WORKSHOP 2 EXPERIENCING THE YUCAT Á

The excitement and anticipation for the trip was an adrenaline high that pervaded the initial experiences of the trip. The travel itinerary was a marathon run on little sleep and lots of excitement. Early morning commute to the airport sunrise flight from Kansas City to Denver, Denver to Cancun, then a bus ride to Neek. The excitement and curiosity was jaded by the initial impression of Cancun and the drive down to Neek at Laguna Nopalitos. The scale and magnificence of the resorts on the outskirts of Cancun were unbelievable and challenged many of the elements of Eco Tourism of which we had studied for the past few weeks. One after another, the carefully curated experiential resorts attempted to one up its neighbors regardless of the impact, size, and expense.

Access to the lagoon was our first taste of Yucatan back roads and isolation. The one lane road through the jungle was minimally maintained and rocked and rolled the bus narrowly missing the wall of jungle foliage on either side. The jungle road obscured any concept of distance or time until we met the roads end and walked out of the jungle to reveal a beautiful lagoon and open-air Bar and dock front.

The soft breeze, setting sun and shallow waterfront was a magical moment after a long day of travel. The space washed away the day. A moment that set the tone for the rest of the trip. Beautiful spaces, accompanied by beautiful landscapes, Friends and conversation and reflection.

The evening concluded with a rooftop soiree discussion and introduction to the Candela resort and Rodrigo, the Candela developer.

The evening conversation at Candela was resumed the following morning. In the early morning sunshine, the project came to life. The gentle glow of the moonlight the night before was replaced by a cool soft light cast across the Chukum’s velvety texture. The details and design of the stepped mass highlighted a multitude of Yucatan methodologies and philosophies.

The heat and humidity rose throughout the day as we got our first taste of ancient Maya architecture at Coba. The archaeological site was a over grown with trees encroaching on the ruins, that in some places were little more than the loose fill of rock exposed after years of deterioration. Initially seeing the ruins in this way with very little interference from tourists and vendors contributed to the authenticity of the space and weight of the achievement. The structures remain after centuries, even as nature has reclaimed much of the landscape. These structures and what they represent, mysterious yet preserved.

The experience of the towering temples was soon contrast by the deep voids. The sacred cenotes, a cavernous oasis, provided a chilling relief from the heat and humidity. The heat and the cold, the light and the dark, the depths and the heavens. The cenotes were the dichotomous opposite to the earth and sky above. They were a realm of their own with glimpses to the sky and life above and the darkness and below.

The cloudy evening cast a somber aurora over the town of Valladolid. As we walked down the historic streets the faint glimpses of light warmed the pedestrian street. The pastel painted buildings attempted to brighten the evening gloom. Walking through the space, I couldn’t help but imagine the vibrancy of the street in sunlight. A daydream of what is and could be.

Chichen itza was a place I had been before, yet it was completely foreign. It was clear the space was compromised by the tourist industry. The museum like entrance was accompanied by the whole host of supporting actors; restaurants, Starbucks, gift shops, and crowded lines. The theatrics of the entry was a foreshadow of what was to come. The gamut of stall vendors was incredible and never ending. The crowds ebb and flow curiously searching for cultural enlightenment but inevitably fall short. Seeing is not understanding. The alignments, construction, and experience of space are what I took away. The speed with which we moved through the space resulted in strange appreciation for every moment of pause. The moments of pause were moments of importance.

The alignment and experience of a wall. The dialogue of canopy and temple accented by the wall. The alignment of form and void; precision. The imposing scale of the main temple while surrounded by wide open spaces. The imitation of material and architecture for gods by humans. Earthly understanding and cosmic connection. Its hard to summarize such an intense and brief experience, but I hope the stream of consciousness lends itself to the experiential quality.

The trek to the site was incredible and much like the journey to the lagoon. However, the reveal was less glamorous but concealed a potential under the surface. There was an expectation for the site that was not necessarily disappointed but exhibited a different quality. The lushness of the site contrasted the dry arid expectation. There was also a large degree still hidden and will remain hidden as if an invitation to interpret the possibilities liberally and delicately.

