SPACES Nepal JAN 2015

Vol 11 No. 02

A R T

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

I N T E R I O R

January 2015

This city

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A promising

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Contents Volume 11 NO. 02 | January

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

26

We must all be prepared

Nepal marked the 80th anniversary of the Great Earthquake in January this year, but we are impact still not properly equipped to deal with a future disaster of such scale. As NSET works to enforce standard building codes, encourage regulation and train builders to retrofit concrete structures, it sets a standard not just for disaster preparedness but also for public-private partnership, an endeavour in which SPACES has partnered with the organisation.

24

interior design competition

There is a lot of scope for the growth and development of the interior design scene in Nepal. And while it is true interior that many colleges and institutions that offer courses on design are not always well-equipped, it is also true that there are numerous, immensely talented and hardworking interior designers in the making here . The success of the first Interior Design Competition (IDC) 2014, not just in terms of the quality of the participants’ work, the fresh ideas they were able to put forth; but also in terms of the audience interest and participation, has been very encouraging.

30

This city we have built

As we look back at the past year , we choose some of the best architectural features published by SPACES in architecture 2014 and analyse what it is about buildings and public spaces in this city that make it uniquely Kathmandu. We also take a look at the meanings architecture has taken on in today’s day and age, mainly through the prism of Gautam Bhatia’s writing. The Patan Museum, its spectacular Architectural Gallery and the newly-open-to-thepublic Sundari Chowk, Mul Chowk and Bhandarkhal Garden are re-explored and revisited in this compilation. The Kumari Chhe also features here, as do the Siddhi Polyclinic building–a step toward green design for Nepali architecture, and the Kopan Gumba.

49

From the atelier

We take a look at the history and development of art in its relation to colour, and the history of art traditional Nepali art in explorations of pieces published by SPACES last year. We examine details from the artist and critic Madan Chitrkar’s writing. Nepali historian Yam Prasad Sharma’s analyses of manuscript paintings are also re-visited, with close attention being paid to the relationships between iconography, tradition and religious philosophy.

56

On construction and community

Biresh Shah explores the fourpart framework for architects and architecture enthusiasts developed by noted Indian architects and authors M.N. Ashish Ganju and Narendra Dengle, and expounded in their wonderful 2013 book “The Discovery of Architecture: A Contemporary Treatise on Ancient Values and Indigenous Reality”. from the shelf

60 personality: Trilokesh SJB Rana 64 ARTSCAPE: Jeevan Rajopadhyay 66 STORE WATCH: MD Furniture 68 OPEN SPACES: Paltan Chhe 70 PRODUCT: Smart Coffee Table, NEC VersaPro VZ & UltraLite VB 10 / SPACES January 2015

January 2015 SPACES / 11

editorial As we bring out the first issue of 2015, we take a look at some of the most rewarding stories we have featured the past year. Our features on traditional architecture and design stem not only from a formal appreciation of its elements, but also to increase public awareness on the importance of conservation. We celebrate milestones in modern Nepalese design and architecture along with the hope to see more depth and creativity in our design professionals and related industries.

Our focus this month has been weaving together vignettes of Nepal’s rich architectural and artistic history within the feature of This City We Have Built and From the Atelier. We examine a prism of issues ranging from the importance of conservation to the power of form, structure and colour. The first Interior Design Competition (IDC) organized by SPACES and NFFA (Nepal Furniture and Furnishing Association) last year was a positive step towards the sensitivity of Interiors and design. We commend Nepal’s interior designers and are certain the industry will flourish in the years to come.

We also look forward to featuring the Nepal Buildcon International 2015 and the concurrent Nepal Wood International 2015, two of the largest international expositions on architecture, construction, engineering, woodwork and accessories ever to take place in Nepal.

Conservation has been a key concern for us at SPACES, and we feature the recent discussions and debate on various issues in Kathmandu. Vestiges of the Past and Reprising the Past look at attempts currently being made to safeguard Thamel’s 350-year-old Baidya Chowk and restore Basantapur’s ancient Panchhamukhi temple respectively. The KVPT (Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust) has been focusing and doing extraordinary work especially visible in Patan Durbar Square and the adjoining museum area.

The Nepal Architectural Gallery is a positive step forward in conserving wood and stone specimens of immeasurable architectural, historical and cultural value. The opening of the Sundari Chowk, Mul Chowk and Bhandarkhal Garden to the public is also an achievement to be celebrated.

We reignite Gautam Bhatia’s moving thoughts and drawings on the discussion and dissection for some in-depth meaning to architecture maintaining the honesty and creative edge, unbridled by the influence of commerce or economics. We also highlight the Siddhi Polyclinic building, designed by Architect Bibhuti Man Singh, for taking the step forward on green and sustainable issues within the contemporary Nepali architectural explorations.

Sustainability is presently a key concern, and it is within this spirit with NSET, we have partnered and supported - Promoting public and private partnership for earthquake risk reduction programmes. NSET has worked relentlessly in promoting earthquake preparedness for the past 21 years. We discuss the impact NSET’s comprehensive programs have had on preparing us for the ‘big quake’ that experts say is inevitably coming. As we relook at the impact of the devastating 1934 earthquake had on 20th century Kathmandu, we are compelled to acknowledge how ill prepared we seem to be presently to face such a disaster.

As we look forward to the year ahead, within our features - we will strive to make you more aware of our changing built environment, and the role that we all can play to safeguard our cultural and natural heritage.

There is no doubt that we do have a very special country.

Namaste!

Sarosh Pradhan / Editor in Chief

12 / SPACES January 2015

January 2015 SPACES / 13

Volume 11 NO. 02 | January

CEO Ashesh Rajbansh Editor-in-Chief Sarosh Pradhan feature editor Rachana Chhetri Creative Manager Deependra Bajracharya Contributing Art Editor Madan Chitrakar

Kasthamandap Art Studio Junior Editor Sristi Pradhan Contributing Editor President - Society of Nepalese Architects

Photographers Intl. Correspondent Interns

Head- Operation & Public Relation Business Development Officer Marketing & Event Officer Marketing Officer subs/admin officer Accounts Legal Advisor Subscription

Ar. Jinisha Jain (Delhi) Ar. Chetan Raj Shrestha (Sikkim) Barun Roy (Darjeeling Hills) Pradip Ratna Tuladhar Hemant Kumar Shrestha Bansri Panday Binam Bajracharya Mohein Ranjitkar Swati Pant Anu Rajbansh Debbie Rana Dangol Ashma Rauniyar Biken Raithore Pramila Shrestha Sunil Man Baniya Yogendra Bhattarai Keshav Adhikari

Published by

IMPRESSIONS Publishing Pvt.Ltd. Chakupat (near UN Park), Lalitpur, GPO Box No. 7048, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Phone: 5260901, 5260902, info@spacesnepal.com

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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.

14 / SPACES January 2015

January 2015 SPACES / 15

NG IN ORRING ORIN

O FLO FLO Noo.. 1 WOOD N

No. 1

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RING

WOOD FLOO

M: +977 - 9851128550, 9851022976

INDIA'S

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Contributors

Ar. Biresh Shah Biresh Shah, a post graduate in Architecture Studies from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is Executive Director of the architectural firm Archiplan in Kathmandu. In the past 17 years, besides teaching at the Tribhuwan University, he has worked in New Delhi, Bombay, Boston, and Kathmandu, undertaking a wide range of projects in architecture, urban design, conservation and urban planning.

