Itinerary, Hierarchy, and Puuc Architecture Within Uxmal

This watercolor/digital rendition of the site plan of Uxmal is a compilation of ideas about Uxmal's construction and the relation of each of the buildings within the site to one another. One main focus is the idea of movement or itinerary throughout the site. There is a certain itinerary of movement throughout Uxmal that is informed by the natural landscape as well as the placement of each construction in relation to the next. The occupant is guided through three main thresholds, or openings in the low-lying wall that surrounds the site, and these thresholds serve as gateways to the most significant areas of Uxmal's site. There are two entrances that fall in line with cardinal directions (north and south), and one which faces the east. The east-facing entrance is considered the main threshold, and the hierarchy among the three apertures is depicted in the watercolor diagram through the use of light tone. Another focus was the Puuc architecture style which is shown both in the mass vs. detail construct of the Pyramid of the Magician as well as the split between elaborate ornamentation and simple appearance of the facade of the Governor's Palace. There is, too, a hierarchy within the constructs themselves - as shown by the Nunnery Quadrangle which uses tone to specify the different layers of importance.