SPACES JUNE 2016

Vol 12 No. 04 June 2016

A R T

A R C H I T E C T U R E

I N T E R I O R

Sensus

Investment Post-quake meeting with an architecture enthusiast

Ar.Wolfgang Korn CENTRE FOR RESEARCH (CCCR)

Gokarneshvara Reconstruction

of heritage structures in Patan

Ramblers and Settlers

&

Dhalinkhwa Dhalinkawa

in Nepalese architecture Enhancing the Restaurant Experience with

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Contents

Volume 12 NO. 04 | June

S P A C E S N E P A L . C O M

54 archAeology

15 Events

20

Dhalinkhawas

The use of Dhalinkhawas is a special technique employed by the Newar architects to give an interesting and appealing took to the cornice, which in turn beautifies the facade. Sukrasagar Shrestha explores the details of the craft.

Interior design competition

An interior designing challenge was organized for students of the fraternity. It helped enhance the student’s skills and the ability to find new perspective in things. Pramila Rai tells us about how the event tried to achieve its purpose.

Ramblers and Settlers

The streets are places for us to roam, to walk, to drive through or to rest sometimes. Every nook and cranny on the streets serve some archAeology purpose for pedestrians. What have the spaces on the streets in Kathmandu stood as a significance of? How can these spaces be used to enhance the aesthetics as well as meet people’s convenience. Here’s on Subik Shrestha’s take on it.

28

Sensus Investment

How can we turn small spaces into pretty, and a pleasant working interior space experience? How can scraps be used to build beautiful furniture?

Architects are known to employ their ideas to introduce such innovations. Through this article, you will see how that can be done.

42

Discussion with Wolfgang Korn

Nepal lost much of its cultural heritage during the recent Personality earthquake. When we’re building back, what techniques can be employed to build back better? This article discusses just that with architecture enthusiast, Ar.Wolfgang Korn.

45

JK Cement article

The Centre for Climate Change Research (CCCR) in Pune, Architecture India, is an example of how a building can be constructed to be environmentally friendly, instead in investing the techniques that take a toll on the atmosphere around us. The building is a representation of what the minds at the research centre believe in and stand for.

Madhav Joshi has more for you.

58

Colours article

Colours are vibrant. They can also be subdued. But what does that interior mean for people who experience the impact of the different shades.

Kritika Rana did some research to tell you how the colours are used by eateries or bars to have the desired impact on their visitors.

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Volume 12 NO. 04 | june CEO Ashesh Rajbansh Editor-in-Chief Ar. Sarosh Pradhan Feature Editor Prateebha Tuladhar Director- products and Materials Ar. Pravita Shrestha Creative Manager Deependra Bajracharya Contributing Art Editor Madan Chitrakar

Kasthamandap Art Studio Junior Editor Shreya Amatya

Sristi Pradhan Correspondent Avantika Gurung Advisor Ar. Pawan Kumar Shrestha Interns Aastha Subedi

Riki Shrestha Contributing Editor President - Society of Nepalese Architects

Ar. Jinisha Jain (Delhi) Ar. Chetan Raj Shrestha (Sikkim) Barun Roy (Darjeeling Hills) Photographers Pradip Ratna Tuladhar

Intl. Correspondent Bansri Panday Director- Operation & Public Relation Anu Rajbansh Business Development Officer Debbie Rana Dangol marketing officer Priti Pradhan Accounts Sunil Man Baniya Legal Advisor Yogendra Bhattarai

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Regd. No 30657/061-62 CDO No. 41 SPACES is published twelve times a year at the address above. All rights are reserved in respect of articles, illustrations, photographs, etc. published in SPACES. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the written consent of the publisher. The opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher and the publisher cannot accept responsiblility for any errors or omissions.

Those submitting manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other materials to SPACES for consideration should not send originals unless specifically requested to do so by SPACES in writing. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and other submitted material must be accompanied by a self addressed return envelope, postage prepaid. However, SPACES is not responsible for unsolicited submissions. All editorial inquiries and submissions to SPACES must be addressed to editor@spacesnepal.com or sent to the address mentioned above.

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Contributors Niels Gutschow Dr Niels Gutschow was born in 1941 in Hamburg, Germany. He is an honorary professor at the University of Heidelberg, South Asia Institute.

Graduated in architecture from Darmstadt University, he wrote his PhD-thesis on the Japanese Castle Town in 1973. From 1978 to 1980 he was head of the Münster Authority of Monument Protection and from 1980 to 2000 a member of the German National Committee for Conservation. Now a prolific writer of history of urban planning in Germany and Europe and into urban space and rituals in India and Nepal, his book ARCHITECTURE OF THE NEWARS: A HISTORY OF BUILDING TYPOLOGIES AND DETAILS IN NEPAL (3 VOLUMES) is the most valuable contribution for the documentation and preservation of Nepali architecture. Currently he lives in Abtsteinach, Germany and Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Ar. Chandani K.C. Ar. Chandani K.C. completed Masters of City and Regional Planning from University of City and Regional Planning from University of Texas at Arlington and Bachelors of Architecture from VNIT, Nagpur. She has worked in numerous urban planning projects in United States . Her interest includes urban research and regional development and she is keen to be involved in designing cities that are convenient, healthful and aesthetically pleasing.

Ar. Kritika Rana Ar.Kritika Rana is a graduate from IOE Pulchowk Campu. She is currently practicing architecture at Prabal Thapa Architects. She is keen about research based writings about architecture and the sensation of spaces. She believes in understand the essence of space and its influence in human behavior. She is also engrossed in energy efficient and sustainable design in contemporary scenarios.

Asha Dangol

Asha Dangol is a contemporary Nepali visual artist. He is co-founder of the Kasthamandap Art Studio and E-Arts Nepal. He holds Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from Tribhuvan University, and has been creating and exhibiting his art since 1992. He has 10 solo art exhibitions to his credit. Dangol has participated in numerous group shows in Nepal and his work has been exhibited in different countries outside Nepal. The artist experiments with painting, mixed media, ceramics, installation, performance and video.

Shukrasagar Sukrasagar is an archaeologist and a specialist in Nepali culture and history. He, coauthoring with Mehrdad Shokoohy and Natalie H Shokoohy, has recently published Street Shrines of Kirtipur: As long as the Sun and Moon Endure (2014).

The book focuses on the shrines’ chronology from the earliest specimens to the end of the twentieth century, the reasons for their erection, their typology and their iconography with the aim of providing a broad understanding of such features in a wider perspective for all Newar settlements. Another important he has coauthored is Jarunhiti (2013).

Ar. Sushmita Ranjit Sushmita Ranjit Shrestha received her B.Arch degree from IOE. She carries a passion for contextual writings and art. She has accomplished various design and construction projects and is dedicated to her profession.

She is currently working on spatial product designs alongside consulting for a local product development and artistic installations design for MeghauliSerai, a Taj Safaris Lodge at Meghauli.

Subik Kumar Shrestha Subik Kumar Shrestha is currently working for the University of Minnesota’s Metropolitan (Minnesota) Design Center as an Urban Design Research Fellow. He is pursuing his Ph.D. in Architecture at the University of Oregon beginning fall of 2016. Subik aims to improve his understanding of research and design methods in sustainable design. He aims to focus on cultural sustainability for developing a better architectural and urban design language for the Kathmandu Valley in particular. Subik completed his Master of Science in Architecture degree (concentrating on Environment Behavior and Place Studies) from Kansas State University in 2015 and Bachelor of Architecture from Tribhuvan University in 2011.

Ar. Rumi Singh Rumi Singh is a B.Arch graduate from IOE Pulchowk Campus. She is currently working as an architect in Sustainable Mountain Architecture (SMA). She has been involved in a Variety of voluntary works including the Rapid visual assessment conducted by Nepal Engineering Association (NEA) post the Nepal Earthquake.

She is also the recipient of the Winning Award at the KVDA Park Design Competition organized by Society of Nepalese Architects (SONA).

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editorial

In this issue some of the highlights are the viewpoints on construction material, technology and economy in Nepal. As a media partner for the Nepal BuildCon International and Nepal Wood International Expo 2016, we have taken the opportunity to interview industrial and business houses that participated at the expo and other business houses. Enclosed is a feature interview on how businesses have prepared themselves for their journey after the earthquake, the responses from the general public, and opinions on the construction economy of Nepal.

We also have comments from experts within the construction industry - sharing construction technicalities and management issues that had been disregarded since decades, along with issues that can be guided towards mitigation. Nepal's construction practices, if viewed through the lens of the recent 2015 Gorkha Nepal Earthquake, provided a glimpse of the changing construction trends over the last decade. As Ananta Baidya shares that major aspects of construction practices such as “Public Safety for all including People with Disabilities and the Elderly” has been disregarded, while vertical growth in infrastructures have sporadically mushroomed all over Kathmandu Valley. While Badan Nyachhon shares that the last decade has seen positive changes in terms of consulting/utilizing the services of engineers, architects and designers. There is still plenty that needs to be done, and the bottom line should be not cutting corners in construction in terms of safety and respecting Mother Nature and the environment.

Conversations on ethics of the built environment – leads us to talk to Ar.Kishore Thapa, the current President of Society of Nepalese Architect. He shares that the built environment is also the responsibility and moral duty of the citizen, besides the government rules and regulations. On the note that disciplines of ethics and philosophy should be included in the curriculum of the architectural schools, he relevantly points out thy architecture students should not only be good architects but should also be good human beings. Humanities courses are now being included in the engineering curriculum, in order to realize this important aspect.

We also review two interesting events that have sparked a keen interest especially amongst the students - Organic Form making led

by Albert John Mallari and Parametric Environmental Analysis with Saurabh Shrestha. Besides the main objective of the Organic form-making workshop of playing with the materiality of bamboo and stretchable fabric to create a dimensional form for a luminaire fixture, the deeper note was perhaps to learn to experiment, play and understand materials and getting beyond the skin to make meaningful and relevant design. Therein lies the soul of good design, which further echoes the skills of indigenous people are a major part of the cultural heritage, contributing hugely to the sustainability and design.