Ek balam was the third and final archaeological site we visited. Much smaller in stature, the site was only a handful of structures. The main temple was still significant in structure. The idea of climbing the temple barefoot was an exercise in connecting with the ground and textures of the earth and stone. By climbing barefoot, the act, or ceremony, of climbing the steep stairs enriched the understanding of the craft and age of the structure. The steep stairs caused a rhythmic concentration. Each foot fall was careful, methodical, sensual. Feeling the stone tread’s nuances. This rhythm carried you high above the canopy without the opportunity to turn around and appreciate until the top. It was as if we were transported to another plane. From that of the earth, to that of the heavens. The panoramic view was limitless, extending to the horizon in every direction. The height felt lofty but straggly comfortable. I wasn’t afraid but there was a feeling of disconnect from the ground below. Rather I was aware of the feeling of separation between ground and sky. The lofty feeling in the sky juxtaposed the enclosure felt in the cenotes.

The relation between sky and earth was further explored on the journey and experience in Holbox. The rough boat ride across the lagoon experientially was like flying between two planes. The heavens and the oceans separated only by the horizon. A sense of tranquility and humility.

The ruins of the ancient Maya instill a sense of power and amazement. The slow, unyielding return of the jungle, claiming the back the landscape, encroach on the monumental stone structures. Yet the precision of craft and geometry defy the hostile return to nature. The absence of smaller structures, homes, gardens, and markets only serve to challenge the resilience of the religious pinnacles of the Maya culture. The lost context create a sense of wonder and imaginative interpretation. It is often rare that civilizations fall so quietly. The legacy of the Maya, their cosmic understanding, language, and thought lost to the jungle from whence they built themselves. It is this paradox, structures of permanence and precision, and the explicable disappearance and invasion of nature that instill a deeply poetic curiosity.

The use of material and design is a reaction to the what the jungle affords. The structure of the land is unchanged and the structures that dot the landscape are one of the same. The modern Maya and the ancient Maya respond to the land identically. The earth readily lends stone for monumental construction, the jungle lends resilient hardwoods adapted to the hardy humid climate, the flora lends a dense foliage to shelter, and the Maya interpreted the jungle into spaces of human proportion and godly ambition. Mimicking the sheltering canopy and the heavenly appeal. The resiliency of the Maya is manifest in building material, techniques and design, but also in craft and artistry.

The encroaching jungle confine the ancient spaces, yet the organization of important structures allude to an immense openness. The temples and courts stand monolithic in the landscape for all to stand in aw of the importance and scale. Man made mountains reaching to the gods stand imposing above the landscape and canopy. The terrace and horizontality combine to generate a structure that stands both in and amongst the landscape. This concept of generating open space has permeated the jungle landscape and continues to do so. The simplicity of built space in contrast with open space blends harmoniously in the Yucatan. The lushness of the jungle and the ornamentation of stone work balance as a result of the void and the opportunity for human presence.

The Spanish influence in the Yucatan is easily spotted in contrast to the native Yucatec architecture. The environmental response to the jungle is more imperialistic. The generation of space and structure is an old world strategy of urbanism rather than a naturally generated response to the hot humid jungle landscape. The scale still emphasizes verticallity of religious spaces but do so on a much smaller scale, relying on ornamentation and architectural detail, contrasting the native Maya. The sense of permanence is also lost. Less monumental, the Spanish monasteries and convents have a aging feel unlike that of the Maya. This is not to say that the Spanish influence is lost in the Yucatan, but rather a visitor amongst the jungle. The structures stand together claiming urban spaces from the jungle. A spacial identity created only in unison with others. The pervasive organizational strategy exhibits this clearly.

The use of color, texture, and space define the Yucatan language in three digestible strategies. The use of, what I can only assume was once vibrant reds, contrast with whites and natural tones generate a visual importance in the built environment. Stone, derived from the limestone rich landscape, is present in nearly ever structure. The cobbled walls, ashlar finish, or stucco illustrate the building techniques the Spanish brought with them. The wall construction of the Maya highlight a different arguably more skilled approach. A simple approach that seems more impressive and developed despite age and condition. The Yucatan exhibits two cultures that have infused themselves to create a unique character and sense of place and importance. How this infusion is interpreted in a contemporary setting is challenge in understanding the nature with which in contends and cooperates. Highlighting the dichotomies so prevalent in the history of the region.