Eladio Dieste and Felix Candela: a comparative analysis

Abstract

Eladio Dieste and Félix Candela are both internationally known for their elegant designs of vaulted structures built in the mid 20th century. Dieste built his with reinforced brick masonry in his homeland of Uruguay. Candela built his most renowned structures with reinforced concrete in Mexico, which was his adopted county after being exiled from Spain. The choice of materials was partly based on the social context of the country at the time and in both cases it led to economical solutions. This paper examines that social context and the influence that it had on Dieste's and Candela's designs. It also compares the construction process of each designer and their sensitivity to aesthetics in arriving at the forms. The research shows that while both Dieste and Candela built with a different material and geometric form, both had similar design values and talents that made their structures efficient, economical, and elegant. These values and talents are: discipline of form, a builder's approach, an aesthetic intent, sensitivity to the social context, and a strong nowledge of engineering analysis.