We also feature interior designer Preksha Baid’s creatively crafted Ruby Celing at the Park Hotel and Animesh Shrestha’s Architectural thesis on a modern day Auto Showroom. Besides the interesting Ruby ceiling, what clearly echoes within the features is that it finally is the awareness and understandings of the designer as well the various people within the context and craft of the design that become tools for story telling. What does stand out in the design endeavor is to have a sustainable design approach having both innovative as well as a continuity in treasuring traditional and the skills of our craftsmen.

Much to learn and get inspired further…

Namaste!

Sarosh Pradhan / Editor in Chief

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Technical Associates New

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NEPAL CONSTRUCTION MART THE FIRST CONSTRUCTION E-COMMERCE STORE IN NEPAL

Value Properties Pvt. Ltd launched www. nepalconstructionmart.com, Nepal's first e-commerce store and online information centre for construction materials on June 12, 2016 - Nepal Construction Mart. It provides complete e-commerce solutions to construction materials and services that give priorities to quality and customer satisfaction and on time delivery.

Architecture and Engineering Company: Green Tree Developers, SPACES Magazine and other professional Architects, Engineers and Builders are amongst the promoters of Nepal Construction Mart (NCM).

The main objective of NCM is to educate and empower the customer with the right

information to purchase construction materials and services and make buying convenient and easy for them. The customer can buy various construction materials and accessories including Electrical, Sanitary, Plumbing, Interior Furnishing, Paints, Security System, Various Building Materials, Doors, Windows, Household Solutions, Household Appliances and many more.

The company also provides a wide range of project solutions for its customers.

The official website www. nepalconstructionmart.com is a user friendly and informative website with the features like handyman tips, buying

guides, material calculator and blogs providing various construction related information and updates. To assure that you don't face problems like low quality or duplicate products, Nepal Construction Mart has a precise vendor screening and enlisting process followed by governing policies set for vendors to achieve the required product quality and service levels to ensure your protection while buying products from us.

They also provide all the necessary building materials in a package to simplify your purchases which will not only help you save money but also help you save time by avoiding running around to buy different items multiple number of times from multiple sources.

NCM'S Protection Measures include: • Vendor's detailed background check, including authorization, product quality, service level agreement etc.

• Buying assistance from our experts so that you get quality products at best prices with accurate estimation that suit your requirements.

• Manufacturer warranty assurance.

• Provision of receipts of your purchase/ payment to assure a legal transaction.

Their prices are very competitive and you can’t beat their customer service. Even on a tight time frame Nepal Construction Mart always comes through for us.

No matter what you need, give Nepal Construction Mart a call… you won’t be disappointed!

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… r e v i e w †

G.P. Trading Concern launches EXCLUSIVE showroom for Opple LED Lights G.P. Trading Concern inaugurated its EXCLUSIVE store for Opple LED lights Putalisadak, Kathmandu on April 29, 2016.

G.P. Trading Concern is a successful trading concern under Triveni Byapar.

Triveni Byapar is the distribution arm of Triveni group and a well-known business conglomerate of Nepal. It has been dealing with some of the most popular home appliance brands such as Yasuda, Symphony, Crompton, Panasonic, Sansui, Samsung etc. The inauguration of the one of its kind showroom for Opple LED Lights

was done by Mr.Shailesh Sanghai, Company Director of Triveni Byapar.

The showroom showcases different varieties of Opple LED Lights available in the Nepalese Market with features like flicker free technology and 88% less consumption of energy than other lighting, which puts less strain on the eyes and increases productivity. Opple has a wide range of lighting products which can cater to an array of industries, such as hospitality, medical, commercial and manufacturing. Also,

Opple is the lighting partner for some of the most renowned businesses around the world such as Holiday Inn, Adidas Flagship, Burger King, Starbucks and Sheraton.

Opple provides the most comprehensive after sales services to consumers in Nepal, given the much needed quality lighting required for the Nepalese Market. Knowing the type of energy deficient country Nepal is, Opple's saving innovation that reduces electricity consumption, can solve the problem to a great extent.

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… e v e n t s †

INTERIOR DESIGNING COMPETITION ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO CHALLENGE THEMSELVES TEXT : Pramila Rai

T

he functionality of a building depends in a major way, on appropriate interior design of the structure. Interior design also ensures that the structure is aesthetically pleasing along with its smart functionality.

A first of its kind competition in Nepal, the national level Interior Design Competition (IDC) was organized in August 2014, with the objective of providing a creative platform for students. This pioneering initiative of Spaces magazine and Nepal

Furniture and Furnishing Association saw the participation of 50 students from eight colleges. IDC 2014 revolved around the theme of a residential design inspired by culture but in a modern setting. The designs were to be submitted in 2D drawing and 3D computer rendering.

Top 15 students in the final stage of IDC 2014 were given the opportunity to put up their models for display and public voting at the Furnex Expo 2014, where a surprisingly

large number of visitors to the furniture exhibition turned up to vote for their favorite.

After the successful first attempt, the organizing committee prepared the second IDC to be held toward the end of 2015.

Fifty students from IEC College of Art and Fashion, Kantipur International College (KIC), Kathmandu Engineering College (KEC) and Nepal Engineering College (NEC) joined the contest. Each of the 50

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e v e n t s

participants had to work on the theme of a modern BBQ restaurant with a generous cultural feel to it.

The students were enthusiastic. They worked hard, did their homework, researched and learnt. The top three students assert that the competition was definitely a learning experience. Lasata Shrestha from IEC won the top prize for her project, which had elements of traditional Newari design and architecture.

“It was just like a real project and we took the opportunity to learn and research as best as we could,” she says, recalling the competition. “I took inspiration from my own culture and used basic elements of a typical Newari home with its warm mud color and wooden posts in the ceiling.”

Shrestha says she worked hard to win and that managing to do so was a validation of her hard work.

The competition proved to be the perfect platform to test the students’ theoretical knowledge, according to Shrawan Thakuri, who won the first runner up award. The

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KEC student’s project included interesting ingredients of traditional Nepali art like cobbled courtyards, stone spouts, and the famous Durbar Squares. “The contest gave us a chance to put our learning to practical use.

All the theories and principles we were taught were finally put into action. We approached it like a real project,” says Thakuri.

KEC student Pratik Lohani, who won the second runner up award says the competition taught him about market trends, correct budgeting, working on mood boards, and using the right materials. He adds that he also learnt the art of interacting and handling of clients, “I’m an architecture student, so this was a great opportunity to learn about interior designing. I worked on a rustic theme for my BBQ restaurant using timber and stone in my designs.”

The second IDC had its share of triumphs and disadvantages. The year 2015 was to be an eventful year for Nepalis as the country was first rocked by earthquakes followed by the Indian border blockade. It can be said that IDC 2015 was an example of the Nepali resilience, with the organizing committee doing their best to prepare a great second innings.

Interior architect Sabin Shakya, a member of the executive committee, believes that the team did really well despite the barriers.

“The show must go on regardless of what’s happening,” he says. “So it was tough to convince sponsors and those directly related to the competition that we had to keep going.

Given the problems of last year, I think we did a good job. Of course, there are certain gaps we have to bridge the next time. But overall, it was a good collective effort.”

Shakya says lessons for next time includes being prepared well before hand so as to avoid last minute rush and decision making. “It’s also important to educate the country about the interior design market so the role of the mainstream media is really important here,” he says. “This will also help us connect with clients. Accordingly, it’s a must to have an effective promotion package in place, not just IDC but for the entire interior design industry. Otherwise it will be a Herculean task to take the industry to the next level.”

The jury members say that it was quite clear that students lacked proper grooming. The panel comprised interior designer, Sabita

e v e n t s

Sakha, product designer, Pravin Chitrakar, and architect Sanjaya Pradhan. They said they observed that the glaring lack of preparation and guidance stopped the students from meeting their potential, even as they were talented.

The judges concur that it is the responsibility of the colleges to ensure that their students are prepared for such competitions. National level competitions require talent as well as the right kind of preparations. The jury members said they felt that the participants lacked proper guidance and the knowledge required to excel at such competitions.

At the same time, they were still impressed by the commitment shown by the students.

“I appreciated that they worked really hard and came up with good projects. I remember we had a hard time selecting the top five,” Chitrakar recalls.

“A handful of students really caught my eye, although most of the presentations needed a lot of improvement,” says Pradhan, “If they’d been better prepared, our students would have done really well.

I noticed that students of architecture focused on architecture in their projects while interior design students did likewise.”

The minimal interaction opportunity with participants was another drawback, according to interior designer Sakha. “We just had two sessions with them. I believe with more feedback at different stages, their final projects could have been a lot better. Some students did take our advice which was nice to see,” she adds.

Another suggestion she has for the organizing committee is to get a superior filtering process so only the best students can get in, thus elevating the quality of the competition.

“The next IDC must be better planned with each component meticulously thought out. The organizers should also take in suggestions and feedbacks from previous jury members so that it’s better than ever the next time”, says Pradhan.

Jury members Pradhan and Chitrakar also said thatthe amount of work expected from the students and the expectations were too high.

The jury also commented that the contest was badly timed with most students undergoing their final exams, which perhaps cut into the time they should have used for project preparations. In spite of the drawbacks, it is hard to not compliment the vision of the organizing team.

The judges’ professional backgrounds came to be a bonus, as their different professional backgrounds brought fresh perspective to the event. Students received

different kinds of inputs and advice, which helped further their knowledge.

According to Pradhan, a competition like this is important because it gives students the opportunity to test their own standards.

Chitrakar calls the event successful and adds that it was a great platform to expose students to what is expected from them in professional capacity.

The top three students received cash prizes of Rs 30,000, Rs 20,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively along with certificates, trophies, dinner coupons to BBQ Courtyard restaurant and bar, and coffee packets from Kathmandu Coffee.

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e v e n t s

AN INTRODUCTION TO TIMBER CONSTRUCTION

UN­Habitat were among those attending the event. The seminar kicked off with an introductory speech by Pawan Shrestha, Program Manager of ASF­Nepal, and his excellency Yves Carmona talked about the need to explore different technologies and ideas, and gave credit to the organizing team for initiating such programs.