Shristy Chhetri

Shristy Chhetri is a graduate in International Relations and Psychology from Wesleyan College, Georgia. She began writing as a blogger, and is currently a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers. She has always believed that words have the power to express and to change.

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.

Cover Photo: Š Ashesh Rajbansh

16 / SPACES January 2015

January 2015 SPACES / 17

Reviews

Conxpo 2014 an overview The five-day expo had over 69 domestic and international stalls, all showcasing the latest materials, technologies, developments and trends in the construction industry

T

he third Nepal ConXpo, which took place in Kathmandu from December 5-10, 2014, was organised with the aim of making the general public better acquainted with the importance of development projects as well as promoting the construction industry in Nepal.

There were over 69 domestic and international stalls from all sectors of the construction industry including pipes and fittings, cement, earthquake security, safety, mining equipment, water proofing, paint, solar thermal energy and Vaastu Shastra at the expo venue in Bhrikutimandap. The 2014 edition of ConExpo had better quality stalls than its previous instalments, and

stall owners say they managed to secure a considerable number of new contracts in spite of the not-so-satisfying visitor numbers owing to a lack of proper promotion.

The main focus of many of the stalls at the expo was the quality of building materials as well their price and affordability. Nepal is a small country that has to import a lot of construction products but the exhibitors at ConXpo drew attention to the fact that the equipment and materials needed for construction are found right here in Nepal as well.

Other stalls such as that of Clean Tech. emphasised on the environmental aspects of construction, and spread awareness on the availability of environmentally friendly options in the Nepali market.

The company showcased two types of products–chemical and machinery–and focused on how cleaning could become easier and healthier if products that are both user- and environment- friendly are used.

CE developers, the title sponsors, aimed to promote community living, new technology in construction and earthquake security.

However, since the exhibition was targeted not just at contractors but also at the general public, the low crowd numbers were a slight let down for the organisers and exhibitors who believed that it is important for everyone to have basic knowledge of construction, the availability of equipments and quality of materials.

Aarti Bhargava, the general manager of Aimil, an eight-decade old company that sees itself at the forefront of India’s instrumentation industry, said that had the exhibition received support from the Nepali government, it would have been more successful in getting the general public to attend. “A technology exhibition parallel to this one might have attracted more visitors,” she said, adding, “The government should also have had a stall to spread awareness regarding general rules related to construction."

18 / SPACES January 2015

event

A business platform for industry leaders Two of Nepal’s largest international expositions on architecture, construction, engineering, woodwork and accessories, the “Nepal Buildcon International 2015” and the concurrent “Nepal Wood International 2015” are set to take place in Kathmandu from February 27 to March 1

N

epal is experiencing a period of growth. There is tremendous scope for expansion in a lot of sectors here; be it minerals, construction and infrastructure, or education and agriculture. The growing economy is attracting investors eager to step in and try their luck in this promising market of convincing opportunities. That the government has extended its hand to investors to take the next step toward industrial and infrastructure development is an encouraging sign as well.

It is in such a setting that “Nepal Buildcon International 2015”, an architecture and construction industry focused exhibition, is set to be held at Bhrikuti Mandap in Kathmandu, from February 27 to March 1. The “Nepal Wood International Expo 2015” is also to take place concurrently.

The concept for the exhibition-expo has been designed and initiated by Futurex Group, India, and Media Space Solutions, Nepal, with the aim of exploring the demanding market of Nepal.

Nepal Buildcon/Nepal Wood is the first initiative with respect to a business platform for companies, initiated after the visit of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The event will see interactions take place between dealers and distributors in Nepal, and this is no doubt play a part in the expansion of the market.

Related spheres like architecture, building material, the latest construction techniques, construction equipments, machinery, plywood, particle boards, paints, Laminates, tools and engineering services will be among the main exhibitors of the event.

Connoisseurs from the related industries are invited to visit the exhibition and share their views. The attendees profile will constitute of architects, chief engineers, builders, government departments , importers, dealers and distributors, manufacturers, consultants and fabricators, certification bodies, contractors and developers from across Nepal and abroad.

Eminent brands in the list of exhibitors include Somany Tiles, Hunter Douglas, Asian Paints, Pashupati Paints, Columbia Pakona, Woodmac, Green Ply, Surya

As per industry statistics, Nepal is a swiftly developing market which is inviting entrants to introduce new technology and contribute towards its growing demand Plywood, Jagdamba Cement, Shagun Plywood , Aarti & Co., Everest Industries, ZorenHops Europe, Sayerlack , LT Eleavators, Chopal Timber, Wood Master, Ramu Machinery, Silicone Concept, Kingson Crusher, Gamzen India , Bajaj Reinforcement , Star Wood Veneers, Shyam Plywood , RG Industries , HETTICH, Natural Veneers and H.G. ENT. Pvt. Ltd. to name a few. More than 100 exhibitors from over 10 countries are participating.

Considering the fact that Nepal is a growing lucrative market and India its first neighbour, the bond between the

two countries can be further strengthened through commercial ventures that benefit both countries. As per industry statistics, Nepal is a swiftly developing market which is inviting entrants to introduce new technology and contribute towards its growing demand.

Futurex Group provides business platforms through events, exhibitions and seminars and get-togethers. The company serves to understand the industry’s needs and interest and strives to achieve short- and long- term marketing and organizational goals with the objective of becoming the finest organiser of focused international trade shows and events in the world. Coorganiser Media Space Solution Pvt. Ltd. is a digital media company that owns and operates a portfolio of digital place-based and mobile networks that reach consumers on the move. It does so with the aim of creating differentiated media spaces to cater to its the advertising needs of its clients in Nepal.

The organisers have said that they “believe in making exhibitions and trade shows in Nepal a sustainable and cost effective mode of business activity with the perfect blend of manufacturers and potential industry buyers from around the world.”

Spaces Magazine is proud to be the official magazine partner for the exhibition. We invite all industry leaders to visit the show and see firsthand the newest products, technology and the innovations to enter Nepal at the event.

For details contact: Srijal Bhattarai Email: srijal.bhattarai@mss.com.np Telephone: +977 1 4263795, +977 1 4263715 Mobile: +977 9801171141

January 2015 SPACES / 19

news/events

Vestiges of the Past Controversy arose recently when work began on the demolition of a building of historical architectural value in the 350-year-old Baidya Chowk area

Greenlam’s Floormax in Nepal

A

s good living and office spaces are becoming increasingly sought after in Kathmandu, consumer awareness regarding design and the significance of interior decoration is also growing steadily. With this, the market for flooring products is expanding as well, as a result of which a variety of flooring products can now be found in the Nepali market.

The laminated floor market here is still relatively limited in terms of the variety that is on offer. It was with this in mind that Greenply Industries Limited (GIL), India’s largest interior infrastructure company, introduced its Green Floormax laminated flooring in the Nepali market.

O

nly minutes away from Thamel is an ancient courtyard–believed to be at least 350 years old–called Baidya Chowk.

