The Aztec Templo Mayor

By Antonio Serrato-Combe

Subjects: Templo Mayor (Mexico City, Mexico), City planning, mexico, Urban residence, City planning, Urban Aztecs, Aztec architecture, Aztecs

Description: "The Templo Mayor precinct in Tenochtitlan, Mexico, destroyed by Hernan Cortes in 1521, was the center stage for the drama of Aztec ceremonial life. The temple served as the setting for colorful displays of highly energized rituals depicting the relationships between social groups and humans and their gods. A Spanish observer at the time of the Conquest wrote of these ceremonies that he "saw things never seen before, not even in dreams."". "The Aztec Templo Mayor presents fifty-five architectural visualizations of the preconquest temple precinct at various stages of development. The Aztec orchestration of architectural spaces was profoundly influenced by the concept of divine visions received under the auspices of a very powerful temporal authority. The Templo Mayor was a concrete manifestation of this unique system of beliefs. Antonio Serrato-Combe's carefully researched graphic treatments of these architectural spaces are at once both novel and stunning. Using computer-generated, three-dimensional color imagery, he presents a series of architectural topics ranging from site-planning principles to building details. In 1998 several of these illustrations won an Award of Honor at the Architecture in Perspective world competition."--BOOK JACKET.