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All Mexico Mexico City Pabellón Rayos Cósmicos (Cosmic Ray Pavilion)

Pabellón Rayos Cósmicos (Cosmic Ray Pavilion)

This laboratory has a remarkable concrete roof that measures less than an inch at its thickest point.

Mexico City, Mexico

Added By
Mario Yair T.S.
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Pavilion   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
Pavilion   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
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Concrete deck   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
Cosmic Ray Pavilion   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
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About

When the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) was building University City, the university’s science faculty had a special request. They wanted a building that would allow them to measure high-energy radiation from space and also protect its instruments so they weren’t exposed to the open air. The solution was the Cosmic Rays Pavilion, which revolutionized architecture.

Originally, the design for the laboratory featured a domed building. The project’s lead architect, Jorge Gonzáles Reyna, asked the architect Félix Candela for help, and Candela was not convinced that they could achieve the necessary roof thickness with a dome shape. Instead, Candela designed a building in the shape of a hyperbolic paraboloid. The double curves of the design allowed the roof to be extremely thin but maintain stability.

The Pabellón Rayos Cósmicos (Cosmic Ray Pavilion) measures 40 feet by 35 feet and contains two laboratory spaces. The walls are made of reinforced concrete, and the whole structure is held up by three arched supports. The paraboloid roof is just 5/8 of an inch at its thickest point. The building was inaugurated on August 23, 1951.

Candela became known for creating structures with the hyperbolic paraboloid. This geometric figure allowed him to create several complex constructions that involved large roofs supported by a small number of columns, including churches, gas stations, and metro and bus terminals.

Although the building at UNAM is no longer a functional laboratory, it remains intact as a reminder of the first building that Candela built using his signature shape. Today it is a cellar where students can borrow chess boards.

Related Tags

Science Laboratories Space Architecture Concrete

Know Before You Go

The building is located behind the Faculty of Dentistry and in front of the Faculty of Medicine. If it is open, do not miss the opportunity to ask the staff for permission to see inside.

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Added By

Mario Yair TS

Published

January 13, 2020

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Sources
  • http://architectuul.com/architecture/cosmic-ray-pavilion
  • https://www.archdaily.com/158000/ad-classics-cosmic-rays-pavilion-felix-candela
  • https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/legacy-projects/Candela/candela.html
  • https://aehistory.wordpress.com/1951/10/04/1951-cosmic-rays-pavilion-mexico-city-mexico/
Pabellón Rayos Cósmicos (Cosmic Ray Pavilion)
University City
Coyoacán
Mexico City, 04510
Mexico
19.333953, -99.181209
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Faculty of Medicine Mural

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

'La Conquista de la Energia' ('The Conquest of Energy')

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Museo de Anatomopatología (Museum of Pathological Anatomy)

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico

Places 180
Stories 17

Nearby Places

Faculty of Medicine Mural

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

'La Conquista de la Energia' ('The Conquest of Energy')

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Museo de Anatomopatología (Museum of Pathological Anatomy)

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico

Places 180
Stories 17

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