The site is a historical one, although the old buildings here stand in crumbling, dilapidated conditions. These structures are examples of the artistic mastery of the masons and craftsmen of old Kathmandu. The intricate woodwork on the doors and windows of these largely neglected buildings are fine specimens of the Valley’s woodworking traditions.

The Chowk derives its name from the Baidyas, Newar medicinemen and Ayurvedic healers, who traditionally inhabited homes in the area. Mathbarsingha Thapa, the prime minister and army commander in chief of Nepal from 1843-1845, is also believed to have lived in a home in the vicinity once.

Over the years, as other structures were built in the area before the advent of concrete and modern construction the courtyard became a collection of beautiful houses with spectacular woodwork done on them. As modernity has found its way in Kathmandu though, the old structures of Baidya Chowk have largely been demolished to make way for new ones.

Controversy arose recently when work began on the demolition of a building of historical architectural value in the area. The owners of the structure were planning on demolishing the building and erecting a concrete

20 / SPACES January 2015

behemoth in its place. A conference aiming to convince the owners to renovate the building instead of destroy it took place at the City Museum in Durbar Marg on December 26, 2014.

Organised by Impact! Production, the conference witnessed the presence of archaeologists, architects and government officials who all discussed the historical, architectural and cultural value of the building and spoke about how a project to save the building in Baidya Chowk could potentially serve as an example to the hundreds of other historically significant structures that can still be found all over Kathmandu.

Since the owners of the building in question did not show up, the conference also served as a platform on which to discuss the importance of awareness in the conservation, preservation and renovation such buildings. Legally, it is a crime to demolish structures that are over a century old. However, a lack of definite provisions regarding private homes and the absence of documentation mean that it is not always possible to bring such laws into effect.

“The old with the new” became the recurrent theme and major focus of the City Museum conference. Old buildings such as the one at Baidya Chowk are part of our history and heritage.

There must be a way in which we can encourage home owners to introduce the comforts of our time in these living vestiges of the past without demolishing them or destroying their integrity.

The product launch took place on December 21, 2014 at the Singhi Hotel in Kamaladi in the presence of company representatives and interior designers. Special vouchers worth seven thousand rupees were also handed over to those present at the launch.

The Green Floormax is a high quality, durable laminated wooden flooring material that is scratch resistant, sound absorbing and abrasion resistant. The Floormax is made up of four layers: a backing layer, a high-density fibre layer, a decorative layer and then a protective over layer that helps maintain static temperature.

With a net consolidated turnover of over two thousand crores (INR), Greenply is a huge player in the Indian and international interior market. Even though Greenply exports to over a hundred countries and is not new to the Nepali market either, the company sees their foray into the Nepali flooring market as a new opportunity. SOS International is the authorised marketer and distributor of GIL products in Nepal.

news

The audacity of art P

erformance art, often a range of interdisciplinary creative expressions that have the emotional intensity and veracity to change something within the performer as well as their viewer, is something that is still novel in Nepal.

It is in such a scenario that Prithivi Shrestha, Jupiter Pradhan, Saurganga Darshandhari, Sundar Lama, Ishan Pariyar, Sabita Dongol, Riti Maharjan, Neda Haffari and Amrit Karki performed at Hyatt Regency’s Taragaon Museum on December 7, 2014. The event “10 MINUTES” was organised by Bindu, a Space for Artists, and it was an interesting and quite immersive experience to see these artists– most of whom are known to exhibition goers in the Capital for their installations–use their bodies as vehicles for their art and artistic expression.

There were experimentations with sound, chanting and poetry, as performed by Shrestha and Lama. Politics and politicians were a key theme as Pradhan, Dongol and Darshandhari illustrated through their performances. While Pradhan chose to cover himself head to foot in white–an embodiment of the invisible, blind and voiceless Nepali citizen, Darshandhari’s performance quite literally painted the performance space redgold. The artist proceeded to first cover her hands and feet in what looked like vermillion powder and then went on to cover them gold as the performance progressed–metaphors for greed, power and money, one would assume. Migration was another current socio-economic-political issue the artists dealt with. Maharjan’s performance had youth migration as its central theme.

The nine participating artists all took up the challenge of performance art challenging not just themselves and the aesthetics of art in the process but also the audience whom they encouraged to redefine, reanalyse and reinterpret the past as well as the present. December’s event was the fourth performance art programme organised by Bindu, an alternative arts organisation that hosts exhibitions, interaction programmes and workshops, and facilitates research and study on subjects related to the contemporary arts scene in Nepal.

Power of paint Pashupati Paint’s “Workshop on Paints and Color Trends” explored the effects different colours have on the mood, ambience and design aesthetic of living and working spaces

I

nterior design and architecture enthusiasts had gathered at The Everest Hotel, Kathmandu on December 21, 2014, to learn a little more about colours, and the effects different hues have on the overall design aesthetic and impact of living and working spaces.

with current colour trends and hopefully aid them in becoming colour experts. Titled “Workshop on Paints and Color Trends”, the one-day event saw leading colour experts from India as well as established architects and interior designers from Nepal share their expertise with the participants.

They were participants of a workshop organised by Pashupati Paints–a leading paint manufacturing company in the country– designed to make them better acquainted

The primary objective of the workshop, organisers said, was to “propagate knowledge on colours and paints”. The participants were given a crash course on recognising the

effects colours impart on any design space–from the manner in which colours reflect people and affect their lives to how different colours lend different moods to the ambience of a given space.

The workshop sought to help establish new networks and strengthen existing ones between architects, interior designers and colour experts to ensure that the best work might be done in terms of determining the colour scheme of a given structure in relation to its other design elements to ensure that only the very best results are presented to clients and customers.

The organisers also handed out extensive information on all Pashupati Paints products and services available in the market at the event. In the three decades since it was established, Pashupati Paints has set a benchmark for the Nepali paint industry with its impressive work portfolio. Today, it is the first commercial paint company in the country to have been give the prestigious Nepal Standard (NS) mark.

January 2015 SPACES / 21

news/events

Nepali Pavilion at DELHIWOOD 2015 Nepali furniture manufacturers and woodwork dealers will be part of DELHIWOOD 2015, a woodworking exhibition and tradeshow to take place in Greater Nodia, India, this February

D

ELHIWOOD 2015, an international woodworking exhibition and tradeshow set to be part of the “India Expo Centre and Mart” in Greater Noida, India, from February 4-7, was in Nepal last month scouting woodwork dealers and manufacturers from the country to showcase at the event.

The Nepali Furniture and Furnishing Association helped DELHIWOOD invite furniture manufacturers from the country to participate via a preliminary event organised at Hotel Radisson, Lazimpat,

from December 19-20, 2014. A Nepali pavilion will be seen at the fair this year, which has more than 450 exhibitors from over 20 countries showcasing alongside each other.

Besides being an international trade fair for woodworking machinery, tools, fittings, accessories raw materials and semi-finished products (modular kitchen systems, doors and windows, among them), DELHIWOOD 2015 is also going to be a great platform for architects and

interior designers to get acquainted with what woodwork options are available in the global, international market.

DELHIWOOD 2015 is the fourth edition of the bi-annual DELHIWOOD event.

