Félix Candela's architectural legacy in the city is vast and spectacular. We invite you to explore it with this map that goes from his most iconic work, the Palacio de los Deportes, to more hidden gems in the CDMX. Enjoy several examples in which he made use of the structural resource that became the unmistakable hallmark of his creation: the hyperbolic paraboloid.
Born in Madrid, Candela went into exile in Mexico after the Civil War and, in 1941, obtained citizenship. A decade later, together with brothers Fernando and Raúl Fernández Rangel, he founded the construction company Cubiertas Ala, where for 20 years he completed 896 projects.
Considered one of the essential names in 20th century architecture, Candela's most significant contribution to the guild is the reinforced concrete lamellar structure -also known as a shell- which, thanks to the lightness of its composition, offered an irresistible amalgam of adaptability and economic sustainability.
In terms of forms, Candela took his love affair with curves to unsuspected levels and erected different types of buildings: industrial, educational, commercial, religious and sports. The common place where they all meet is the hyperbolic parabola. Technicalities aside, it is a doubly curved surface, with an appearance similar to that of Pringles potato chips or a saddle; repeated over and over again it results in an innovative and timeless building.
Let's review then 5 of the works that Felix Candela left as tangible heritage in the CDMX.
Cosmic Rays Pavilion, 1951
In collaboration with Jorge González Reyna and Rafael M. de Arozarena, the Cosmic Rays Pavilion, affectionately nicknamed "La Muela", is located between the Faculty of Dentistry and Medicine of the University City of the UNAM. It was the first work covered by a concrete shell type Hypar (acronym for hyperbolic paraboloid), which consolidated Candela not only as an architect, but also as a structurist. The curved roof cladding is only 15 millimeters thick, as it was initially intended to record measurements of cosmic radiation. It is now used as a playroom and storage room.
Church of the Miraculous Medal, 1955
Although most of Candela's projects were aimed at the industrial sector, for him religious buildings had a special value. That is why, when he took the reins of the Church of the Miraculous Medal, in Colonia Narvarte, he let his imagination run wild. On this occasion, his traditional curves were replaced by rather triangular arches, although the guiding axis is the same: a bent concrete structure that creates impossible angles. The baroque expression, to which we are so accustomed when we speak of temples and churches, is matched in beauty and character by the play of surfaces and chiaroscuro proposed by Candela.
Bacardi Bottling Plant, 1960
The neighboring municipality of Tultitlán, in the State of Mexico, hides one of the most important jewels of modern architecture. It is the Bacardi facilities which, on the one hand, boast being the only work of Mies van der Rohe in Latin America (the German designed the offices) while, on the other hand, have the genius of Felix Candela in the bottling plant. There are 6 hypars that make up the vault of this part of the complex, whose structure fulfills a more practical than aesthetic function: the material and shape offer 100% natural light, in addition to helping with temperature regulation inside.
San Lazaro, Candelaria and Merced Subway Stations, 1969
In the late 1960s, Candela actively participated in the design of three of the stations of the Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro that were expected to have the greatest flow of users: San Lázaro, Candelaria and Merced. The entrances to the subway are raised on pillars that support high undulating roofs based on the striking "inverted umbrella" structure (San Lázaro, with its majestic central dome, deserves special mention). Inside, the stations receive natural light through slits and elongated skylights in the main nave, all cohesive under the architect's futuristic approach.
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