The Curious Design Enigmas of Chichén Itzá's Temple of Kukulkán
This article was originally published by Ezra Schwartz on LinkedIn. It has been reprinted here with permission from the author.
Courtesy of Ezra Schwartz
This article was originally published by Ezra Schwartz on LinkedIn. It has been reprinted here with permission from the author. Following a recent family visit to Chichén Itzá, I became somewhat obsessed with a couple of design enigmas I found there:Design Enigma 1: The large pyramid in this amazing archeological complex, known as the Temple of Kukulkán, is highly symmetrical. But the first thing I observed when we approached it and stood in front of its west side, is that the structure on top of the pyramid (A above), is not center-aligned relative to the 9 terraces below it, as one would expect*. The visual guides 1 and 2 show the misalignment (images above and below).
Courtesy of Ezra Schwartz
Upon a closer observation, I also noticed that while the door (B above) is centered with the staircase (C), it is not centered with the West wall (A is smaller than B - see in the detail photo below). Finally, also in the detail below, see how the door (1) is not centered with the inset rectangle above it (2). That inset, however, is centered with the West wall.
Courtesy of Ezra Schwartz
To me, these asymmetries contrast with a core design principle of this magnificently symmetrical structure.Design Enigma 2: Naturally, I started to search for an explanation and was surprised t...
Courtesy of Ezra Schwartz
This article was originally published by Ezra Schwartz on LinkedIn. It has been reprinted here with permission from the author. Following a recent family visit to Chichén Itzá, I became somewhat obsessed with a couple of design enigmas I found there:Design Enigma 1: The large pyramid in this amazing archeological complex, known as the Temple of Kukulkán, is highly symmetrical. But the first thing I observed when we approached it and stood in front of its west side, is that the structure on top of the pyramid (A above), is not center-aligned relative to the 9 terraces below it, as one would expect*. The visual guides 1 and 2 show the misalignment (images above and below).
Courtesy of Ezra Schwartz
Upon a closer observation, I also noticed that while the door (B above) is centered with the staircase (C), it is not centered with the West wall (A is smaller than B - see in the detail photo below). Finally, also in the detail below, see how the door (1) is not centered with the inset rectangle above it (2). That inset, however, is centered with the West wall.
Courtesy of Ezra Schwartz
To me, these asymmetries contrast with a core design principle of this magnificently symmetrical structure.Design Enigma 2: Naturally, I started to search for an explanation and was surprised t...
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