Félix Candela’s Legacy on Display in Romania

On Thursday, March 13, the exhibition Félix Candela: Function, Form, and Elegance of Concrete Shells opened at the “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urban Planning (UAUIM) in Bucharest. This traveling exhibition honors the renowned Mexican-Spanish architect and continues its international tour, celebrating his legacy in modern architecture.

The opening ceremony was attended by Mexico’s ambassador to Romania, Amparo Anguiano, and Rodrigo Díaz Maldonado, Director of UNAM-France, who represented the university. Romanian officials joined them, including UAUIM Vice Rector Lorin Niculae and Ileana Tureanu, president of the Union of Romanian Architects.

During the ceremony, Díaz Maldonado thanked Ion Mincu University for its support in making the exhibition possible, and the team from the School of Architecture, led by Juan Ignacio del Cueto, former dean, who curated and organized the show.

Candela remains a key figure in Mexico’s architectural history. A Spanish exile who made Mexico his home, he became one of the country’s most influential architects and a distinguished professor at UNAM. He gained international recognition for pioneering the thin-shell technique—reinforced concrete structures that enable lightweight, elegant, and strong architectural forms.

The exhibition will be open in Bucharest through April 11, giving Romanian audiences a chance to explore the work of one of the twentieth century’s most influential architects.