description Félix Candela Overview
Félix Candela (1910–1997) was a Spanish-Mexican architect and engineer internationally recognized for his mastery of reinforced concrete thin-shell structures. He frequently utilized hyperbolic paraboloid geometry to design lightweight, structurally efficient roofs for churches, factories, and pavilions. His most famous architectural work is the 1958 Los Manantiales restaurant in Mexico City, recognized for its intersecting concrete vaults.
help Félix Candela FAQ
How did Félix Candela make his concrete roofs so thin?
Candela used reinforced-concrete hyperbolic paraboloids, whose double curvature distributes loads efficiently through the shell. Their geometry could also be formed with straight boards, reducing the cost and complexity of construction.
What makes Los Manantiales one of Candela's best-known buildings?
The 1958 restaurant in Xochimilco has a flower-like roof formed from intersecting concrete shells. Its eight sweeping lobes demonstrate how Candela combined structural efficiency with dramatic architectural form.
Which other Félix Candela buildings can be seen in Mexico City?
Notable examples include the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and the Cosmic Rays Pavilion at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He also collaborated on the Palacio de los Deportes built for the 1968 Olympics.
Was Félix Candela an architect or a structural engineer?
Candela trained as an architect in Madrid but became internationally influential through structural design and construction. After settling in Mexico, his company Cubiertas Ala specialized in thin-shell concrete buildings.
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