Félix Candela architectural records and papers, 1950-1984

Creator:

Candela, Félix, 1910-1997 and Pérez Piñero, Emilio, 1935-1972

Abstract:

Felix Candela (1910-1997) was a Spanish-born architect and engineer who gained a worldwide reputation for designing complex concrete structures, especially thin concrete shell structures, many times involving double curvature (hyperbolic paraboloid). This collection contains materials related to Candela's personal, professional, and academic lives, overarching all periods of his career. Project records document the full range of his work of both his Mexican and American periods. The collection contains extensive correspondence with personal friends, clients, and professional and academic colleagues; a large number of reference files relating to architecture, design, urbanism, technology, sociology, anthropology, and current events, compiled throughout Candela's professional life; architectural drawings and photographs from his work; and writings by and about Candela.

Extent:

1876 drawings 1876 items and 50 linear feet of paper materials

Language:

Spanish; Castilian .

Scope and content:

Prior to the publication of this finding aid in February 2012, the material in the Candela archive was assigned a box and folder number according to the original receipt of the collection. For the finding aid, the collection was organized in the following series and the folders were accordingly placed in this sequence. As a result, all folders have a new box and folder number. The old box and folder numbers, used prior to February 2012, have been recorded as part of the processing and can be consulted by requesting that information. For the majority of cases, the content of the folders have remained intact; if material was separated into different folders, the original box and folder would still be recorded for all materials.

Biographical / historical:

Felix Candela was born on January 27th, 1910 in Madrid, Spain. He studied architecture in the Escuela Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid and received his diploma in 1935. In 1939, during the Spanish Civil War, he emigrated to Mexico, adopting Mexican citizenship in 1941. During the 1970s he resided in the United States and became and citizen in 1978. Felix Candela died in Raleigh, NC in 1997.

Along with siblings Antonio and Julia he founded Cubiertas Ala S.A. in Mexico City, a design and construction company devoted to reinforced concrete shell and laminar structures. Amongst his most renowned projects are the cosmic ray laboratory at the Ciudad Universitaria, the Iglesia de la Virgen de la Milagrosa (1953), and the Palacio de los Deportes of the XIX Olympics held in Mexico City (1968) in collaboration with Enrique Castaneda and Antonio Peiri.

Acquisition information:: Source of acquisition--Gift. Accession number--2003.027.
Processing information:: The Felix Candela collection was processed over a number of years because of the technical and language demands of the material. The inventory of project drawings was compiled initially by Ruri Yampolsky and reviewed and updated by Elisa Rugarcia. Ines Sanchez de Madariaga created a preliminary inventory of the personal papers and correspondence. Brendan Curley and Elisa Rugarcia contributed to a more detailed inventory of the papers. The final description and arrangement of the collection was undertaken and completed by Daniel Talesnik as a Mellon Graduate Student Intern, under the guidance of Janet Parks, Curator of Drawings and Archives, who also provided the series descriptions. Andrea Merrett, also a Mellon Graduate Student Intern, completed the final arrangement of the collection. Shelley Hayreh, the Avery Archivist, edited and published the finding aid for the collection in 2012.
Arrangement:: The collection is made up of seven series: Personal Papers, Correspondence, Professional Papers, Office Records, Photographs, Project Records, and Reference Materials.
Rules or conventions:: Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Related material:: Félix Candela Papers, 1767-2007 (mostly 1924-1997) at Princeton University Library's Department of Special Collections, Manuscripts Division.

Access and use

Restrictions:: This collection is available for use by appointment in the Department of Drawings & Archives, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University. For further information, please email avery-drawings@library.columbia.edu.
Terms of access:: Permission to publish must be obtained in writing from the Director, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University, 1172 Amsterdam Avenue, Mail Code 0301, New York, NY 10027.

Preferred citation:: Félix Candela architectural records and papers, Dept. of Drawings & Archives, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library. Columbia University, New York, NY.

Location of this collection:: Avery Drawings & Archives

Avery Home Page
300 Avery Hall
1172 Amsterdam Ave.
New York, NY 10027, USA
Before you visit:: Researchers are encouraged to request materials at least one month in advance. You will receive an email from the department within 2-3 business days confirming your request and currently available appointment times. Requests are limited to 8 boxes per day (or equivalent), with a maximum of 5 boxes for off-site materials, 5 folders of drawings, or 5 rolls or tube boxes.

Contact:: avery-drawings@columbia.edu

Collection