The lost design of the pole and thatch roofs used by Andean Incas to crown their magnificently crafted stone buildings is clarified after in-depth study of an extremely rare structure in Cordillera Vilcabamba

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• R Lost Architecture Project

The fabulous empire of the Incas is justly famous worldwide for the marvelous stonework evident at Machu Picchu and the many Inca ruins in and around their imperial capital at Cuzco, Peru, as well as dozens of lesser-known sites up and down the Andes.

Altogether absent today, however, are the magnificent roofs of native thatch that once crowned these beautifully crafted structures. Even the sixteenth century Spanish conquistadores who destroyed the Incas’ world were impressed by the scale and beauty of Inca thatch-work. Their accounts unfortunately record hardly any construction details though, leaving present-day researchers few clues other than rare enigmatic masonry attachment points as to how these roofs were built.

Feb 04, 2020 Prehistoric architecture includes monumental structures such as Stonehenge, cliff dwellings in the Americas, and thatch and mud structures lost to time. The dawn of architecture is found in these structures. The architecture with its twin turrets and fleur-de-lis were reflected on the inside in 24 four rooms with beamed ceilings, carved wood mantels, oak-paneled walls, leaded windows, heavy doors. VIA Architecture is an architectural and urban planning firm focused on creating sustainable communities where people can live, work, play, move, and create. We have provided architecture, design, planning, and consulting services on public and private projects for over 35 years with an emphasis on work that shapes our neighborhoods and regions.

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This paper benefits from the author’s analysis of an extremely rare and virtually intact Inca structure high in Peru’s remote Cordillera Vilcabamba. Once sheltered by a roof subject to violent Andean storms, this building exhibits numerous stonework details aimed at holding the roof fast in high winds. From these details, the entire scheme of construction becomes clear, as proposed in this paper.

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R Lost Architecture Definition

Vincent R. Lee

R Lost Architecture Project