Technical Support Office (TSO)­ Architectures Sans Frontiers Nepal (ASFNepal) and Architecture & Development, supported by Foundation de France successfully organized a seminar led by Andrew Lawrence, Associate Director of Arup, on 'An Introduction to Timber in Construction'. The workshop was held at Alliance Françoise, Tripureshwor, on April 7, 2016.

Andrew Lawrence, the timber specialist from Arup, started off his session with an argument on why ‘many people become skeptic about wooden buildings regarding their durability’. With that said, he introduced the audience to the oldest timber building in the UK, that has stood for oever a thousand years. Lawrence said that the last 15 years has seen a renaissance of wooden construction around the globe, primarily for its sustainability and durability. He showed some case studies of houses that were fully constructed with timber that have had great results.

The workshop had an impressive turnout of more than a hundred professionals, and students. His excellency, Yves Carmona, Ambassador of France to Nepal and Prafulla Man Singh Pradhan, Advisor at

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Lawrence’s other focus was also on ensuring maximum resistance against termite, insects and fungus and its

further treatment using Boron, Pressure Treatment and other tips, do's and don’ts.

Lawrence reiterated that the locally found species of timber in Nepal­Sal, is not only very durable but also produces natural toxins that poisons fungus and termites. Lawrence concluded his session supporting his argument with all the necessary steps that are required for grooming timber, which is a process worth the extra mile. Lawrence’s session was short but precise, informative and helped build a sense of awareness among the Nepalese and non-Nepalese, who still live in timber homes, or are looking towards building in timber construction.

The talk ended with the floor opening for questions from the audience.

Questions were raised regarding the use of materials like bamboo and timber, policies regarding management of timber production, structural significance of traditional joints during the earthquake, etc. This introductory session on timber construction left the participants with a fair knowledge on the topic.

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archAeology

Ramblers and Settlers TEXT: Subik Kumar Shrestha

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Streets as Determinants of Urbanism and Urban Life for Kathmandu

archAeology

"Streets" in this article refer more to the pedestrian pathways and sidewalks as parts of the larger urban movement channels.

I

n highly cultured urban places (in terms of the quality of space) around the world, streets form the major urban open spaces, in contrary to the more conventional understanding of streets as being solely the arteries that connect different places or channel movement. Streets are places themselves that tell the stories of particular locations—venues where the normal life occurs every day. In the traditional times, the streets were closely related with the adjacent buildings through careful ground floor occupation.

The floor immediately in connection with the streets would have shops and dalans to facilitate and support human flows.

These facilities would be supported by the windows of the upper floors which maintained direct visual connection with the streets. In this sense, the houses made a dialogue with the outdoor environment, most prolifically with the adjacent streets. Do we find that sociable connection ubiquitously in Kathmandu today? Simply put, if the answer was a certain yes, this article would not have been conceived in the first place.

The traditional streets and early modern streets of Kathmandu possess special characteristics of being able to offer so much to the urban life, in contrary to the post 2000s contemporary streets that have been bullying their way all around Kathmandu till present. The traditional streets possessed distinct characteristics of being paved in brick or stone and allowing pedestrian and minimum vehicular access through the same pathway. This indicates that vehicles requiring asphalt roads were not in use and more importantly for this discussion, signifies that a single continuous street system possibly connected the whole town. The urban design characteristics of these interlinked continuous streets, thus, suggest the characteristics of wholeness in urban design for such towns. It would also mean that pedestrians ruled the streets and urban spaces, and that lively and vibrant spaces between buildings existed. While it will be foolhardy to suggest today that the road/street system should not promote automobiles, it can certainly be argued that such road systems should not come in the way of a lively urban realm. In other words, if major areas of a city contain roads that prioritize automobiles in place of pedestrians, the urban and architectural designs will be inclined towards the “auto-

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archAeology

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archAeology

dominated” cities. Such cities evidently contain buildings that do not speak with the outside (e.g., no openings), the ground floors are usually closed or contain nonsociable use (lack of retail stores or such facilities on the ground floor that promotes interaction), and become deserted (since there would consequently be fewer reasons for users to walk).

It is evident that poorly used streets manifest the urban ills of any place. But another question needs to be answered as well: so many of the streets in Kathmandu are full of moving pedestrians traveling from one point to the other; so why a discussion of poorly used streets in terms of Kathmandu? As an important focus of this article, it suggests that there are big differences between ‘traveling pedestrians’ and ‘staying pedestrians.’ In other words, most of the newer pedestrian streets in the Kathmandu Valley (the streets in Baneshwore and Bishal Bazaar along the ‘institutional’ buildings) are only used as a medium of movement and not as “places to stay.”They are treated largely as channels of movement and supports no resting (sitting/standing) opportunities whatsoever to support urban life. Due to this reason, these pedestrian streets, although decorated with overcrowding pedestrian flows, are actually lifeless.

Evidently, one can contend that the degradation of Kathmandu’s urban street life, spans a period of more than two centuries over the Rana era, Shah era, and Ganatantra (republic) years after that.

Rana period (lasted till 1951) did see some thoughtful changes made to the street patterns, particularly with the widening of road sections for the increasing automobile use. But these developments were less sociable in terms of street use for the pedestrian, except for some visible examples in the New Road area. Another fact that needs consideration, however, is that the Rana rulers at least made numerous efforts to preserve the street patterns of the Malla towns and in fact,

contributed large urban fabrics of their own consisting of such “buildings and communities that maintain dialogues with the outside”—a term discussed previously.

This effort should be lauded and was very important for the Kathmandu Valley urbanism, although not at equals with the Malla era urbanism. It was only after the 1950s (the duihajaarsaatsaal ko andolan) that thoughtful premises for urban design began lacking from the concerned authorities, resulting in the present form of thoughtless street designs.

As an effort to once again bring the importance of streets in Kathmandu’s urban design into focus, this article lists three preliminary characteristics of streets. It should be noted that this article is interested in presenting the “design” aspect more than the “planning” aspect of the streets. These design qualities and

characteristics present a holistic idea of understanding and designing streets as a universal phenomenon for urban Kathmandu: 1. Architectural design and street life: a. Building edges and active frontages and b. Blank walls and the cynical city streets.

2. Streets as stages for manifesting the urban culture; and 3. Streets as more than channels for movement.

1. Architectural design and street life Considering streets as important elements of urban “design,” the discussion cannot be considered complete without explaining their relationship between with the adjacent buildings. In this regard, two topics become important: (a) building edges and active June 2016 SPACES / 23

archAeology

frontages and (b) blank walls and cynical architecture. a. Building edges and active frontages Building edges and active frontages play a pivotal role in defining the active social life of any street. Building edges represent various opportunities for passers-by and the public to engage to the world adjacent to the buildings via their architectural characteristics. While the outdoor spaces adjacent to buildings

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may be lawns, open spaces, roadways, or pathways, this discussion focuses on the role of such building edges which are adjacent to pedestrian streets. Building edges are comfortable resting areas placed on the public side of buildings and with a direct connection to them, which influence life between buildings. Some relevant examples of building edges could be sittable projections, designed edges, benches, tiny gardens, shops, or any form of outdoor seating. If a building contains an

archAeology

outdoor café with seating, it is making more connection with the public in the sidewalks and promotes use. Similar character can be supposed about shops having displays that promote window shopping and makes a connection with the outside.

In specific architectural terms, doors and windows represent active frontages.

Although this statement reads nothing that is unheard of, designers vividly lack the imagination of how to make proper “urban use” of these elements.

Kathmandu’s fascination with “curtain walls” is enough of an example to validate this point. The question of how much does Kathmandu offer to the citizens through active frontages may well be answered via

empirical research works and findings, but a careful observation will certainly indicate that “doors” and “windows” are slowly vanishing with the adoption of modern cultures. There aren’t any governing rules that require the incorporation of building elements or facilities at least on the ground floor that contribute to the urban congregation while longer stays in the streets (roadside) of Kathmandu are turning out to be “urban myths” in so many of the major locations. Kathmandu needs more numbers of urban street users in addition to the ramblers and active frontages may well play an important role in attaining this goal. b. Blank walls and cynical architecture

According to Matthew Carmona, blank walls are a declaration of “… distrust of the city and its streets and the undesirables who might be living inside them.” Blank walls (both without any openings and with openings that cannot be actually opened) are “architectural dead ends” and long rows of blank frontages (typically of institutions, banks, corporate offices) not only deaden the part of the street, but also break the continuity of experience vital for the rest of the street. They are inward focused even if designed in the best possible way (with fancy court-like interior spaces), which is not good enough to bring activity to the streets. It is not that these buildings individually are an end in themselves, but blocks after blocks June 2016 SPACES / 25

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of only such institutional functions without any retail and residence facilities are certainly malicious to urban Kathmandu. One may walk from the main road connecting western end of Tripureshwore with Teku leading to Kalimati to observe this phenomenon.

How many are using the streets in terms of “stays” than just “walks” in any given day? Perhaps, only a handful. People are attracted to activities which give opportunities to see, hear, and meet others. As many others have noted, people get attracted only if there are activities to be involved in or people to watch. As this article claims, the street design should facilitate the coming together of individuals; not separating away from each other.

According to a 2004 TEDtalk by Howard Kunstler such huge blank facades that deliberately disconnects architecture with urban life “… make humans feel like termites,” and rightfully so!

2. Streets as stages for manifesting the urban culture Urban culture in this regard, refers more, to the dayto-day activities occurring on every street in addition to the special “cultural” functions they serve (like jatras and festivals). Whyte (1980), in a seminal study of plazas, argued that the three most important design factors for plaza design are: (1) location; (2) street-

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plaza relationship; and (3) seating. Although this article is not a discussion about the plaza, Whyte’s findings and his consideration to streets as an important element of urban design (note the second design factor) is valuable. This points to an earlier debate that streets need to be connected to each other and also to other forms of open spaces, as is evidently lacking in the Kathmandu Valley at present. Traditional Kathmandu Valley streets are examples of streets being a stage for all these activities. Such streets facilitated not only the dayto-day urban life but were designed for the chariot festivals that would occur periodically each year.

