Program: Journey through space to life or death

The Mayan Ballcourt marker creates an atmosphere for the elite. It is an atmosphere in where the winners thrive in victory and the losers submit themselves to ritual sacrifice. The client for whom this space is created is a victorious and glorified ball player. He is among the elite but is revered by even the other elite to a state of near godliness.

In preparation for the game of life or death, he passes through a series of spaces that not only create an environment that aids in his preparation, but also that preserve the stateliness of his being. He is a part of society, but only in physical being and never truly can be an average citizen.

The first place that the player inhabits is an intimate space where he prepares to take on his opponent. It is also a place where he contemplates the possibility of losing and self sacrifice. Being the glorified ball player, he also has a responsibility to his teammates to keep up their morale and inspire them with his experience and confidence. It is a small space in which he feels the presence of himself and the task that lies ahead. The next place that the ball player occupies is a place for he and his teammates. He meets with his team in preparation for the game and to discuss tactics and perhaps 'pray' to the gods to grant them the ability to perform. While this meeting place exists as a gathering space, it remains an intimate place of bonding among teammates and anxiety over what is to come before exiting out into the main arena where the struggle and the expecting crowd awaits him. When he exits the gathering space and enters the arena where he is immediately under the pressure of the game. It is where the winner is decided and the loser is sacrificed. This is a public space where the people can view the game from their seats and cheer them on. The ballcourt marker divides this space in half, yet also acts as a seam that joins winner and loser in an ongoing struggle to the death.