Art: FELIX CANDELA: ARCHITECT OF SHELLS

CEMENT was known in ancient Crete; both Romans and Phoenicians used concrete. The shell as a form has fascinated man since he first learned to crack an egg. But it was not until mid-19th century engineers first reinforced concrete with iron ribs that concrete-shell construction suddenly opened up an exciting array of new architectural solutions to the age-old problem of providing shelter that is both economical and sound. Today, after decades of experiment and mathematical computation, concrete-shell constructions are at last coming into their own.

One of the best of the new magicians of...