So, the point that is being made here is that streets, in relation with the larger open spaces are the stages for urban culture to flourish.

These are the spaces where city users are allowed to perform their activities.

Kathmandu needs much more of such stages, not less.

One of the more interesting observations can be noted from Jane Jacobs’ work in which the author discusses ‘street ballet’— “…an intricate ballet in which the individual dancers and ensembles all have distinctive parts which miraculously reinforce each other and compose an orderly whole.” Street ballet can be most clearly visible in thedaytime in

Asan of Kathmandu. This central node/space has been providing a platform for urban life for centuries. Even today, one can view flocks of people passing through this area bearing specific movement of their bodies and defining the certain flow of mood, that can be correctly termed as street ballet. One can relate words such as “overcrowding,” “congestion,” “unmanaged” to the central node of Asan, but the power of this place should be understood first, more importantly, to learn from these spaces and to replicate their characteristics in future designs. Designers who have experienced this phenomenon shall not attach such disheartening cliché words to indicate Asan.

3. Streets as more than channels for movements Interesting routes make the “experienced distance” shorter and promotes walking. Along with the facilities on the ground floor and the nature of the adjacent buildings, the nature of the streets themselves

archAeology

can play an important role in fulfilling this criterion. In connection with the previous discussions, it becomes important to repeat here: how does a particular street facilitate longer stays? Although it is very important to consider human movement in the design of streets to facilitate appropriate design elements, streets and sidewalks need to be presented as a social arena instead of being only a channel for an efficient movement like in modern cities, or as an aesthetic visual element like in city beautiful movement. Bill Hillier and Julienne Hanson (the inventors of space syntax theory) have advocated that treating urban pathways and open spaces “…as a place to go and not to pass through on the way to somewhere else…” creates the potential for other activities in addition to the basic activity of

traveling from origin to destination. Major streets, on the contrary, act as barriers to longer stays, creating “fragmented” urban areas because movement if it exists, becomes only a pass-through activity and not a social experience.

If one thinks about his/her travel along (1) the main street from Bhadrakali to Singha Durbar and (2) along Asan to Indrachowk, the difference becomes evident. There is no attraction that makes people stop on their way to Singha Durbar from Bhadrakali.

The streets there are not vibrant and people only travel so as to reach other more bustling places of the city. The main reason is because the entire strip has been dedicated to institutions and banks which do not invite diverse users. Had there been

other primary activities like residences and stores, the case would have been different.

However, a walk around Asan will give a different experience to the pedestrians.

Anyone who walks around that path will be persuaded to stop and look for something to buy, to enter a religious place, or just look at the place bustling with activities.

Conclusion I do not intend to argue that every place should be packed with people all the time, but is there harm in making every pedestrian route in Kathmandu inviting for longer experience and more exciting?

Can more streets be made a great social experience and not just a pass-through way?

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interior

Sensus

Investment TEXT : Ar. Rumi Singh Photos : SMA

Swotha stands proud with its historic temples on the outskirts of the national heritage, Patan Darbar Square. The studio for Sensus Investment Company managed

by Reshu Aryal Dhungana is located at the heart of the old city of Patan. The best part of this location lies in the fact that no one can escape the walk through the true and rich culture of the city before arriving at the studio. The space originally built in traditional Newari-style architecture, was renovated in contemporary design by the property owner for residential purpose. It was the joint mission of Sensus Studio and SMA to transform this apartment based furnished room into an office space.

T

he wood and bricks gave this small place a heavy look which is unseemly for a workplace. This very restriction became the source for creative inspiration for this studio designed to exhibit a personal work zone for Dhakal, with possibility of a meeting space. The plan was drawn up as such that the place would look more work-friendly with the use of light and colorful materials. A metal based Thinking Wall and Network Tables and fabric based Textile Wall were decided to be placed inside the studio to control the dark atmosphere, with a conscious use of materials other than bricks and wood.

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Firstly, a space planning was done for Dhakal’s workplace and a meeting room.

Due to space constraint, innovation had to come with the design of personal table and the meeting table, which we call a Network Table because this is where the communication takes place. These tables are made with iron strips generally considered junk, and painted in seven different colors. It is topped-off with glass to provide the sense of tranparency. An aperture is built at the center of this crosslegged table through which wires can be placed in an organized manner. The gaps between the colorful strips and glass top

provide a complete view of the ceiling to the floor which creates an illusion of the space being bigger, brighter and open. Also, these two equal height tables are designed to fit each other so that it can be affixed to be one huge table, to host bigger meetings.

The Thinking Wall has been a solution of choice for discerning professionals to place their ideas, notes and memos. And to spark the ideas and trigger the thinking process of the visitors and to introduce an influence of work culture, The Thinking Wall was what Sensus needed. The blob–shape was chosen to diffuse the angle of perfect

interior

geometrical shapes inside the space. It has a metal frontend so that magnets can be used to stick papers on to it. Dhakal has even come up with different materials like thrown away rubber bands and paper clips to hold the papers placed on the Thinking Wall. The offset Textile Wall is hung as a partition between the kitchenette and the meeting room. This colorful wall of 2150mm x 1830mm is made out of Nepali handmade fabric prepared by Women Skill Development Multi-purpose Cooperative Ltd. To prevent the movement of the Textile Wall with the passing of the wind and to make it sound observant, foam has

Work in progress: Designers, Anne Feenstra and Ruby Singh work with a craftsman at designing the worktable for the Sensus Investment.

been used. This faรงade conceals the view of kitchenette from the outside and also controls the sound.

The insides of a room influence the mind. And Sensus Studio, a space of architectural beauty and iconic design, is one such exemplary outcome which believes in investing in heritage but with contemporary design and fabrication.

The collaboration of Sensus and SMA focused on acceptance of culture of its surrounding, brought local artisans and craftsmen to create cross-cultural design which helps in composed communication.

Dhakal now proudly opens the door for her visitors and business partners to her studio lying just outside of the hustle bustle of the city.

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architecture

Gokarneshvara

The apex of the Newar art of woodcarving at the end of the 16th century TEXT: Niels Gutschow Photos: Ashesh Rajbansh

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Nothing is known about the origin of the temple. Owing to the importance of the place in the myth of creation, the temple must have been in existence since a long time.

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Topographical and ritual context

The Gokarneshvara temple is located upstream the Bagmati River, marking or even guarding the first of three gorges the river makes its way through before leaving the valley at its southern edge. The name of the temple refers to a sacred place at the southwestern coast of India’s Karnataka, where Shiva is enshrined in the form of the Atmalinga, the “original” linga. Literally the “cow’s ear”, the name Gokarna refers to a myth, according to which Shiva emerged from the ear of a cow, in front of Brahma who was about to create the universe. The creation of replicas of such places is a common practice in Hinduism and enriches the sacred landscape of the Kathmandu Valley in many ways.

The temple of Gokarneshvara in Nepal figures as the 54th of altogether 64 lingas, arranged in such a way that they form a spiral-like movement around the Pashupatinatha, thus arriving at the spiritual centre of the valley. The Gokarneshvara also figures as the second of the Eight Passionless One (Ashtavaitaraga), which in the Buddhist tradition of Creation, guard the valley.

Moreover, the temple marks the first of twelve sacred places (tirtha) along the Bagmati and Bishnumati, which are visited

by Buddhist devotees along a year-long pilgrimage (tirthaytara). The place right in front of the temple is called Punyatirtha because here, evil (paapa) is given up and merit (punya) attained. Punyatirtha is the place to perform a death ritual (shraddha) in memory of the deceased father on the day of new moon in September.

One more context needs to be mentioned: The temple marks the 38th place of a series of 50 Power Places (Tib. gnas) identified in the valley according to the Tibetan tradition, written down in the 1770s by a Newar monk from the Tibetan “Vulture Peak Monastery” in Kimdol, at the foot of Svayambu Hill. This complex configuration

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of ritual entanglements presents the Gokarneshvara temple as a highly important pilgrimage site, a landmark of the religious infrastructure of the valley.

History

Nothing is known about the origin of the temple. Owing to the importance of the place in the myth of creation, the temple must have been in existence since a long time. The early temple was most probably replaced by the present one at the end of the 16th century – an inscription at the pinnacle refers to the year 1583.

Somewhat hidden behind the hill of Gokarna, the temple has escaped the attention of historians of the field of architecture and art. Measuring 9.39 m, it is slightly larger than the Indreshvara in Panauti (8.95 m) but smaller than the Yaksheshvara in Bhaktapur (10.13 m).

While the third tier of the Indreshvara temple appears to be a later addition to comply with height ambitions of the second half of the 17th century, the third tier of the Gokarneshvara temple seems to be an integral part of the original design.

With this third roof the temple probably for the first time overcame the earlier tradition of the Licchavi era, which survived with the royal donations of two-tiered temples: the early 13th century Indreshvara, the 15th century Yaksheshvara, the three Vaishnava temples on the Darbar Squares of the three cities, and the later replicas of the Pashupatinatha and Changu Narayana.

Later, triple, and even five-tiered temples with portals replaced earlier ones.

The building

The addition of a third tier is not the only striking innovation in contrast to the twotiered structure of those seven temples mentioned above. Even more innovative is the fact that the portals were built without the use of any tympana – the one facing east is a recent, early 20th-century addition. Dispensing with the tympana at portals – maybe the first case in the history

of Newar architecture – also allowed the builder to abandon the use of the inner secondary jambs, to which colonnettes were usually added in order to support a tympanum.

As a striking result, the four jambs of the portal are jointly bearing the primary and secondary lintels. The jambs left and right of the portal measure 26 by 19.5 cm, those framing the principal doorway 18 by 16 cm. Compared to the 24 by 20 cm of the principal jamb of the Yaksheshvara temple, the dimensions are only slightly larger but can probably be called more monumental.

The proportions of the Gokarneshvara temple appear to be more upright.

