Theory # 6: Palenque, through a mass and void relationship, joins stereotomic construction with the context of the site creating a carved edge.

Support: Though the Mayan architecture seems like impenetrable masses, by sectioning the entire construction and context of the site as one mass, a void is created above and below this mass. The underground passageways beneath the palace and the tomb of the Pacal’s temple reach up to connect with the voids created by the public spaces and sky forming a contending negative mass. This solid/void relationship continues down in scale when focusing on the palace and temple of inscriptions as well.

Diagram: By connecting the mountainous landscape with the Temple and the Palace and then the more planar landscape following it, one continuous mass is created. In response to where the tomb of Pakal, which is embedded in the Temple of Inscriptions, and the underground passageways sunken beneath the Palace, a one void is formed. By pushing this void through the top of the stone Palace and Temple masses and connecting it with the sky, a second contending mass is created. The Plan in the corner further emphasizes the the positive/negative special relationship formed by the structure of the site.

Theory: REVISED
There exists with in the site a mass/void relationship where mass joins stereotomic construction and context forming a carved solid for private individual experience that controls and organizes public plazas .
Overall the water color relief model was designed to enhance the idea of mass being private power of the theocracy and the void being the people. For the water color relief model the mass and void relationship was created by popping up the surrounding context to form an impenadrable mass that pushes and volumizing the void found within the center of the site. While the Temple of Inscriptions is sunken down and collapsed to make room for the intervention.
The intervention is about a revolution. A new center for democracy is created by bulldozing the massive structure of the Temple of Inscriptions leaving only the original passageway to the ruler Pacal 's tomb (or void). This temple is a skeleton where before the inner workings of the government were hidden but are now exposed. A person enters the temple in a closed off individual experience with no reference to the tomb of Pacal. As a person moves up through the temple they come to meet and discuss with more and more people. As the passageways climb up they start to fold around the tomb of Pacal while mass falls away and the structure its self becomes more and more exposed accumulating in a completely free and open platform on the top.