The largest trade fair for furniture production technology and solutions in the Indian subcontinent, the event will perhaps help Nepali woodwork manufacturers and dealers attain competitiveness in global markets in the near future.

Reprising the past Plans are afoot to restore parts of Basantapur’s Panchhamukhi Hanuman Temple to its pre 1934-quake form

A

photograph from the 1920s (circa) discovered by researchers involved in the preliminary phases of the restoration and renovation of parts of the Panchhamukhi Hanuman Temple in Basantapur has proven tremendously insightful to conservation workers involved in the project. The old photo records the temple structure as having originally been markedly different from how it stands today. A considered approach is now being taken with plans to restore the structure to its pre 1934-quake form, a stark departure from original conservation plans that had opted to leave the temple structure in-situ.

22 / SPACES January 2015

Archaeologists, architects, historians and cultural experts–all specialists in their respective fields–had gathered at the Nepal Tourism Board, Bhrikutimandap, on January 5 to discuss the new renovation plans under funds appropriated by the Hanumandhoka Durbar Development Committee and the US Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation. The open symposium, which also saw attendance from government officials, had experts discussing the architectural and historical significance of the Panchhamukhi temple as well as a number of Malla-era buildings located in its vicinity.

3D-animated videos of the current structural conditions of the temple and its surrounding structures were analysed to explore all possible mitigation measures that might be employed in the restoration process. As the researchers and experts shared their findings at the event– organised by Impact! Production–it was made public that over 95 percent of the wood used in the construction of the

Panchhamukhi temple is currently termite-infested. The temple walls too are damaged and there is a lot of debris inside the structure itself. Issues such as plaster cracks are also seen in Panchhamukhi as well as Agamchhen and Mohani Chowk.

These structural as well as aesthetic and historical discrepancies can be pinned down on damages caused by the great earthquake of 1934 (as well as the smaller tremors that have followed), inappropriate intervention and adaptive as well as purely functional renovations.

As the primary objective of the symposium was the discussion of options for immediate repair as well as long-term maintenance, along with an estimation of the costs of such measures, the expert panel decided it will be best to reduce the seismic vulnerability of these structures by working out the best options for round-to-rectangle integration.

The 1920s photograph will prove a valuable resource in the restoration of the temple.

January 2015 SPACES / 23

Interior

Interior

interior design

competition It was with the intent of supporting Nepali interior designers and fostering their art that SPACES Magazine organised the first ever Interior Design Competition (IDC) in 2014. As the success of the event has proven, there is tremendous scope for the interior design industry in Nepal

As students of interior design, interior designers and related professionals came together at the event, it became evident that such gatherings–which can foster discussions and sharing of ideas, are crucial for the development of the interior design industry here 24 / SPACES January 2015

Interior

T

he concept of ‘interior design’ is still somewhat novel in Nepal.

While home-owners today are increasingly consulting architects here, interior designers are not nearly as sought after. Even when professionals are brought in to design and decorate the interiors of rooms and buildings, experts from India are often called upon.

There is a real dearth in Kathmandu of awareness regarding Nepali interior designers.

Since our first publication came out a decade ago, we at SPACES Magazine have been endeavouring to support and uphold the architecture, interior and arts scene in Nepal. And it was with the intent of supporting Nepali interior designers and fostering their art that we organised the first ever Interior Design Competition (IDC) in 2014. The Nepali Furniture and Furnishing Association (NFFA), our co-organisers, were a huge support to us in seeing that the task we had taken up was successfully completed, and were lucky to have Pashupati Paints and Yeti Carpets as our official partners.

Nepal picks up speed and blossoms into a burgeoning industry.

The success of IDC 2014, not just in terms of the quality of the participants’ work, the fresh ideas they were able to put forth; but also in terms of the audience interest and participation, has been very encouraging. As the winners of the competition–Anish Pyakurel, Sona Subba and Bikram Khadka–were announced and warded at Furnex 2014, Furnex visitors from all backgrounds and professions– students, businessmen and professional architects–showed their support for the designers and their work.

Last year’s competition has shown that events such as the IDC can encourage

interior designers in the country to showcase their work not just amongst fellow professionals, but also the general public, ultimately their potential clients.

Visitors to the IDC finale at Furnex 2014 also talked about how the competition can inspire students to take up interior design by highlighting the scope for the profession in Nepal.

As students of interior design, interior designers and related professionals came together in one venue, it became evident that such gatherings–which can foster discussions and sharing of ideas, are crucial for the development of the interior design industry here. We at SPACES are committed to seeing that the industry with grow and prosper in the years to come.

There is a lot of scope for the growth and development of the interior design scene in Nepal. And while it is true that many colleges and institutions that offer courses on design are not always well-equipped, it is also true that there are numerous, immensely talented and hardworking interior designers in the making here . SPACES is committed to supporting such talent, and it is our earnest hope that the design industry in

January 2015 SPACES / 25

Impact

We must all be

prepared A

t 2:30 pm on January 15, 1934, an 8.3 magnitude earthquake hit Kathmandu. The quake killed 8000 people, devastating homes and communities.

Survivors remember the destruction, the dust and darkness that enveloped Kathmandu in the aftermath. If an earthquake of similar scale and magnitude were to hit the Capital today, we would fare far worse. The Great Earthquake, as the 1943 quake is referred to, took place at a time when the population of Kathmandu was around 200,000. Its homes were mud and brick then, and its land was largely open fields, certainly very different from the conrete-infested 2.5-million people strong city that it is today.

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The National Society for Earthquake Technology Nepal (NSET) was established to help enforce building codes from a local i.e. town- or village- council level and encourage earthquake safety in the country. SPACES Magazine has partnered with NSET to help spread the word on earthquake safety awareness because for a city like Kathmandu (which ranks number one on the list of the world’s most earthquake-prone cities), disaster preparedness is not an open option but rather an alarming necessity.

Nepal marked the 80th anniversary of the Great Earthquake in January this year, but

we are hardly equipped to deal with a disaster of that scale. As NSET works to enforce standard building codes, encourage regulation and train builders to retrofit concrete structures, it sets a standard not just for disaster preparedness but also for public-private partnership.

Such a partnership, a still novel concept in disaster risk management, enables increased cooperation between the public and private sectors to harness local potential to contribute to disaster risk reduction and environmental protection. A better enforcement of building codes and the enhancement of governmental and

business capacity could potentially save thousands of lives, and this can efficiently be brought about when a collective voice for better governance is raised.

As a city that is home to architectural beacons such as, but not limited to, the Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares, Kathmandu must also work to ensure that these structures are safeguarded for the event in which a big earthquake hits. Urban planners, developers and policy makers need to reevaluate the balance between development and heritage conservation. Earthquake risk

reduction initiatives in historical areas of Kathmandu are hence essential and must be an urgent concern for all. Since the government cannot be heavily relied upon to start such initiatives it falls upon locallevel municipalities and communities to take up such projects.

SPACES is committed to spreading word on earthquake preparedness. The kind of work NSET is doing is invaluable to a city like Kathmandu and a country like Nepal. It falls upon us all as denizens of this precariously built city to be prepared for a disaster that, all experts agree, is impending.