The portals

The thresholds are made up of three pieces of roughly dressed stone on all four sides. The U-shaped intermediate element dividing the outer frame from the principal jamb is shaped in a unique way as a miniature jamb of 10 cm width, with the bottom end molded in correspondence with the principal jambs complete with a pot motif and a narrow niche housing a pair of anthropomorphic snakes.

The central doorway of rectangular shape has a stepped frame featuring lotus scrolls.

On the eastern portal the lintel is covered by gilded copper repoussé. The doorway itself is framed by a pair of small pillars which are bearing a lintel with a single roof-molding. The three-foil cusped arches, made up of three horizontal layers, feature wisdom bearers in the spandrels.

The jambs are based on a pot motif with niches on top with pointed frames, housing demonic beings usually called in a very general way daitya. At mid height medallions with niches are occupied by female deities playing musical instruments below a double roof molding and on top niches with beaded and pointed frames housing a variety of deities. This configuration allows 120 deities and

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demons to be represented. Among these very few are easily identifiable: a pair of Surya on the eastern portal, Bhairava and unnamed demons dominating the southern portal, Hanuman on the western portal, Varahi and Kirtimukha on the northern portal. Bewildering is the use of a group of creatures with a human body, and multiple heads of a crow, a cock, peacock, a ram, and a lion (with horns), and that of a kneeling female deity holding a scale in the right hand.

The pointed blocks above the threshold (bailahkva) are – as is usual for Shaiva temples – occupied by the Ashtabhairava in their capacity as guardians of the universe, the microcosm of which is represented by the temple. Corresponding

to their specific location in oriented space we find the Ashtamatrika, the Eight Mother Goddesses in the quarter-round panels (dyahkva) of the wall brackets: starting with Brahmayani on her goose-mount on the right side of the eastern portal and ending with Mahalakshmi on her lion on the left side of the northern portal. Except Varahi, who appears against a mandorla and without attendants, all others are seated on their mounts. They are framed by attendants with namaskara gesture or presenting garlands.

Unique and surprising is the group of eight four-handed male as well as female deities occupying the wall brackets. The top of these brackets is invariably occupied by foliage with up to nine leaves of branches,

populated by birds and monkeys, the bottom is filled by the aquatic Makara creature, whose tail develops into three coils of foliage while the deities either stand cross legged in its wide opened jaws (Vishnu, Parvati), or on their mounts (Durga). The eastern portal is framed on both sides by female deities, probably representing Parvati, the southern portal displays Durga in her form as the crusher of the buffalo-demon (Mahishasuramardini).

In her upper hands she wields sword and shield, her lower right hand aims the spear at the demon in human (right) and even in elephant form (left). The western portal presents on the right a rare representation of Vishnu in his Jalashayana form (“lying on water”). His head is protected by a fivefold snake hood, from his navel appears

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right. The deity on the right has a rosary in her upper right hand, the palm of the raised left hand supports a bull in miniature form. Her lower right hand is raised in the mudra in which the middle finger touches the thumb, while her lower left hand holds the noose. Her earrings enclose a snake, the base of her crown includes skulls. On her right an ascetic appears offering fruits, while on her left is a devotee.

Summary

The documentation of the portal’s details represented something like a revelation to me and I have no explanation for my ignorance, not having paid attention earlier to this outstanding monument of the Newar architectural tradition. The carving at Gokarneshvara marks the peak of artistic achievement and the end of a period that presented figures with an outstanding volume. The faces of the Eight Mother Goddesses and the faces of the eight deities of the wall brackets are each crafted in such a way that they overcome prescriptions or clichés. Individual characters are created which transcend the general notion of “deity”. It is rather human beings with a prominently different facial features, whom the visitor encounters.

Background

a lotus, which supports the triple-headed Brahma. On the left side appears again Durga in her conventional form as the slayer of the buffalo: her right foot supported by her regular mount, a lion, her lower left hand wielding a vajra against the head of the demon, in this case represented in the form of a buffalo. The northern portal displays two forms of Maheshvari, on the left with damaru and trishul in the upper hands, the lower hands displaying the varada and abhaya gestures; her mount, the bull is seen to her

In the context of my ongoing endeavour to document Newar architecture, details of the western portal of the Indreshvara temple in Panauti were presented by SPACES in November 2014. In the meantime, elevations of the portals of ten temples with an inner ambulatory have been made

by Bijay Basukala at the scale 1:10. The photographs taken by Ashesh Rajvamsh are meant to illustrate the drawings the publication of which, are planned for fall 2016 (Himal, Himalayan Traditions and Culture Series). The documentation was supported by the Gerda Henkel Foundation (Düsseldorf, Germany), a private, non-profit organization to promote research in the fields of history, archaeology and history of art.

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architecture

Reconstruction TEXT::................................

TEXT Ar. Chandani KC Photos : Ashesh Rajbansh

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architecture

O

ver the last few years, natural disasters have caused heavy losses and damages to human lives, physical facilities and have affected socio-economic conditions of different communities. The tsunami in India, hurricane in New Orleans, earthquake in Haiti and floods in Pakistan have completely disrupted the lives of people and caused damages to development of the country. The earthquake of April 25th and May 12th 2015 in Nepal caused tremendous damages to the buildings and rendered a staggering loss of lives in 39 districts of Central and Western region of Nepal. According to the Government of Nepal, some 6,02,257 houses were destroyed and 1,85,099 damaged. After more than a year of the earthquake, Nepal is still recovering from the disaster. Reconstruction process has been very slow and people are getting frustrated as their houses and heritage structures, which are part of their daily lives have still not been reconstructed. The 2015 earthquakes also caused great devastation to the heritage structures. According to the Post Disaster Needs Assessment report, the earthquakes affected about 2,900 heritage structures with cultural and religious values.

Major monuments in Kathmandu’s seven world heritage monument zones were severely damaged and many collapsed completely.

UNESCO describes it as the greatest loss of heritage in the last century caused by a natural disaster. Kathmandu is now slowly reeling back from the loss of the structures that has greatly affected the rituals, practices and activities associated with it.

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The priority in safeguarding the materials were wood rather than the bricks due to the craftsmanship involved.

The major challenge immediately after the earthquake was to collect the materials from the collapsed structures and store it in a safe location.

It was absolutely essential to retrieve the centuries old architectural remains and artefacts before it got stolen or destroyed. Bulldozers were used in Kathmandu Durbar Square, a world heritage site, to remove the debris which destroyed the materials that could have been salvaged. Army personnel were getting ready to use bulldozers in Patan as well, when the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT), an organization with a mission to safeguard the extraordinary and threatened architectural heritage of the valley put a stop to the havoc caused by the bull dozers. Instead KVPT asked the community to help collect and store the materials.

Initially, the materials were kept in Patan Museum, but later a temporary shelter was built inside the premises of the museum to store the materials. The priority in safeguarding the materials were wood rather than the bricks due to the craftsmanship involved.

The active involvement of KVPT even before the earthquake and the relation they had with the community helped them complete the collection and sorting out of the materials even before the second major earthquake of May 12th, hit the

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country. Community members from more than 25 toles came forward to help retrieve the most valuable artefacts. It was the vigilance of these community groups which helped save the artefacts. The most daunting task after the collection and storage was to identify, catalogue and assemble the pieces. This was like solving a jigsaw puzzle. It was difficult to sort out which pieces belonged to which temples and where each pieces were located in the structure.

A visit to the temporary sheds where the materials are kept would help one understand the work that goes into reconstructing the structures. Rows of neatly arranged struts, columns, doors and windows line the walls of the shelter.

Instead of creating an inventory of individual pieces, KVPT is first assembling the entire element, then documenting it which makes it easier to understand. After assembling each element of the structure, KVPT identifies the missing pieces which are then recreated by the artisans. The KVPT has now completed the inventory of the materials so they know which pieces

should go where, when the temples are being reconstructed. . This was a long and tedious work that required patience and hard work. It was also necessary to understand the iconography and structural function of each element of the structure for reconstruction.

than a concrete building and also the materials are mostly all reusable. The reason for most of the temples collapsing in all the three durbar square is the lack of maintenance and due to the work being done by people who have no knowledge about conservation.

Dr.Rohit Ranjitkar, a conservation architect, who is the country director of KVPT has been working relentlessly for decades to help conserve our heritage.

Dr.Ranjitkar points out that the timing and the day of the earthquakes, fortunately, minimized the casualty, as in any other day there would have been scores of people sitting on the steps of the temples which would have increased the death toll. He also mentions that the biggest misconception after this earthquake has been that the traditional structures are weak and unsafe. However, there is no official data that shows the number of deaths caused by traditional brick and mud mortar structures and the modern concrete structures. He also mentions that the rescue efforts are easier in a brick and mud mortar building, rather

Complete restoration of the heritage structures will require the skills of local artisans, whose trade has been marginalised in Nepal in recent years.

There is a dearth of local artisans including the woodcarvers. This has been the biggest challenge in the restoration of the heritage structures. There is the need to set up a school that can train craftsmen so that they can learn the craft and continue with the tradition. KVPT plans to reconstruct the structures with the salvaged materials as conservation is about reusing the materials and using the same technique rather than introducing a new one. The work of KVPT is commendable and everyone is optimistic that in a few years’ time we will see our temples and monuments restored to their previous glory.

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Personality

Post-quake meeting with an architecture enthusiast

Ar.Wolfgang Korn

Our meeting with Wolfgang Korn revolved around a discussion regarding the structure of the traditional architecture of the Kathmandu valley, that was badly hit and that survived the massive earthquake of 25 April 2015. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake brought down world heritage monuments like Kasthamandap, MajuDega, Dharara and JaiseDega to name a famous few, which collapsed within 60 seconds of the violent tremor that day. So, with lots of inquisitiveness and responsibility many of our questions were related to structural stability of traditional architecture of temples, rest house and palaces.

