On the coast the Incas built with adobe and occasionally in stone; here the site of
Paramonga on Peru’s north-central coast. Adriana von Hagen.Inca architecture also varied through time. The average size of buildings, for
instance, increased across time in royal landscapes; there was a slight increase in
building size at Topa Inca Yupanqui’s estate in Chinchero and building
dimensions grew conspicuously at Huayna Capac’s estate in the Urubamba
valley (see Estates, Royal). In the latter, the size of openings (windows,
doorways, and niches) and ceiling heights also increased dramatically. In
addition, new building types, such as the cuyusmanco, were introduced into the
architectural canon, while others, such as the carpahuasi, may have evolved (and
thus changed considerably) over time. Like the study of architectural change
through space, the study of how Inca architecture changed across time is only in
its infancy. What is remarkable, however, is that despite this variation across
time and space, Inca settlements across Tahuantinsuyu still retain enough of the
standardized practices that they read as distinctly Inca. In doing so, the Incas
succeeded in making their ever-expanding presence in the Andean landscape
visible to all.
Further Reading