Manakamana Hardware and Suppliers is located in three different places in and outside the Kathmandu valley such as Banepa, Bhaktapur and Narayanghat. The head office is in Banepa and is running in its seventh year. Manakamana hardware and suppliers has been associated with Jagadamba cement since the starting. As per Mr. Sajan Agrawal, one of the partners, says “Jagadamba cement is the most demanded cement by the customers till date and there are no complaints so far. Further he added that Jagadamba cement is always keen on maintaining its quality.�

Mr. Sajan Agrawal, 011 660725, (Banepa, Kavre – Head Office) Inside Bus Park, 01 6612153 (Bhaktapur), 056 570695 (Narayan Ghat)

January 2015 SPACES / 27

Architecture

Architects

come together Twenty-four representatives from the Society of Nepalese Architects (SONA) attended the 16th ARCASIA Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, held from June 23-29, 2014

W

ith the aim of stimulating Asian architectural circles to renewed creative vigour and professional dynamism, the 16th ARCASIA Congress was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from June 23-29 2014. The theme of the Congress, “RejuveNATION”, proved a stimulating effect on the assembled professionals.

Twenty-four representatives from the Society of Nepalese Architects (SONA)–including two official delegates, four committee representatives, two committee observers and two general participants as well as 13 students for the Student’s Jamboree–attended the event with Ar. Swarup G. Koney, president of SONA leading the delegation.

POST-CONFERENCE EVENTS The second ARCASIA Socially Responsible Architecture Symposium was organised on June 28 with the theme “Rejuvenate and re-conciliate humanity and environment through architecture”. Eight papers were presented by member institutes covering topics such as: Disaster Prevention, Preparedness and Reduction; Social Housing and Liveable Conditions; Universal Design Accessibility.

ASIAN CONGRESS OF ARCHITECTS The Asian Congress of Architects (ACA) is a major regional conference held every two years coinciding with the ARCASIA council meeting. It is a convivial occasion that combines the intellectual exchange of current architectural ideas with the cultural activities of the participants.

Host institute Malaysian Institute of Architects (Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia, PAM) organised the 16th ACA with over 3000 attendees from 20 countries participating. The event was also attended by delegates from the International Union of Architects (IUA) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

The events commenced on June 23 with an ACA golf event. The official ceremonies started from the 24th onwards. June 26 was one of the highlights of the conference as an awards ceremony took place that evening. Other highlights included the 15th International Architecture, Interior Design and Building Exhibition and Malaysia 28 / SPACES January 2015

ARCHIDEX. Around 1200 exhibition booths belonging to over 500 companies from 12 countries participated.

The ACA concluded on June 27 with a gala dinner while the ARCASIA Conference itself concluded on June 28 with a ‘Friendship Nite’. The Association of Siamese Architects (ASA), Ayodhya, Thailand, which will be hosting the next Congress were handed over the ARCASIA flag in an official ceremony.

The theme of the next Congress is set to be "Future of the Past".

NEPALI ARCHITECTS TAKE THE LEAD Members of the Society of Nepalese Architects (SONA) attended all meetings organised during and after the ARCASIA Conference, lending crucial support to the summit.

These included the Office Bearer Meeting during which SONA president Ar. Swarup G. Koney proposed that an ARCASIA headquarter be set up in Malaysia. ARCASIA membership certificates were also handed over to all member institutes and office bears as earlier suggested by AR. Koney.

Ar. Devendra Nath Gongal and Ar. Bhagawat Bhakta Khokhali, Nepal’s two official delegates to ARCASIA, took part in the Council Meeting and presented a report highlighting SONA’s activities and achievements in the past year.

Two major achievements were made at the Council Meeting: The patenting of the ARCASIA Logo–set to be consistent at all times and places from now onwards–in the Philippines, and the formation of the "Committee on Young Architects".

Ar. Bhagawat Bhakta Khokhali and Senior Division Engineer Ar. Suroj Rajrajkarnikar (observer) attended the ACSR (ARCASIA Committee on Social Responsibility) meeting on behalf of SONA. Ar. Bhagawat carried out a presentation of the work done by the SONA Committee on Social Responsibility. These included work organised by the Disaster Risk Reduction Sub Committee and a Basic First Aid Training for the architects. Other ARCASIA member institutes have pledged to conduct such trainings in their respective countries as well.

Furthermore, ACSR has promised funding for the implementation of the winning design of the Universal Toilet Design Competition organised in Kathmandu during the ARCASIA Forum-17, 2013, as a pilot project.

Headway was made on the architectural education front as well as the ACAE

(ARCASIA Committee on Architectural Education) saw active participation from SONA members as well. Ar. Bina Pandey and Ar. Ashok Krishna Sainju (observer) attended the meeting on behalf of the SONA Committee on Architectural Education. Ar. Bina presented the works done by the committee and discussions took place on the need to work on syllabi revision in accordance with expertise and current and anticipated architecture practices, faculty continuing education, and international faculty and student exchange.

The ACGSA (ARCASIA Committee on Green and Sustainable Architecture) meeting was attended by Ar. Sakar Shrestha and Ar. Kritika Golcha (observer) on behalf of the SONA Committee on Green and Sustainable Architecture (SCGSA). Ar. Sakar made a presentation of all the work done by the Committee and discussed the present scenario of Nepal in the context of green and sustainable architecture at length. The SCGSA a;sp committed to contribute at least one project every year to the ARCASIA Green magazine and upload and update the works of the committee and SCGSA projects on their Facebook page.

Ar. Wandana Tandukar attended the ACPP (ARCASIA Committee on Professional Practice) meeting on behalf of the SONA Committee on Professional Practice (SCPP).

Her presentation dealt with the number of colleges in Nepal, the courses available and

the need to improve them, fee structures, scholarship schemes and professional practices, among other things. Tandukar’s main focus was on giving the new generation more chances and opportunities. Even Ar. Ishtiaque Zahir Titas (chairman of the ACPP) was impressed by Tandukar’s insistence on giving young architects more say and opportunity and has asked the SCPP to consider doing so in the field as well.

ARCASIA STUDENT JAMBOREE 2014 The ARCASIA student jamboree took place in conjunction with ACA16 at the International Islamic University in Kuala Lumpur, from June 23-29. 350 students from 19 ARCASIA member institutes–including 13 from Nepal–participated. The theme of the jamboree “Colours of Harmony” celebrated the diverse cultural backgrounds of the participants. The Architecture Students’ Association of Nepal (ASAN) represented Nepal as a country of diverse cultures and religions and played a vital role in documenting and preparing for the cultural performance that took place at the jamboree.

The participants learned a great deal about the diverse cultures of each other’s nations and shared architectural knowledge with one another. The jamboree was also an exciting opportunity to network and to develop interpersonal skills for the young participants.

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Architecture

“Nepal’s identity is its architecture” Rohit K Ranjitkar, KVPT Country Director

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he manipulation of space and surrounding to make these more suited, both infrastructurally and aesthetically, for human habitation lies at the core of architecture as we experience it. This idea is as far removed from contemporary notions regarding modern architecture– ridden as it is in technical terminology, and design and construction jargon–as the modern apartment complex in Kathmandu is from those who live on the Capital’s fringes.