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TEXT : Ar. Sushmita Ranjit

Did our ancestors really think about the earthquake when they built these magnificent structures? Was the soil test done and foundation built accordingly? Did the high plinths of the temple absorb the shockwave of the earth’s movement? Are the wooden ties chukuls used for making the whole structure flexible to adjust with the seismic movements? Is the double layered brick wall (inside: sun-dried brick kachiappa, outside:fired –brick Chikanappa) design a possible weak structure unable to transfer load to the foundation?

In

response to all the questions raised, Ar.Korn, had only one thing to say: “We can’t avoid making mistakes if we intend to build a masterpiece”.

He further reasoned that our ancestral team had built with much knowledge which was collected through a series of experiences. It was unaffordable to not make a mistake, so learning and focusing on details were acquired entirely from hands-on habitual

Personality

society. However, the only thing that our ancestors didn’t do, was to document the construction details, and hand them over properly to the future generations. It was only when these architectural beauties was opened to the world to admire, that it became an element of attraction for both entertaining and educational tourists. Many scholars have had the opportunity to study the architecture of the valley and publish articles and research papers. Ar.Korn was one of them in the 70’s, whose hobby was transformed into a comprehensive job to measure temples, palaces and private houses and document them in scaled line drawn sketches. His original work is being preserved and curated in Taragaon Museum Center for Arts and Culture at Jorpati. He has also recently shared the detailed drawings of Kasthamandapa and MajuDega at Maru with the Kathmandu Metropolitan City KMC, to help understand the existing (not standing now) architecture details for further study. His magnanimity deserves a notable gesture of recognition on the documentary text and unanimously in the heart of the Nepalese society.

With a deep love for the architectural heritage of our valley, and after spending scores of ample time dedicated for measuring and understanding the structure, his opinion on the structural stability is something to delve into. He believes that chukul (wooden nails) are the most crucial part of the entire structural system of the traditional architecture. It is the main element that binds and puts every part in positions with much flexibility. He even adds a learning memory experience to the conservation work of Hanumandhoka in 1973 AD, where large roof area of Nautalle Durbar was nailed (metal nails) together making a compact surface rather than giving it flexibility.Its result lies before our eyes today after the Gorkha earthquake. He reasoned that the roof structure should be built much lighter and flexible with proper interlocking techniques. Thick walls of temples and palaces should have proper

sized braces at regular intervals to give proper bonding to the facing brickwork and the backing brickwork.

Ar. Korn also believes that the temples that were completely destroyed on April 25, have unleashed the opportunity to study the physical attributes of its foundation like never before. This will not only shed light upon the unknown, but will be a source to build back better in the future. Therefore, this raises a serious question as to whether immediate rebuilding is dangerous. After the 1932 earthquake the Ranas rebuilt most of the buildings in a hurry. Their hasty restoration barred them from rethinking and improving before using the same materials and traditional construction principles to rebuild the palaces,which perhaps overlooked some of the crucial elements making them vulnerable structures in the event of earthquakes.

With all these eminent challenges from the past, Ar.Korn highlights that rebuilding should be carried out with much care this time. There should be optimum time to study and analyse before we start to write another history. Cases like why did

Majudega (built: 1692 AD, renovated: 1975 AD) collapsed and Nayatapole (built: 1702 AD, renovated: 1996 AD) didn’t should be understood. And why Krishna Mandir(built: 1637 AD, renovated: 1993 AD) survived and BatsalaDurga Temple (built: 1672 AD) of Bhaktapur Durbar Square didn’t, even after renovation should be a topic to discuss in order to form a vision for future restoration.

Perhaps this indicates that experienced minds and interested crew should embark together to carry out these restorations.

It should not hold back from inviting new ideas, and should also be equally careful that it does not displace the essence of traditional architecture of the valley.

This sensitive change should not divide the values, but blend perfectly with the centuries-old fabrics for many more decades to come. Most importantly, it is a fact that both skilled human resources and economical resources are valuable and also unaffordable if we do not improvise on the materials, techniques and their maintenance, equally. It would be unbearable to see our temples, palaces and houses come to ground again in the next imminent quake.

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architecture

CENTRE FOR RESEARCH (CCCR) TEXT & Photos : J.K. Cements Ltd. YEAR OF COMMENCEMENT: MARCH 2011 YEAR OF COMPLETION: 23 AUGUST 2013 COST OF PROJECT (in INR): CIVIL WORKS = 10,15 CRORES INTERIOR WORKS = 1 CRORES BUILT UP AREA: 3330 SQ MT

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Centre for Climate Change Research (CCCR) is a new office, research and training building designed to house the latest facilities at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pashan, Pune. It neighbours with the recently built High Performance Computer Centre (HPCC) building designed by the same architectural office and complements it by forming a pedestrian plaza in between the two and extending the architectural vocabulary of the former. Both buildings are a part of this government institution conceived to pioneer research on climate

change. The older building houses the super-computers while the new building provides workspaces for research scholars, scientists, and faculty. The institute caters to the urgent need to build a critical mass of trained researchers to address science related issues of climate change and provides state-of-the-art facilities. It is therefore imperative that the architecture of their new buildings is in response to the challenges posed by climate change and depleting material resources.

The newly built three storied CCCR building is conceived as a model of a minimum

energy use climatically comfortable building with inbuilt mechanisms integrated with architectural and functional concerns. The need of the hour was to come up with a typology for a workplace that is a low carbon development with minimal impact on the surroundings. The addition of this building to the IITM campus completes a research cluster functionally and architecturally by forming a precinct within the large campus thereby providing isolation within the campus, intimacy within the complex, and identity to its users at the same time.

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THE DRIVING INTENT BEHIND THE PROJECT LAY EMPHASIS ON THE NEED TO DESIGN FOR THE SITE AND CLIMATE CONTEXTUALIZED APPROACH.

THE DESIGN, SYSTEMS AND OCCUPANT COMFORT STRATEGIES RESULTS IN A MORPHOLOGY THAT TALKS OF FORM AND SYSTEM INTEGRATION TO REDEFINE THE TYPOLOGY OF A SUSTAINABLE WORKSPACE.

ACCESS AND CONNECTIVITY

The formality in an institution is reconceptualized as the buildings don't have a front or rear and can be accessed from all four sides'". Multiple vehicular drop-off opportunities bring connectivity of pedestrian traversing links within the precinct.

CAPTURING THE VISTAS

The two building are juxtaposed and sculpted in a manner to capture views of the existing evergreen tree cover, the distant hills and the Wind Tower placed as an urban marker in the plaza.

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AXIS AND BALANCE

The Wind Tower placed at one end of the climate plaza creates an axis further accentuated by the linear water body. The two buildings are staggered and positioned with an intent to create a spatial balance and rhythm within the precinct.

LANDSCAPE

The two buildings are envisaged to be connected by a bridge and an open air plaza (CLIMATE PLAZA) that seamlessly merges the indoor and

outdoor spaces. Modification of micro climate achieved by reducing the surface of paved areas and the introduction of water bodies within the precinct which assists in minimising the heat island effect.

architecture

STRATEGIES FOR CLIMATE RESPONSIVE DESIGN

PUNE: LOCATION AND CLIMATE

Pune, located in Maharashtra, stands on the leeward side of the Western Ghats at an altitude of 560 m. The place experiences moderate climate with three distinct seasons viz. Summer (March-May), Winter (Nov-Feb) and the Monsoons (June-Oct) with most rainfall between the months of June and July. The most significant aspect of the climate of Pune is the large diurnal variations in temperature for a majority of the year.

DESIGN APPROACH

The project capitalizes on the seasonality of the location. The building details evolved for climatic comfort get additionally refined in this building with the sky-window combining natural lighting & ventilation techniques.

Orientation of the block, the multi-layered envelope of the longer facades, the deep offset windows, & the triple-height volumes work complementary to the active radiant cooling & ventilation system integrated into the building's structure.

n The building is designed on the principles of solar passive architecture.

The principles of orientation, facade and window design, internal volumetric dispensation, buffer areas, and elements like overhangs, louvers, ventilators and skylights are engaged and synchronised to get a building with comfortable temperatures, diffused working natural light & cross ventilation in the occupied spaces. n The building has a natural cooling system comprising of a combination of radiant cooling system and an earth tunnel cool air ventilation system.

The first system cools the mass of the building by embedding PEX pipes inside its floor slabs and circulating cool water through them. The system id also operated at night to take the advantage of the capacity of the concrete mass to store the cooling effect. The second system draws air through a wind tower and passes it through an earth pipe heat exchanger buried 4m below ground thereby cooling it. This air is further cooled by an air handling unit with water coils. A water tower supplies cool water to these coils as well as those of the first system embedded in the slabs. The cool air is distributed to all floors at the top levels. This cool air in combination with the already cooled RCC mass is expected to bring down ambient interior temperatures to less than 24 degrees Celsius even during summers (this was recently tested and verified for this building). n Both systems do not use coolants or any other chemicals or gases for cooling. They thus release no ozone or other harmful gases in the atmosphere.

Both are clean and non- polluting systems. n Both systems are not energy intensive.

Their total power consumption is one third of that of a conventional airJune 2016 SPACES / 47

architecture

conditioning system. Both depend only on fans and pumps for their operation. n Both use building elements as an integral part of the system. Air is drawn through a wind tower into the RCC pipes embedded at 4 meters below the ground surface. This tower serves as an important element of architectural composition of the plaza space between the two buildings. Inside the building, this cool air is circulated above the corridor spaces thereby creating a low height circulation space between the triple height atrium and the full height offices. The RCC floor slabs carry the PEX pipes with water cooled by the cooling tower. This discourages any installation of false ceilings in the offices. n Natural cross ventilation through openable windows is encouraged when the NCS is not required. A ventilator integrated with the sky- window over the atrium creates a good draft throughout the interior volume of the office. n The longer facades of the building are three layered. The first is the deep overhang of the roof, the second

48 / SPACES June 2016

comprises of floor height adjustable aluminium louvers and the third is of low sill clear glass windows. The floor height louvers on the longer facades add an element of dynamism to the building with their carefully worked out rhythmic pattern. Their operation as per the users' requirements to admit or

cut-off light and wind actually gives a unique facade composition all the time (Note: Louvers are still to be installed.

