He had more commissions in 1929, but the housing boom had begun to slow prior to the stock market crash in October. In 19, Candela designed 19 apartment buildings, including 960 Fifth Avenue (at East 77th Street) and 720 Park Avenue (at East 70th Street). During this period, the West side was undergoing an intense transformation from an area of primarily single-family homes to one characterized by the apartment buildings.Ĭandela in January 1943, designing public housing in BrooklynĬandela's greatest work would occur during the latter half of the 1920s, when he designed numerous apartment buildings on the Upper East Side, primarily on Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue, as well as at Sutton Place and other locations. During the next five years, Candela designed a number of residential buildings on the Upper West Side, primarily on West End Avenue and Riverside Drive. Shortly thereafter, he received his first commission for an East Side apartment at 1105 Park Avenue. His first major commission was for an apartment house at West 92nd Street and Broadway. After another brief stint with the firm of Frederick Sterner, Candela set up his own practice in 1920. Career Īfter graduation, Candela worked briefly as a draftsman for the Palermo-born Italian-American architect, Gaetan Ajello. Keenly aware of his talent, he went so far as to erect a velvet rope around his drafting table to prevent other students from copying his designs. He gained admission to the Columbia University School of Architecture and graduated in 1915. His father was Michele Candela, a plasterer, and his mother was Josephine Pizzurro. He returned to Italy after his arrival to study there and returned to the US in 1909. Life Early life and education īorn in Montelepre, Italy in 1890, Candela immigrated to New York in 1906.

Candela apartments