Publisher's Synopsis
Pepa Cassinello’s book pays tribute to one of the most outstanding international exponents of the Laminar Adventure in modern architecture, a revered chapter in the construction history of the 20th century. Félix Candella believed that strength should come from form not mass and this led to an extensive exploration of tensile shell structures. His ability to examine new structural systems and materials and still capture large quantities of space was an innovative step in architectural history. The relevance of Félix Candela’s works and his international fame was thanks to the innovative and prolific construction of laminated reinforced concrete structures, commonly called shells (he built more than 800). In these slender and elegant roofs he brought art and science together in a way which now is made easy by computers and new materials, but which in the 1950s was a remarkable feat; there were no simple calculation methods for this type of structure, nor standard methods for producing the new architectural forms of reinforced concrete. Frequently forced to act as architect, structural engineer and contractor in order to further his work, he formed the view of architects as engineers who possess the ability to design both great cathedrals and low-cost housing. This title is an eloquent and perceptive analysis of Félix Candela’s work, which in the view of some of the most prominent international professionals in architecture, engineering and teaching (Manterola, Torroja, Aroca, Calavera, Billington, Schlaich, Oliva) combined disciplines in an exemplary and coherent way to great effect.
