ABSTRACT
The years ranging between the end of the 1940s and the beginning of the 1960s were a really prolific season of large projects expressivity (mainly bridges and roof structures). A num ber of outstanding architects and engineers often examined their role and the real term s of the task of giving substance to reinforced concrete shapes. Such recognised m asters of engineering and architecture as Pier Luigi Nervi, Eduardo Torroja and Félix Candela as well as authoritative and brilliant engineer-architects like Eduardo Catalano, Iannis Xenakis, Sergio Musumeci and Frei Otto asserted that a connection between shape a nd structure exists. It goes bey ond the pure outcome of a calculation and is able to dram atically change the concept of the architectural space. As far as the relation between shape and structure is concerned, outstanding engineer-architects provided written contributions, were involved in conference and debates, wrote papers in specialized journals and made a continuous effort to explain that a correct construction process represents the outcome of a complex process.
