Inca empire - architecture

June 8, 2014[Inca empire - architecture]

The Incan EmpireBrief Description:

The Main Plaza:

The Main Plaza is located at the centre of Machu Picchu and is where all sacred rituals and celebrations are held. The Main Plaza is designed similar to the flight of stairs. The stairs signify the strict, yet well-structured social classes within the citizens of the city as each class would only be allowed to sit at their appropriate location. The Torreon:

The Torreon is also known as the Temple of the Sun and it is a tower like structure positioned at the highest altitude. It had been known as the most important building in the city, being used for astrology, sacred rituals, and religious sacrifices.The Pyramid of Intiwuatana:

The Pyramid of Intiwuatana is a Three-sided pyramid located at one of the edges of Mach Picchu. The architecture of the building is greatly similar to the Egyptians, who ironically existed during the same time period as it has two entrances to the building requiring one to climb the steps to the top and enter through a door buried within the rocks. The Pyramid of Intiwuatana held one of the most significant Incan devices used for analyzing the seasonal periods, equinox, and time.usta Palace:

Also known as the Palace of the Princess, the usta Palace has a similar architectural design to that of the Torreon; a 3-Sided Pyramid, and was thought to have housed the priestess who had a very high social status.The Mortuary Rock:

The Mortuary Rock was a carved surface located in the agricultural sector of the city that served as bedding for funeral rituals, religious offerings, and also for the process mummification, a nearly identical process to that of Egyptians.Analysis - The Liturgical Fountains:

Description:

The Liturgical Fountains are a set of fountains embedded within the body of Machu Picchu. They are basically the primary infrastructure that once supported the daily needs of the citizens of Machu Picchu with the most significant natural resource; water. These fountains obtained water from springs buried deep within the mountain and distributed the collected water into several channels throughout the city. The composition of the Liturgical Fountains is the same to what makes the entire city; carved stone. The general purpose of these fountains were of course for the basic necessities such as drinking and bathing, but above such understanding, the Incan Empire had also incorporated religious purposes in the building of these fountains, the fact that these sources of water allowed citizens an opportunity to worship the God of Water Pariacaca.

Analysis:

The focal point of this piece of architecture would definitely be the design of this infrastructure that allows water to be brought into the city. By creatively constructing channels beneath the rock platforms the form the city, the water is collected from the spring within the mountains of Machu Picchu and directed to the locations accordingly. Movement is used in the design of these fountains with the use of different, scattered polygonal shaped rocks, also showing the element of design known as Shape. However, despite the unnatural movement, the whole architecture is unified with the sense that each unique rock fits ideally into its position creating one whole structure altogether. One can also classify this design as an irregular pattern as though it may be very unorthodox, as a whole, it signifies a specific meaning. In this architectural piece, the element of texture is used rather practically, with the use of carved rocks, and the bland colour of the rocks is a significant contrast to the sparkling, clear water flowing out.Interpretation:

This piece of artwork gives me a sense of magnificence, a majestic feeling of perfection greatly similar to what one would get when looking at the Stonehenge in the United Kingdom. The first question that anyone would encounter would be How did anyone manage to build such a structure with such primitive materials? The sense of disbelief only grew once I analyzed the perfection of the structure and the scale it had been built based on. This piece is only a symbol of the progress the Incan Civilization had made as it added the meaning of religion to the most basic necessities of life. The disorganized design of the fountain initially built confusion and dislike within me but as my gaze moved on to the flowing water and the water channel buried within, I encountered great admiration for the design, for it being so simple yet so effective.Evaluation:

This architectural piece is particularly admirable due to its simplicity, yet effectiveness. The basic idea of an aqueduct to supply water to an entire city is amazing enough, but to engineer it to perfection as well is something to be looked very highly upon. The design of these fountains are very successful in communicating the technological progress made by the Incans as it combines what is absolutely necessary for life with the civilizations beliefs in an honest, yet confident manner in suggesting the prosperity of the Incan Empire.

Rationale:

For our Final Art Project, my class and I were given the assignment of researching a specific civilization and time period and analyzing their particular works of art. Our class was instructed to form groups of three to research on the time period, however each of the three group members were required to study one of the three mediums; Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. Though we were working to study the same time period, due to the assignment being an Independent Study Unit (ISU), we all were specifically responsible for our own medium. Every member of our group had been required to choose six specific pieces of art according to their medium and present a brief description of every piece, except for one. For the excepted piece of art, we were required to perform a thorough analysis meeting all of the requirements given to us.Reflection:

The process of my Art ISU had been quite hectic as any other final project. With a limited amount of time and a large quantity of material to cover, I had to put in a great deal of effort and time to complete my project to meet my personal expectations. Of the several parts of the assignment, there were quite a few things that I believe to have exceeded expectations. Firstly, my group and I have added what our teacher had already classified as a bonus mark; an introduction to our time period. Secondly, for my presentation, instead of describing each work in detail in paragraphs, something most students would do, I presented only the most important facts in bullet points for the easier analysis of the audience. Lastly, for my presentation of my slideshow, I used a creative design that perfectly synchronizes with my topic on Ancient Civilizations for greater interactivity with my audience. In contrast, something I would like to have improved on given more time would have been my analysis. As the methods of analysis that we studied in class focused rather specifically on paintings or drawings, the critiquing had been rather unrelated to my art medium. Thus, if given more time, I would have taken the opportunity to study analysis of architecture to improve that of my own.4 Shounak Datta AVI101