This first collection of texts in French by Félix Candela (1910-1997), a major figure in twentieth-century modern architecture, brings together writings and interviews published in specialized journals, as well as lectures and speeches delivered on various occasions by the Mexican architect and engineer of Spanish origin between 1953 and 1994
A major figure in 20th-century modern architecture specializing in thin-shell concrete structures, Félix Candela also wrote extensively throughout his life on topics related to architecture, engineering, society, ecology, and politics. In his writings, Candela shares his aspirations, obsessions, and doubts about the relationships between architecture, geometry, structure, and technique, as well as his perspective on history and contemporary practices. He also offers tributes to the work of his peers, paying homage to prominent figures of his era, such as Ove Arup, Pier Luigi Nervi, Robert Maillart, and Frei Otto. A pioneer of ecological thinking, Candela showed a keen interest in issues of overconsumption and the depletion of natural resources. His reflections on form, geometric rationalization, structural optimization, and material efficiency resonate strongly with contemporary challenges.
Félix Candela (1910-1997) was a Spanish-born Mexican architect, known for redefining the role of the architect in relation to structural problems, who played a crucial role in the development of new structural forms of concrete.
