Robert Le Ricolais
*30. 10. 1894 – La Roche-sur-Yon, France
†4. 6. 1977 – Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Biography
Robert Le Ricolais was a French engineer considered the inventor of the principle of three-dimensional structures based on mathematical logic and observations of nature. He was self-taught. He held no degrees in engineering, architecture, or mathematics. It was only due to the law of July 10, 1934, that he obtained an engineering diploma from an accredited school.
After studying at high school in Angoulême, he earned a bachelor's degree in natural sciences and in 1912 enrolled at the Sorbonne, but in October 1914 he was called up to serve in World War I and was demobilized in April 1919. He returned from the war severely injured and received a disability pension. From 1918 to 1931, he lived in Paris, then moved to Nantes, where he worked for thirteen years in companies involved in hydraulic engineering, which also allowed him to deepen his knowledge of civil engineering. During this period, he developed construction systems, filed patents, and published scientific papers.
In 1935, he published an article titled "Composite Plates and Their Applications in Lightweight Metal Structures", in which he presented the concept of thin structural walls applied in construction, which he also adapted for the aviation sector. He invented the principle of rigid panels called "Isoflex," consisting of two riveted and crossed corrugated metal sheets. For his research and innovative ideas in lightweight structures, he was awarded a medal by the French Society of Civil Engineers. In 1940, he published an article titled "Three-Dimensional Gridded Systems", which opened the door for many engineers and architects to three-dimensional structures, but World War II slowed down his research.
In 1943, he patented the "Aplex," a three-dimensional construction system composed of prefabricated wooden elements, suitable for building large-span structures without intermediate supports, such as hangars, halls, or covered markets. This system allowed for material and labor savings by promoting the lightness of the structure and easy assembly.
At the end of the war, he resigned from his position at Air Liquide, where he was the deputy director of the western division, and began working as a consulting engineer. In 1945, architects Paul Dufournet and Jean Bossu invited him to contribute to the reconstruction of the village of Bosquel in the Somme as part of the "Bosquel Architectural Service". This village, almost completely destroyed by the advancing German army on June 7, 1940, was chosen by the Real Estate Reconstruction Commission for experimental and rational reconstruction. Le Ricolais proposed a grand system for roofing agricultural buildings and hangars using his three-dimensional frame system Aplex; the proposal was ultimately rejected by the reconstruction commissioner on the grounds that it could not be calculated. Of the main buildings he designed using the "Aplex" patent, only the administrative garage in Yaoundé, Cameroon, remains, rediscovered in May 2017. This three-dimensional structure, built in 1947, covers an area of 3,400 m². Because he was not sufficiently recognized in France, he decided to emigrate to the United States in 1951, where he was invited to teach at the University of Illinois. He then became a professor of architecture at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia from 1956 to 1974, where he established a laboratory that allowed him to conduct his research on lightweight structures. At the University of Pennsylvania, he met Louis Kahn. His research then focused on topics such as repetitive structures, tensile structures, double-curvature surfaces, and automorphic constructions. His return to France was considered in the early 1970s. In 1976, he received an honorary award from the American Institute of Architects.
Robert Le Ricolais was a French engineer considered the inventor of the principle of three-dimensional structures based on mathematical logic and observations of nature. He was self-taught. He held no degrees in engineering, architecture, or mathematics. It was only due to the law of July 10, 1934, that he obtained an engineering diploma from an accredited school.
After studying at high school in Angoulême, he earned a bachelor's degree in natural sciences and in 1912 enrolled at the Sorbonne, but in October 1914 he was called up to serve in World War I and was demobilized in April 1919. He returned from the war severely injured and received a disability pension. From 1918 to 1931, he lived in Paris, then moved to Nantes, where he worked for thirteen years in companies involved in hydraulic engineering, which also allowed him to deepen his knowledge of civil engineering. During this period, he developed construction systems, filed patents, and published scientific papers.
In 1935, he published an article titled "Composite Plates and Their Applications in Lightweight Metal Structures", in which he presented the concept of thin structural walls applied in construction, which he also adapted for the aviation sector. He invented the principle of rigid panels called "Isoflex," consisting of two riveted and crossed corrugated metal sheets. For his research and innovative ideas in lightweight structures, he was awarded a medal by the French Society of Civil Engineers. In 1940, he published an article titled "Three-Dimensional Gridded Systems", which opened the door for many engineers and architects to three-dimensional structures, but World War II slowed down his research.
In 1943, he patented the "Aplex," a three-dimensional construction system composed of prefabricated wooden elements, suitable for building large-span structures without intermediate supports, such as hangars, halls, or covered markets. This system allowed for material and labor savings by promoting the lightness of the structure and easy assembly.
At the end of the war, he resigned from his position at Air Liquide, where he was the deputy director of the western division, and began working as a consulting engineer. In 1945, architects Paul Dufournet and Jean Bossu invited him to contribute to the reconstruction of the village of Bosquel in the Somme as part of the "Bosquel Architectural Service". This village, almost completely destroyed by the advancing German army on June 7, 1940, was chosen by the Real Estate Reconstruction Commission for experimental and rational reconstruction. Le Ricolais proposed a grand system for roofing agricultural buildings and hangars using his three-dimensional frame system Aplex; the proposal was ultimately rejected by the reconstruction commissioner on the grounds that it could not be calculated. Of the main buildings he designed using the "Aplex" patent, only the administrative garage in Yaoundé, Cameroon, remains, rediscovered in May 2017. This three-dimensional structure, built in 1947, covers an area of 3,400 m². Because he was not sufficiently recognized in France, he decided to emigrate to the United States in 1951, where he was invited to teach at the University of Illinois. He then became a professor of architecture at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia from 1956 to 1974, where he established a laboratory that allowed him to conduct his research on lightweight structures. At the University of Pennsylvania, he met Louis Kahn. His research then focused on topics such as repetitive structures, tensile structures, double-curvature surfaces, and automorphic constructions. His return to France was considered in the early 1970s. In 1976, he received an honorary award from the American Institute of Architects.
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