela

an

aisle

a kind kind of palm palm leaf leaf with with twel twelve ve mant mantle le.. The The resu resultltin ing g effe effect ct is strikin iking g, with ith the columns (4 meters high) that seem the trunk of the palm species naturally..

Cubiertas Ala 19


With his company Cubiertas Ala.

the thin strips of concrete that

were made 1439 projects, of which

comply with these shells, do not

896 built. A lot of these buildings

comply with the regulations for

was an industrial and well known

construction in the more developed

forms of umbrellas, which still can

countries. In this regard Candela

be seen in many gas stations and

writes:

service of the Federal District

"The strict regulations of what can

(Mexico City). You must remember

be done, it means virtually

that this type of structure, which

impossible groped for new roads,

has a single central column houses

to evolve and progress.".18

where the pipe and rain with only a

The key to the process of

plinth of Trustees, is one of the

construction of the shell was in the

most celebrated contributions to

complicated development of

Candela for its lightness, simplicity

housing (Cimbrian), made with

and economy, which have been

planks of wood panconcello, which

performed many works, in which

comply with surface turned, that

the use repetitive allowed to cover

gave shape to cover. Above the

thousands of square meters and

housing is the armature of small

build industrial buildings without the

diameter, to form a lattice above

need for a real project, but through

which threw the cement, to a

a simple procedure that ended up

thickness of 4 cm. As soon as this

being standardized.

had taken detach the housing and

Roofing shaped hyperbolic

the shell takes its final form. To do

paraboloid, that marked an era

this it needed the participation of

dell'architetura Mexican, could be

many people, recruited from

built only in that place and at that

migration from the countryside who

precise moment, thanks to the

came to town, and that contributed

ability and constructive vision of

work men good low cost. When in

space Félix Candela and a few

1964 President Gustavo Diaz

other architects who dominated the

Ordaz, promulgated a law that

complex system needed to develop

increased the minimum wage, los

constructive and availability of high

cascarones ceased to be

labor cheap. Works impossible to

convenient and enterprise

achieve in other countries, because 18

Look note 17 20


Cubiertas Ala began its inexorable

Architect or engineer

decline.

Many architects say that Félix Candela was a magnificent structure, but that does not ever completed its work. We do not put doors and windows, nor ended the various installations, and not of concern. In a word, preparing the structure and then not occupied most of what happened afterwards. So, say that he is not entitled to be between the architects. Some engineers argue that Félix Candela was a wonderful architect who did not know how to calculate its structures, which often made eye. So modest is its importance in the history of engineering. Félix Candela is in a no man's land and is attacked from two fronts, seemingly irreconcilable. Looking at his work is evident that he is predominantly occupied structures, but only those that are indispensable for architecture, not bridges, depots, the works of their buildings and other engineering. In particular, the specific nature of his work lies in the sensitivity that was in line with resistant forms. His biggest contribution in the field of structural facilities were in the form of shells, generated from hyperbolic paraboloid, a geometric 21


shape of extraordinary efficiency

expressed in his work a few ideas:

that has become the hallmark of its

the idea that the structure must be a poet, the belief that the structure is shaped much more than the material used, and the line of research on reading coverages of reinforced concrete. All the work of Félix Candela reaffirms the role of the designer in relation to structural problems, for research form of resistance: the extraordinary relationship between strength and resistance, he always sought the shape of the problem, not the problem of form. Here's why he was an architect structure or whether more like an architectural structure. Awards

1961 Gold Medal from Istitution of engineer Structurist, London. 1961 award Auguste Perret from International union of Architets. 1961/62 Charles Eliot Norton professor of Poetry dell'Università di Harvard Cambridge/Massachusetts 1981 Gold Medal of the architectural 1985 Award Antonio Camuñas of architecture. architecture. Candela has 22


Enrique Chao, “ Fèlix Candela: una

Technical and theoretical writings

Hacia una nueva filosofia filosofi a de la estructuras,Congresso Scientifico

lux nel corazon” in Construcc Construcción ión y

Tecnol Tecnologí ogía a

rivist rivista a

dell’In dell’Insti stitut tuto o

Mexicano del Cemento y del

Mexico 1951 Formulas generales para el calculo de esfuerzos en paraboloides hiperbolicos. ACI 1960 En defensa del formalismo y otros escrittos , Xairat Ediciones, Bilbao

Concreto, Mexico, dicembre 2003. Juan

Tonda

Magallòn lòn

"Félix

CONACULTA LTA,, Candela” CONACU

mexico mexico

2000 Lorraine Lin, “ Fèlix Candela: Creator de poetic structures 1910-

1985 Stress Analysis for any Hyperbolic Paraboloids Architectural Record

1997 ”, ”, in Structure Magazine,

aprile 2006. Juan de Herrera

(1958)

« Félix Candela, arquitecto.”

Edición de M. Seguí, Madrid;

Bibliografía: estructuras de Faber, Colin, "Las estructuras

CEHOPU / 1994.

México co,, Cont Contin inen enta tall , Candela" , Méxi Josemaría de Churtichaga

1970 Juan Ignacio

del

Cueto Ruiz

« La estructura veloz –

Funes, “Fèlix Candela, Candela, el mago de

Trayectorias estructurale a

los los casc cascar aron ones es de conc concre reto to”, in

proposito de la obra de Emilio

Arqu Arquine ine,, rivi rivist sta a inte intern rnac acio iona nall de

Perez Pinero y Fèlix Candela.”

arquitectura, Mexico, n.2, 1997

http://chqs.onexp.com/estudio.htm

"My greatest satisfaction was to have performed some spectacular structures ,..., but that he had proved that the construction of thin shells, not an extraordinary undertaking that immortalized its author, but a constructive process simple and flexible .. " Edizione Dicembre 2006

23

Felix Candela Costruttore di sogni Questa opera è pubblicata sotto Licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione-Non commerciale-Condividi commerciale-Condividi allo stesso modo http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/deed.it

www.giovannardierontini.it

24

Félix Candela Builder of Dreams

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