The two dozen of us who came on February 7th to the Princeton University Art Museum for Felix's Candela Exhibition Tour were in for a treat.
Professor David Billington '50 gave us a brief background of how this exhibition (and the Swiss Legacy exhibition that preceded it) grew out of his lifelong teaching and research of elegant civil engineering structures. Then Professor Maria Garlock, who was fundamental in the creation of the Candela exhibition, introduced the "artist/builder/engineer" and talked about the challenges and effort incurred by herself and a team of students to make the exhibition possible--from translating blueprints to creating the spectacularly fragile models on display.
The group walked around the displays, learning about the ways Candela used the hyperbolic paraboloid in his astoundingly thin-shell concrete structures and his signature "umbrellas." The running conversation with experts on the subject made for a casual, enlightening and educational experience.
Professor Billington and Professor Garlock: thank you for sharing your time, knowledge and passion for beautiful engineering with us!
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