As we look back at the year that was 2014, we choose some of the best architectural features we published in the last 12 months and analyse what it is about buildings and public spaces in this city that make it uniquely Kathmandu. We also take a look at the meanings architecture has taken on in today’s day and age, and analyse what such ‘architecture’ means for societies like ours, defined as we are by our differences and our contradictions.

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This city

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has spent the past decade trying to demystify architecture as it explores the interesting admixture of structural-aesthetical choices that is Kathmandu City. Our devotion to covering stories on traditional Newari architecture stems not just from a formal appreciation of its elements but also from our attempts at increasing public awareness regarding the importance of conservation. We celebrate milestones in modern Nepali design and architecture as we hope to see the architectural community here grow and prosper.

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This city

we have built

Once the living quarters of Lalitpur’s Malla Kings, the Patan Museum is today regarded as one of the finest in South Asia

A walk through

history

The museum-goer’s experience is shaped by the architecture of the Patan Museum building. From having to bow their heads to get through the main entrance to having walk up the wooden Newari-style staircase, visitors actually feel like they’re going through the same motions the royal inhabitants of the palace went through centuries ago

M

ost of Kathmandu’s museums are not the best managed of places.

More often than not, it is found that artefacts of significant historicalcultural value are displayed in less than optimum conditions with little thought given to the curation of the exhibits. The Patan Museum, however, is a wonderfully well- managed and curated exception, and it is the spacial dimensions of this exhibition space that Shreya Khanna explores with her photographs and text in Creating Dimensions.

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Once the living quarters of Lalitpur’s Malla Kings, the Patan Museum is today regarded as one of the finest museums in South Asia.

As such the museum is well-known for the manner in which its pieces are curated, and the display–which as Khanna points out “merges light and darkness to create a new dimension in space”–is one of its most distinguishing features.

The museum-goer’s experience is shaped by the architecture of the building. From having to bow their heads to get through the main entrance to having walk up the wooden Newari-style staircase, visitors to the museum actually feel like they’re going through the same motions the royal inhabitants of the palace went through centuries ago. Khanna talks about how visitors are in a snese retracing the steps of the palace’s ancient inhabitants as they move from one gallery to another, although the main staircase itself is a relatively recent addition to the complex.

The visitors’ movement through the exhibition areas is structured in such a way that they are seamlessly led to each artefact on display; there is nothing to distract or deter here. In fact, the arrangement of the display is so well synchronised with the architecture of the exhibition space that visitors find themselves relating to the space itself.

Every little detail is paid the utmost attention here. As Khanna points out, the warm incandescent light and short ceiling height lend comfort to the exhibition space, the extensive use of wood–one of the oldest construction materials found in Kathmandu’s traditional architecture–immediately relates itself to the history and cultural grandeur of the exquisite pieces on display, and the traditional Aakhijhyaal windows and triangular holes in the museum walls synchronise with the mood of the exhibition.

All the attention lavished on the setting; the structure of the exhibition space and the building that houses some of Nepal’s most precious artefacts, serves to help museum-goers focus on the gems from the past that lie in front of them.

Khanna’s photos and writing give some idea of what a walk through the Patan Museum, a walk through Kathmandu’s history, is like.

A walk through the Patan Museum is like a walk through the Valley's history.

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This city

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Where history

breathes

As the first and only such gallery in the country, the Patan Museum's Nepal Architectural Exhibition Gallery is home to some of the finest specimens of wood and stone work to have been reclaimed from the past

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epal’s identity is its architecture” says Rohit K. Ranjitkar, country director of the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT). His words hold true for all who have ever lived in Kathmandu, passed by it or just seen pictures of it. It is impossible to ignore the sublime beauty of the old monuments that are sprinkled all over the Kathmandu valley. The Valley’s three principal Durbar Squares–UNESCO World Heritage Sites– are all breathtaking, but they are not the only examples of the city’s artistic and architectural prowess. Even today, when most old buildings have been brought down to make way for new ones, there remain centuries-old structures with beautiful wood-work doors and windows and an architecture that was unique to Kathmandu before it opened up to the larger world in the 1950s.

The relevance of last year’s opening of an architectural wing at the Patan Museum then is something that cannot be denied.

As the first and only such gallery in the country, the Nepal Architectural Exhibition Gallery is home to some of the finest specimens of wood and stone work to have been reclaimed from the past. What such an exhibition of tundals (pillars), bilampu (struts) and torans (the triangular or semi-circular–often intricately carved and designed wooden tympanums–that can be found above windows in traditional Newari architecture) from centuries past serves to do is not just display the richness of Nepal’s architectural history to the layperson, but also make them aware of how styles and structures have changed and evolved (though fixed within the limits of the system) over the years (15th to 18th centuries), As Jeebesh Rayamajhi discusses it in Relics Are Heard, History is Seen, the old palace building and its surrounding complex speak of Patan’s glorious past, and history is quite literally right before the eye of the exhibition goer to see and observe. The senses are aroused and wonder takes over as visitors walk through Sundari Chowk, Mul Chowk and Bhandarkhal Garden for the first time in decades.

The Architectural Exhibition Gallery showcases pieces that are historically, culturally and artistically invaluable under exceptionally well-curated circumstances.

The wonderful restoration work carried out by the KVPT as part of the Patan Palace Restoration Project lends will undoubtedly contribute to the self-sustainability of the Patan Museum–which already welcomes around 100 visitors each day–by getting more people to come and explore the wealth of treasures that the complex houses. While the Patan Museum and the Architectural Exhibition Gallery exhibit ancient treasures under exceptionally wellcurated circumstances, the Sundari Chowk, Mul Chowk and Bhandarkhal Garden present the artefacts in their original settings, allowing visitors to re-imagine for themselves what life in the heart of Patan must have been like and what craftsmanship flourished in the proverbial ‘City of Arts’ all those centuries ago.

The onus now–as Ranjitkar points out in the accompanying interview–lies upon the citizens and denizens of Patan to work to support these preservation efforts from an individual level. As the KVPT director reminds us, it is not just temples, palaces

and idols that are counted as monuments that need preserving. The surrounding environment, including private houses, also help create the ambience of the area and lend to (or take away from) its atmosphere.

Monuments hence are “a composite whole” and we must all work together to preserve our monuments.

As we collaborate to support KVPT in its preservation and conservation work, we at Spaces are trying to spread word about the new gallery and restored annexes at the Patan Museum. Awareness, after all, is crucial to conservation.

We invited the Finish ambassador to Nepal, His Excellency Asko Juhani Luukkainen to visit the Museum the Patan Royal Palace Complex with us. As he graciously agreed and walked through the museum and surrounding complex, he expressed his appreciation of the initiatives being taken to preserve our heritage and stressed on the fact that awareness is key to making the general public realise the value of such sites.

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This city

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The Sundari Chowk, Mul Chowk and Bhandarkhal Garden present ancient artefacts in their original settings, allowing visitors to re-imagine what life in the heart of Patan must have been like during the reign of the Mallas.

Indian Embassy’s press information and culture centre, was also present, and he commended the conservation efforts whilst echoing the ambassador’s comments.