They are currently installed only on the neighbouring building). n The size of the building block is based on the natural light & ventilation requirements. The narrow long block

architecture

with an atrium along its length ensures natural light to all work spaces as well as creates a natural breeze draft throughout the building interiors. n The working spaces are grouped & protected from the exterior surface thereby reducing their heat gain. This also ensures that when the building is cooled by the cooling system, it remains so over a much extended period after the system shut- down.

Special Features

the design does not ever compromise on its aesthetic integrity and sense.

Without resorting to visual gimmickry, technological flamboyance or formal acrobatics, the building makes a simple and clean statement of restraint, clarity and a functional aesthetics. It won't be farfetched to say that this building articulates an appropriate contemporary expression to Pune's and the country's institutional architectural context.

The building integrates a low energy consuming cooling and ventilation system within its structure. The building design follows the principles of solar passive architecture that ensure diffused natural light, adequate natural ventilation and comfortable temperatures inside the working spaces. But while doing this,

Materials and Construction Details

The layered envelope of the building minimising its heat gain, the spatial planning combining various volumes of interior spaces, the deep shading devices defining the long facades of the building, the natural draft created by the large openable windows, louvered cabin partitions and the roof ventilators make this an air- condition free, yet bio-climatically comfortable building.

The new building expresses itself in tandem with its older neighbor. It follows a similar grid and extends the earlier vocabulary in local grey Deccan trap creating compositions in various hues of grey and black. Form-finished concrete is

June 2016 SPACES / 49

architecture

the most strikingly used material combined with grey Basalt aggregate plaster and contrasted with clear float glass with aluminium louvers. 230 mm fly-ash blocks are used for double layered masonry cavity walls. The interior is bathed in white to give a soft glow of natural reflected light from the sky-windows. Deep browns and beige add to the warmth of the workspaces.

The building details evolved for climatic comfort get additionally refined in this building with the sky-window combining natural lighting and ventilation techniques.

Orientation of the block, the multi-layered envelope of the longer facades, the deep offset windows, and the triple-height volumes work complementary to the active radiant cooling & ventilation system integrated into the building's structure.

50 / SPACES June 2016

architecture

TEN POINTS HIGHLIGHTING GREEN STATUS OF CCCR BUILDING

1. The building is designed on the principles of solar passive architecture.

The principles of orientation, facade and window design, internal volumetric dispensation, buffer areas, and elements like overhangs, louvers, ventilators and skylights are engaged and synchronised to get a building with comfortable temperatures, diffused working natural light and cross ventilation in the occupied spaces. Landscaping of plaza & surrounds would minimise heat island effect and provided shading.

2. The building has a natural cooling system comprising of a combination of radiant cooling system and an earth tunnel cool air ventilation system.

3. Both systems do not use coolants or any other chemicals or gases for

cooling. They thus release no ozone or other harmful gases in the atmosphere.

Both are clean, non- polluting systems.

4. Both systems are not energy intensive.

Their total power consumption is one third of that of a conventional airconditioning system. Both depend only on fans and pumps for their operation. It is envisaged that these can be power by on site hybrid system of solar PU & wind turbines. Thus making it zero demand on grid supply.

5. Both use building elements as an integral part of the system. Air is drawn through a wind tower into the RCC pipes. This tower serves as an important element of architectural composition of the plaza space between the two buildings. Inside the building, this cool air is circulated from the corridor spaces thereby creating a low height circulation

June 2016 SPACES / 51

architecture

space between the triple height atrium and the full height offices. The RCC floor slabs carry the PEX pipes with water cooled by the cooling tower. This discourages any installation of false ceilings in the offices.

6. Natural ventilation through openable windows is encouraged and actually helps the installed system. A ventilator integrated with the sky- window over the atrium creates a good draft throughout the interior volume of the office.

7. The long facades are three layered.

The floor height louvers on the longer facades add an element of dynamism to the building with their carefully worked out rhythmic pattern. Their operation as per the users' requirements to admit or cut-off light and wind actually gives a unique facade composition all the time (Note: Louvers are still to be installed.

They are currently installed only on the neighbouring building).

52 / SPACES June 2016

8. The size of the building block is based on the natural light and ventilation requirements. The narrow long block with an atrium along its length ensures natural light to all work spaces as well as creates a natural breeze draft throughout the building interiors.

9. The working spaces are grouped and protected from the exterior surface thereby reducing their heat gain. This also ensures that when the building is cooled by the cooling system, it remains so over a much extended period after the system shut- down.

10. The building synchronises its spatial geometry, structural grid, functional space requirements, passive solar design elements and the inbuilt cooling and ventilation system into an inseparable whole without compromising on its aesthetic agenda, thereby creating satisfying experience to its user and patron. It is green in conception and not by applique.

June 2016 SPACES / 53

archAeology

&

Dhalinkhwa Dhalinkawa

in Nepalese architecture TEXT & Photos : Shukrasagar

The awnings of a structure need to rest on beams attached to the walls of the building. The beams are built into the walls and they jut out into the faรงade, forming a resting point for the roof.

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T

he bare wooden ends of the beams jutting out of the wall, are likely to appear ugly. Therefore, the architects created a band of decorative motifs that could work as concealers. This band is called cornice in English and kaarnes in Nepali and Newari. This part is often decorated with bands of many designs. On them two main motifs are created. The ends of the beams are covered with the heads of different animals, demons, gnomes or even human figures. Those figurines are called dhalinkhvaa.

Dhalinkhvaa literally means the face of a beam, in Newari. These decorations on the struts are an integral member of the cornice. But in the Newari artichecture, one end of all the beam protrudes through the wall.Decorative heads of different gods, goddesses, devils, demons, men, women, gnomes and animals are carved, in order to give life and religious meaning to the architectures.

archAeology

The repetitive depiction of these figures, gives uniformity to the art work and enhances the beauty of the particular portion of the building.

The practice of decorating the exposed part of the beam or the portion that divides the stories is a universal practice. St. John's New College building in Oxford also has good examples of this practice. In Oxford, this portion is specially decorated with human heads, portraying different moods. The heads are sometimes repeated indefinitely with the same figure or sometimes represented by male and female heads. Animal heads like lions and griffins are also represented.

The space left between two beams, if elongated, are arranged with the addition of false beams, and equal distance is maintained between the two beams ends in order to create a homogeneous size. The gaps in between become dark places, thus disturbing the semblance of the brickwork.

Therefore the architects developed an idea to cover them to enhance the look.

The idea was to cover the place with square-shaped pieces of wood carved with lovely patterns and scenes borrowed from different mythologies. This part of the structure is the most inconspicuous part of the Nepalese architecture. No one has so far, dealt with this subject. Mary Slusser, an imminent cultural historian of Nepal has touched upon the subject in her writings, describing it as conceal cornice. Since no other writers or historians have broached on the topic, I decided to research the topic.

Every part of the structure should have its grounding in the architectural nomenclature.

The Dhalinkawas is a part of space between two beams, seen horizontally in the facade. The space left is rectangular, its length being three times bigger than its breadth. Therefore the ancient architects

created one more beam face by adding one extra false beam that could be seen from the outside. The cross sections of beams are often between 10x10 cms to 15x15 cms long. Similarly the space left between two beam ends is also about the same size in diameter. In this way the look achieves a kind of homogeneity because of the dhalinkhvaas and the space left between them is distributed equally to fit nicely with the entire band of cornice that divides the floors.

We should always pay attention to the perspective of its creators, while defining an object. What do the creators call them?

I visited art workshops and artisans and asked them about its name and origin.

Almost all the artisans named it as simply as astamangala pattern. No one to my knowledge, till date seems to be aware of the hundreds of designs that our ancestors created. This is not the art of one man, but the creation of generations of our forefathers. Therefore, it should have its roots in the native architectural nomenclature. This part should be called

dhalinkava in the vernacular. Kawa means the space and Dhalin is for beam, khvaa is the face. Therefore dhalinkava is the space left by two dhalinkhwaas. Dhalinkawa and Dhalinkhwaa are the two main integral components of the cornice that divides the two stories of the temples or the houses of the affluent in the Kathmandu valley.

Other members of the cornice remain only a pattern.

The older the structures, the more intricate are the dhalinkavas. Some of the monuments that have interesting patterns are: # Ukubaha monastic complex has maximum of those designs still preserved in their original state of carving. There are more than 400 different patterns and some monoscenic narratives from Jataka stories carved on them. # Sivaparvati temple of Svathatol has an eye catching pattern and another temple with equal standard of the carving is found in sulima pagoda the temple near Pimbahapukhu.

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archaeology

# The fifty-five windows palace of Bhaktapur also has interesting scenes from what Prof. Purushottam Lochan describes as representation of Ragraaginis. But the quality is inferior to the standard of the above sites. # The Indresvara temple in Panauti is another temple that has the most ancient and master craft wood work

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in Nepal. The western faรงade of that temple has forty dhalinkavas bearing the figurines of independent gods and goddesses who are identical with their respective vahanas(riding vehicles).

There should be many such monuments bearing master piece patterns carved into those conceal cornices. We should hunt

for them, and collect them for the sake of research and preservation. The future generation of artists and architects should take up this project. Those patterns will immensely help designers in many fields to look them us reference and to borrow inspiration from. But one should not forget to credit our ancestors who created them.

MAW

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interior

Enhancing the Restaurant Experience with

Colors As the famous aphorism goes, “We eat with our eyes�. This may be why the significance of color in the food industry is infinite. The color of the food, plate, napkin, walls, floor, furniture and even the menu can evoke diverse emotions, ultimately shaping our experience. Colors add a new dimension to our sensory stimulation, enhancing the sense of smell, and arousing our appetite, thus resulting in a tastier experience.

Moreover, color can influence our entire outlook towards the surrounding, increasing our comfort level and degree of satisfaction.

Designing a restaurant is designing an experience. We usually decide where we want to go for a meal, depending on the way we want to feel- excited or relaxed- while enjoying the meal. Color alters our visual perception, triggers emotional responses and ultimately influences our behavior. Architects and designers use color psychology to establish an evident brand personality of the restaurant as well as create an ambience with a design style that best projects its image, to attract the desired category of patrons.

