Abstract
Introduction : Studying the historical design system of the pioneer concrete shells helps to reveal a relevant part of the History of Construction, which is also fundamental in acquiring the knowledge necessary to conserve and restore this iconic heritage. Cantilevered shells, like large domes, have been the most difficult to design and dimension when computers did not yet exist. Methods: The research included two phases: firstly, the selection and analysis of some of the most relevant pioneer cantilevered shells, and secondly, the comparative analysis of their design systems. Result and discussion: The analysis pointed out that the pioneer master engineers used different design systems. Pier Luigi Nervi and Eduardo Torroja mainly used scale model tests to check the structural behavior of their new continuous structural forms, Ildefonso Sanchez del Rio always used ribbed shells and chose geometric forms that were easy to calculate manually, and Felix Candela used real size models for the tests. The result reveals the different paths that they used to design and build their relevant legacies, which nowadays belong to the international heritage of Modernist Architecture.
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