![]() ![]() Narrow boards were used as formwork, following the straight-line generator that forms the hypar surface. Via A section through Los Manantiales shows the parabolic arch along the groins and the inverted arch through the highpoint of each vault. The symmetrical plan and innovative use of “V” beams allows edges free of stiffening beams, revealing the radical thickness of the 4cm (1 ½”) shell. The rest of the structure has minimal reinforcing to address creep and temperature effects, but essentially works entirely in compression. This areas are thickened by creating hidden steel reinforced “V” beams. The largest membrane forces are carried along the intersections between the forms, called the groins. The force paths from these overhangs act in the opposite direction from forces along the arched groin, reducing outward thrust. Trimmed at the perimeter to form a canted parabolic overhang, the shell simultaneously rises up and out at each undulation. ![]() Groins spanning 106 feet between supports. The plan is radially symmetric with a maximum diameter of 139 feet. Via The roof is a circular array of four curved-edge hypar saddles that intersect at the center point, resulting in an eight-sided groined vault. Light spills through the glass apertures that infill each vault, highlighting the roof form. Called “La Flor” (The Flower) by townspeople, a continuous interior space is enclosed by an singular sculptural surface. The iconic form of Los Manantiales was derived through continued geometric investigation. His construction of the Cosmic Rays Laboratory utilized hypars to add stiffness and minimize material thickness, and received international acclaim. ![]() A form Candela called “umbrellas,” created by joining four straight edge hypars, were an efficient way to cover large spaces such as markets and warehouses. Eschewing the trend toward reliance on complex mathematics, Candela developed forms where stresses could be determined with simple equations. Although he constructed some cylindrical forms, Candela working intensely with hyperbolic paraboloids, or hypars. There, concrete was an increasingly popular building material that represented modernization, efficiency, and a break from the past for a people who had just gotten through their own political upheaval.Ĭandela began building thin shell structures not for clients but as full scale experiments. Candela’s later practice merged theoretical studies with careful consideration of building processes.ĭuring the war Candela was imprisoned, but given the opportunity to emigrate to Mexico as an exile. His academic career was interrupted when the Spanish Civil War erupted, but his experiences restoring buildings for military use gave him first hand exposure to construction techniques. An extraordinary athlete and facile student, he supplemented his formal training with a independent reading on techniques for analysis of form. Via Candela’s fascination with thin-shell structures was piqued during his studies at La Escuela de Arquitectura de Madrid. Initially conceived for another client on a different site, the structure found realization as a replacement for a wooden restaurant alongside a floating gardens filled canal in the Xochimilco area of Mexico City. Los Manantiales was created as Candela’s mastery thin-shell concrete construction was solidifying. Built as Candela was establishing an international reputation as the foremost shell building, he demonstrated to the world his masterful combination of artistry and technical virtuoso. Comprised of four intersecting hypars, a strikingly thin roof surface creates a dramatic dining space. With the design for Los Manantiales, Felix Candela’s experimental form finding gave rise to an efficient, elegant, and enduring work of structural art. To read the stories behind other celebrated architecture projects, visit our AD Classics section. Via This article was originally published on April 14, 2014.
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