The Indian ambassador, His Excellency Ranjit Rae also visited the museum along with KVPT country director Ranjitkar, and Spaces CEO Ashesh Rajbansh and Editorin-chief Sarosh Pradhan, and lauded the awareness efforts being made with regards to the Patan Palace. The history and culture proved fascinating and the ambassador seemed particularly enamoured by the striking architecture of the temples and palace complex. Abhya Kumar, head of the 36 / SPACES January 2015

Nepal’s beloved MaHa Jodi also visited the museum with us, doing their bit to spread the word about the Patan Royal Palace.

As entertainers and social activists Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Bansha Acharya are great ambassadors for this awareness movement. We, who have been trying to highlight the need for conservation and restoration of our ancient architectural heritage through regular features and editorials in our magazine in the past, hope to carry this movement further ahead in the coming years.

What Bhatia does, with his drawings and his writing, is make architecture that much more accessible to the average person

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he Tough Love of Architecture, one of the most memorable reads published by SPACES this year was an unabashedly unapologetic account of creating architecture and confronting its meaning in modern India.

Gautam Bhatia, the writer and architect of this wonderful piece, addresses a subject seldom talked about in formal architectural circles: The discrepancies that exist between slick modern design and the needs of the larger communities in which these glass-panelled behemoths are being raised, one after another.

The ‘community’, as Bhatia asserts, is not limited to those who live within gated confines architecturally designed to leave the rest of India (its slums and its poverty) behind, but includes those very people the design and architecture of modern buildings and spaces try so desperately to hide and to forget. But Bhatia has such a wonderful way with words that he achieves this end not through a synchronic elucidation of ‘concepts’ and ‘theories’ but through a wilful and sincere pouring out of thoughts and ideas.

The writer talks of “glass office complexes, mega malls, imitation apartment towers, Italianate villages and modernist abstractions of minimalist formalism” that do not quite fit into the spaces in which they have been designed. They are simulacra that deaden the creative spirit, misfits that

architecture of

creativity Delhi-based architect, artist and writer Gautam Bhatia addresses a subject seldom talked about in formal architectural circles: The discrepancies that exist between slick modern design and the needs of the larger communities in which these glasspanelled behemoths are being raised, one after another he knows do not really belong in the modern India he must have hoped to help create as he slogged through architecture school.

The article resonates with the strength of a disgruntled spirit as it bashes at the pretences which stifle and restrain it. As copy after copy of glass-paned high-rises

rise on Indian soil, Bhatia cannot help but feel like his job is limited to that of helping people with money enjoy its benefits just a little more. The Tough Love of Architecture is a cry of the creative spirit in this sense. It is a small voice that has little hope of being heard in a landscape dominated by money, power and pretence.

The Poetics of Architectural Drawing, another lovely piece by Bhatia is a more direct appraisal of the creative spirit as fostered by architecture as well as limited by its dealings with space.

Bhatia’s drawings–which accompany his writing–are surreal architectural sketches that are eerily beautiful. They represent humans limited by space. They represent the relativity of space, size and function, humbling us to the fact that we are miniscule, almost microscopic in relation to the vast infinity that is the universe.

What Bhatia does, with his drawings and his writing, is make architecture that much more accessible to the average person. One does not need to understand or even be acquainted with theories of building and design to understand Bhatia’s sketches and his writing. He draws and writes from a very human space, dealing with issues that all of us can understand: the gruelling, rewarding search for creativity, the transience of human life and human endeavour, and our desire to leave some sort of sign that says that ‘we were here’ in spite of our knowledge that such signs hardly matter.

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Where gods and demons dwell As one ambles through various parts of the old city, one can see the old Kathmandu of gods and demons staring out of windows and cornices, through pillars and plinths

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As an incarnation of the goddess Taleju (whose protector is the carnivorous Lakhe whom locals in all parts of Kathmandu reprise in various forms through ritualised masked dances), the Kumari holds a special place in the hearts and minds of religious Nepalis

T

he architecture of old Kathmandu–the exquisite palace squares that were built here during the reign of the Malla kings–is a reflection, in many ways of the life and customs of the Valley. The temples and squares of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan are beautiful manifestations of Kathmandu’s wealth of traditions, and the many rituals to which the lives of its denizens have been bound for centuries.

Lakhe, a Dance of the Demon, an article that explores the myths and customs associated with Majipa, the ferocious red demon who appears each year in Basantpur during IndraJatra, proves an interesting accompanying read to KumariChhen, Where the Living Goddess Resides as both stories are based in the beautiful Kathmandu Durbar Square and analyse the different heritages–tangible as well as intangible–that contribute to its cultural and architectural wealth.

for the Nepali people whose lives are still governed by ritual and religion for the most part.

As an incarnation of the goddess Taleju (whose protector is the carnivorous Lakhe whom locals in all parts of Kathmandu reprise in various forms through ritualised masked dances), the Kumari holds a special place in the hearts and minds of religious Nepalis. As the building that houses the Living Goddess, the KumariChhen of Kathmandu is a mysterious, consecrated structure that, as Manandhar points out, has its “own distinct architecture”.

Jeebesh Rayamajhi calls Kathmandu a “valley of myths” in Lakhe, a Dance of the Demon, and as one ambles through various parts of the old city (not just its principal Durbar Squares but their surrounding gallis and traditional Newari settlements), one can see the old Kathmandu of gods and demons staring out of windows and cornices, through pillars and plinths.

Kumari Chhen–directly translated from the Newari as the Kumari’s house–is described as an ingeniously designed space decked with ornately carved windows and doors in the article Kumari Chhen, Where the Living Goddess Resides. Drishti Manandhar explores the significance of the Kumari as well as the building in which she resides January 2015 SPACES / 39

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Serendipity The Kopan Monastery is characterised by the serenity it offers, by its beautifully painted chaityas and its lush, generously green gardens

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here in something in the rustling of prayer flags, a latent sort of energy that envelops surrounding environs in serendipitous joy.

There must be a reason Buddhist monasteries are built on top of hills, where the wind blows freer and the air is fresher, even in a city like Kathmandu.

In the article Kopan Monastery Jeebesh Rayamajhi talks about the Vaastu and architecture of Kopan Gumba as he finds himself not just looking out at the beautiful buildings and monuments in front of him but also looking into himself. Rayamajhi says one can develop new

perspectives, “enjoy the slow pace of life, and take in some understanding of (oneself) and others” from one’s visit to the monastery, an archetypal example of a Tibetan gumba.

The monastery, founded in 1970 by Lamas Thubten Yeshe and Thubten Zopa, is characterised by its beautifully painted chaityas and its lush, generously green gardens. An abundance of the colour gold in the gardens–the brass statues and the chaitya detailing–lends further character to the gumba environs. Inside, the main hall is almost a crescendo of colours.

Red, yellow and gold–as beautiful colours as they are auspicious–bedazzle viewers as a massive statue of the Buddha forms the centre-piece of a vast prayer and meditation space.

Rayamajhi calls the Kopan Monastery “grand in style”. He remarks that the most striking feature of any Buddhist monastery is the separation of its main hall from the material world outside. He talks about the energy concentrated in such spaces.

As places of work, worship, study and living, monasteries hum with the energy of the universe.

