Located within the Kaminaljuyu Archaeological Park in Guatemala, the excavated sites expose ancient Mayan ruins of earthen construction. Between 1000 B.C. and 200 A.D., Kaminaljuyu was one of the most important centers in southeastern Mesoamerica and the excavated ruins bear testament to the site’s former glory.
The design concept concurrently explores the idea of the process of excavation. The process of the archaeological dig always begins with overlaying a square grid over the site. This grid is then used to co-ordinate the findings. We take this idea of a simple square grid as the basis for the design of the roof structure. A square grid roof structure, or space frame, can achieve great spans therefore reducing the amount of columns needed to support the structure. At key areas of interest in the site, the square grid roof structure is pulled up in the vertical dimension, deforming the orthogonal into the parametric. In this way each roof structure becomes unique to each archaeological site. This design move also aims to heighten the experience of the visitor as they move through the excavation site.
Materials Steel, Plywood, Bamboo, Corrugated Plastic and Metal Panels
