Finite-Element Analysis of Felix Candela’s Chapel of Lomas de Cuernavaca

Abstract

The structures of Felix Candela stand as elegant examples of the art of thin shell concrete structural design. However, few thin shell structures are built today and many of the most enduring structures, such as those of Candela, have not been analyzed. This project performed a finite-element analysis of Candela’s Cuernavaca Chapel in order to better understand its structural efficiency and gain insight into its design. Analysis results show that Candela’s striking structure has very low stresses resulting from its own self-weight.