Replicating Candela’s Los Manantiales

The idiosyncratic 1958 thin shell roof of Los Manantiales restaurant in Xochimilco, south of Mexico City, designed by master Félix Candela, became a model often replicated during the following 50 years. The appearance of this futuristic shell was Candela’s dream design, a seed planted in Mexico that then flourished across four continents. This replicating phenomenon is hereby studied chronologically through seven case studies. For each case study, the investigation briefly discusses the background behind its construction, gives a profile of its designers, explores similarities and differences in construction methods vis-a-vis those used in Xochimilco, and considers whether the structure subsequently acquired local or national prominence. During his lifetime, Candela was pleased that his ideas were adopted and developed by other practitioners, and lessons can be learned from Candela’s work and from the sequels it inspired.