PERCEPTION OF SPACE Color can be used to change the perception of space in a restaurant to create a lesser or greater degree of intimacy. Cool and light colors such as blue and green recede from the eye and can be used to make a small space feel spacious and bright.

Conversely, warm and dark colors such as red and orange advance towards the eye and can help make a large space not only feel smaller, but more cozy, sophisticated and personal. Moreover, warm colors instill elegance and can be used as highlights to draw attention.

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TEXT: Kritika Rana

COLOR AND IMAGE Color can be used to portray a certain image of a restaurant such as bar, gourmet, family restaurant or fast food establishment.

Bold colors such as red, orange and yellow are particularly appropriate for quickservice restaurants, coffee shops or for fast-food establishments. These vibrant colors encourage quick turnover as they convey urgency and induce excitement. The atmosphere itself reflects speed, inciting the patrons to order quickly and vacate the table for the next batch of customers.

Muted and subtle colors are perfect for family restaurants as they create a restful atmosphere for the family to enjoy a laid-back multi-course meal. Soft pastel shades such as pink, purple and green create a tranquil effect and encourage lingering and even makes the patrons feel comfortable about spending money. Bars often use muted tones such as brown and beige to create a relaxed setting to unwind in.

Color can also be used in restaurant design to evoke a theme, style or culture. Purple is the color of royalty, green represents nature, while red and gold could symbolize Chinese, while brown wooden tones suggest Nepalese influence or that of the Nordic culture.

COLORS AND EMOTIONS 1. HAPPINESS: Yellow portrays enthusiasm and youthfulness which helps in creating an uplifting atmosphere in a restaurant. The color is said to spread joy by releasing serotonin, a chemical in our brain that makes us feel good. Yellow, is the best choice for menus as it is said to increase analytical instinct, helping us think clearly and make decisions.

Nanglo Express, New Road: Yellow can feel expansive and welcoming in small spaces which has worked perfectly in this petite restaurant.

2. EXCITEMENT: Known as the most intense color, red instantly raises the energy level of the room and is perfect when you want to stir up excitement in rooms centered on enjoyment of food. It also brings on a feeling of hunger and makes people more inclined to spend money. Red has become the most effective and common color used in the food industry worldwide, from fast food chains to restaurants. To establish an upscale image, a combination of red, black and gold can be incorporated in the design.

KFC, Durbarmarg: KFC, an international fast food chain uses red as the accent color in all of their outlets probably to stimulate hunger and provide a lively atmosphere.

The Bakery CafĂŠ, Teendhara: The Bakery CafĂŠ features their original color scheme- orange tone in all of their outlets for a fine dining experience.

3. ENTHUSIASM: Being an energetic color, orange evokes a feeling of enthusiasm and stimulates all senses. Orange can be used in a restaurant to create a warm comfortable ambience encouraging conversations as well as the appetite. The customers are inclined to spend more time and money in an orange themed restaurant as it also represents good value.

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4. COMFORT: An organic color, brown evokes a feeling of comfort and complements any color found in the nature like green or orange. The earthy hue conveys a feeling of warmth, honesty, and wholesomeness and increase the appetite as well. Brown is also often associated with the feeling of being sad or pensive which works well when used in a bar.

Attic Bar, Tangal: A typical attic space of Nepalese Architecture is represented through a monochromatic color scheme where brown associates with its lighter cousin- cream and tan. An epitome of nature, the brown hue blends naturally with the tone of the wood and leather.

5. SERENITY: Green is the most serene and restful color to the eye as it is associated with health and well-being. It is used liberally in a restaurant to represent fresh, healthy, vegetarian and nutritious food. Moreover, green is believed to relieve stress and help people relax to enjoy a laid back meal.

6. SADNESS: Blue, a relaxing color is rarely used in a restaurants as it is known to suppress the appetite and reduce hunger. It is the most unappetizing color when it comes to food, maybe because we cannot associate blue with the color of food. However, blue can evoke a sense of thirst and sadness which is why it is best suited for the bar area.

Reef Restaurant and Lounge Bar, Thamel: A thematic restaurant based on portraying a seashore, minimal blue hues on a white background bring on a feeling of thirst ideal for a lounge bar.

DECIDING ON A COLOR SCHEME Every restaurant has a certain personality which is defined by the desired mood of the customers, the type of food to be served and the kind of customers who are most likely to visit, based on the services offered. Hence, deciding on a color scheme to design an atmosphere that best delivers this message is essential in getting the right response. Colors can influence the emotions of the restaurant patrons, design a setting where they can relax and enjoy a laid-back meal and even feel content.

Moreover, the color scheme can be extremely influential in creating a dining experience one would cherish forever.

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Light Color Scheme: Lighter shades of pink, blue, pale yellow, ivory, beige, white Light colors are perfect for upscale establishments to create a formal setting with a leisure and relaxed feel.

With the use of these colors, the space itself appears vast always welcoming a number of customers.

Dark Color Scheme: Deep purple, brown, crimson, dark gray Dark colors are ideal for banquet halls, as they can be used to create an intimate setting to reduce the impersonal feeling of a large group dining. Moreover, these colors often make these vast halls feel cozier and less empty.

Warm Color Scheme: Red, Yellow, Orange, Red-violet, Brown These stimulating colors are ideal for a fine dining experience with a positive ambience to encourage the customers to have a laid back multicourse meal.

Cool Color Scheme: Green, Blue, Purple Cool colors are subtle and tranquil, which can be used to design an inspiring and soothing atmosphere.

Bright Color Scheme: Bright shades of red, yellow, orange, green Bright colors are perfect for fast food establishments that depend on high table turnover rates. These vibrant colors raise the heart rate, inciting the customers to order and leave quickly.

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ARTScape

“Form is Emptiness-Emptiness is Form�

His images of deities and spiritual figures are fragmented, placed in unusual contexts, or broken up into a swirling composition, acting as a metaphor for the feelings of displacement experienced by the Tibetan Diaspora.

He has gradually moved away from the precise discipline of thangka paintings to deconstruct and explore the abstract possibilities of the associated imagery, where he still maintains the refined techniques and rich textures.

Asha Dangol Tsherin Sherpa Born in Kathmandu, Tsherin Sherpa currently works and resides in California, United States. He was trained in the Tibetan thangka painting by his father, a master thangka painter as the age of 12. Sherpa is now regarded as one of the foremost contemporary Tibetan Nepali artists.

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From the Shelf

Modern Architecture There should at least be an answer to the question: what is modern architecture? Well, anything that was built after the war, perhaps? In an initial version of this book, our survey began at around 1900, but it soon became apparent that no understanding of modern architecture is possible without taking into account late 18th and 19th century works. edited by: Peter Gossel

T

he history of modernism begins, to cut a long story woefully short, with the emergence of the notion of an individual acting with sole responsibility. This happened against a background of the loss of the churches' cultural dominance, and a situation driven by the contradictions of a productive sphere geared towards profit.

This radical change, often equated with the "revaluation of all values (Friedrich Nietzsche), finds its technical and social expression in the industrialization that drastically altered the lifestyles of humankind and, with the intensive development of urban areas, had a very direct impact on architecture.

Industrialization also introduced the academic "master builder" to competition via the “engineer", a title generally used in post-revolutionary France to refer to an officer engaged in fortification and defense works. In Paris, the Ècole Poytechnique, came to the fore as a technical training institute, alongside the Ècoie des Beaux-Arts with Its rich heritage. “And at the same time, in the same country, the contrast between construction and architecture began to express itself consciously and soon in a fiercely personal manner," as art historian Alfred Gotthold Meyer put it.

The engineer, by profession, considers just the functionality of materials and uses them, wherever possible, only in 64 / SPACES June 2016

the absolutely necessary quantity and size, relying in particular on standardized calculations. This rational principle soon pervaded the building industry and even became compulsory for "architects". By contrast, not all engineers adhered to the purely functional and necessary, creating bold and even aesthetically innovative buildings that made a radical impact on the idea of what was humanly possible.

Therefore, industrialization laid the foundations for a new architecture, ’at a time when craftsmanship was metamorphosing into the industrial production process’ as EugeneEmmanuel Viollet-le- Duc put it. And yet,

this transformation was by no means direct and deliberate. Many circuitous routes were taken towards modernism, which can still be said to be “a work in progress". Modernism is neither an epoch nor a tide of events that points a way forward from any particular historical point in time. Rather, it is on the one hand equated with technological progress and rationalization, but on the other, with the loss of traditional values and aesthetics.

From this standpoint, modernism must be regarded as a never-finished project concerned with harmonizing enlightenment hopes for self- determined individuals with social and technological changes.

This can be explained by the special role architecture plays in our lives, as, among all the arts - if we still categorize it like this, although perhaps not necessarily in the most serious sense - it certainly ranks among those that most influence people, yet in the subtlest manner. In fact, it is so much a part of the perception of our daily reality that the whole of our activity in perceived space is also activity in formed space: each person has an architecturally defined home. Even for those of us who, because they have no house, have to sleep under a bridge, every building is associated with the function of protection and warmth. As a living space, the city is defined by architecture. Even

the countryside is structured by culturally typical settlements, representing residences and destinations according to which our world view is established.

Architecture, therefore, doubtless has a special role, though many will question its character as art at all. From the moment of its handover, architecture is immediately and essentially measured on the grounds of its usability, it does not enjoy the same space for progressive development as other arts. This argument has led to some dispute over the quality of architecture as an art. For example, it is still reflected in the German word for architecture, "Baukunst’ (the art of

building). Yet, when we observe the history of architecture, it becomes clear that no building has automatically developed purely from the application of functional and technical specifications.

Rather, even in the case of what are known as the functionalists, basic assumptions of an aesthetic nature have crept into the creation of form. As in art too, self-referential expression by the architect as creator of a building must not necessarily be accepted without criticism.

He is, after all, a creative person through whom spontaneous suppositions are translated into experience.

June 2016 SPACES / 65

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