They are where the music of the spheres just might be heard.

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Green building

leadership in Nepal By choosing to build a clinic and health service facility that does not just have the most efficient medical machinery and equipment, but is also an energy-efficient step toward green design in Nepal, Siddhi Polyclinic has set a precedent for others to follow

With its characteristic atrium dome designed for optimum sunlight and temperature management, and its green roofing, likewise designed to moderate indoor temperatures and increase energy efficiency, the building is a step toward a sustainable future for building design in Nepal

T

he Siddhi Polyclinic Health Service and Path Lab building is welcome respite to eyes that have gotten used to seeing a hodgepodge of concrete-glass towers mushroom all over Kathmandu in recent years. Designed by Bibhuti Man Singh, one of the country’s most noted architects and a specialist in green design, the building is amongst the first of its kind in Nepal.

Drishti Manadhar, who is herself an architect, discusses the design and functionality of the Siddhi Polyclinic building in her article Siddhi Polyclinic Health Service and Path Lab, Concern for Sustainability.

The green revolution, which has taken the world (of architecture and beyond) by storm, has yet to arrive in Nepal. The Siddhi Polyclinic building–with its characteristic atrium dome designed for optimum sunlight and temperature management, and its green roofing, likewise designed to moderate indoor temperatures and increase energy efficiency–is therefore a step toward a sustainable future for building design in the country.

By choosing to build a clinic and health service facility that does not just have the most efficient medical machinery and equipment, but is also an energy-efficient step toward green design in Nepal, Siddhi Polyclinic has set a precedent for others to follow. As chief architect Bibhuti Man Singh has been quoted in the article as saying, green design is crucial for a country like Nepal where “investment in design and material are so heavy.” And as the writer, Drishti Manandhar, points out, we must “begin looking at different design parameters at a time when Nepal is struggling with severe energy dependence and a series of energy crises.”

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This spacious, well-lit area serves as a waiting room for visitors.

works with nature to ensure as much energy efficiency as possible, the building is certainly an exemplar of leadership in energy and environment design in Nepal.

The Siddhi Polyclinic building hopes to receive a Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, the highest of green building leadership certifications, from the US Green Building Council. As a new structure that incorporates the framework of an already-existing building and one that

The US Green Building Council states on their website that LEED is “transforming the way we think about how buildings and communities are designed, constructed, maintained and operated across the globe”. Nepal’s bid for a Platinum LEED certainty hopes to change how buildings and communities are designed, constructed, maintained and operated in our own country. We commend architect Bibhuti Man Singh and the proprietors at Siddhi Polyclinic for their effort and achievement.

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poem

Abhay K

is an Indian poet-diplomat and artist. He has to his credit two memoirs and five poetry collections. His collection of poems The Seduction Of Delhi has been published by Bloomsbury India. His forthcoming collection of poems is The Eight-Eyed Lord Of Kathmandu.

He is currently editing CAPITALS–an anthology of poems on the capital cities of the world which includes contributions from Derek Walcott, Mark Strand, George Szirtes among others.

He has been honoured with the SAARC Literary Award for his contribution to contemporary South Asian Poetry and nominated for the Pushcart Prize 2013. He has also featured in Forbes India's Author's list 2014 along with Vikram Seth and V.S. Naipaul. In 2011, he has also received Gov2. award on behalf of the Public Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs.

Patan Where melodious birds sing ancient songs and dream of forlorn kings where frayed bells call artisans of a bygone age to carve ever new flights of fantasy where the world comes to a halt in search of alphabets of artistic splendour written in stones, metals and wood, I am that carved courtyard of soaring pagodas kissing the sky, I am a chowk of dreams lit with temples of light.

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Basantpur Where Bhairav, the dark lord of time plays hide and seek with ever fluttering birds, beasts and demons where lovers seek shelter on stepped paradise under brick-red roofed pagodas embracing skies where living virgin goddess looks longingly at tantric sculptures safely hidden from the common eye where the crimson monkey-god Hanuman guards the heavenly gate to the evergreen coronation square where it's always eternal spring I am a city of cosmic hymns.

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Bhaktapur Shining terracotta pagodas as poetry carved with bricks, painted words on eaves of wooden frames cobble-stoned streets and alleys- long labyrinths of delight an April of excitement pierces my tongue the man merely a midget, a spectator in front of my gargantuan stones silently watching generations pass by the palace of fifty-five windows the artisans knead clay women in black and red haku patasi sculpt pottery, turn over paddy-husk children run amok with street dogs in a vast squared space under five-storied shadows of Nyatapola rush to Batsala temple hearing the bell of-barking-dogs.

I am a city of devotees lost in pursuit of the Lord.

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Art

From the

atelier Works of art carry with them the capacity to change us, to reach into us and affect us in a manner that conversation and logical argument never can

T

he contemporary art scene in Nepal is a developing one. Our artists are still searching and looking, still trying to find a place for modern Nepali art in this postmodern world of ours. This move from traditional, largely religious art, to modern, largely expression art has been an interesting and sometimes challenging one.

We take a look at the history and development of art in its relation to colour, and the history of traditional Nepali art in the following explorations of pieces published by Spaces last year.

January 2015 SPACES / 49

From the

atelier

The language

of colour

From the bison on the Cave of Almarata (at least 13,000 years old) to Mark Rothko’s (1903-1970) soft, rectangular forms, colour has remained a “spectacular tool” as Madan Chitrakar puts it, in the painter’s “aesthetic quest”

M

adan Chitrkar’s Artists Celebrating Colours is a joyous affirmation of the power of colour and the energy inherent in them. The article itself is a celebration of the hues that very literally colour our world and that of the artist and painter.

Chitrakar asserts that it is the painter who “understands the values and importance of colours” better than anybody else. As artists who create worlds of their own and reflect ours through hues and lines, painters are certainly most physically involved with paint–their calling and passion, their bread and butter–and in tune with the different degrees of light, shadow and pigment that make up our visual world.

As the writer talks about the history of art and traces its developments into modernism and post-modernism, he develops a principle of colour that posits that the use of colour–although it has altered and morphed through the ages–is the only constant (besides the use of line, perhaps) in painting. From the bison on the Cave of Almarata (at least 13,000 years old) to Mark Rothko’s (1903-1970) soft, rectangular forms, colour has remained a “spectacular tool” as Chitrakar puts it, in the painter’s “aesthetic quest”.

The article also provides a look at the development of the use of colour in

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Colours are entrenched in meaning and symbolism. While these meanings might be different in different part of the world, an association of colour with different traits, characters, virtues and vices is a universal phenomenon Nepali painting. Colours are entrenched in meaning and symbolism. While these meanings might be different in different part of the world, an association of colour with different traits, characters, virtues and vices is a universal phenomenon.

As Chitrakar point out, “each colour has a story”, and each shade has its own

meaning in traditional art. While art has “long ceased to be a tool of religion” with artists being “set free from iconographic bonds in shapes in colours”, it is also true that the artist’s “appetite and “profound love for the power of colour” has not changed.

Nepali artists have moved beyond religious instruction. An old painting dated circa 1470, “Gagansim with His Two Wives”, illustrates how early on this development might have taken place. This portrait of a nobleman from Dolkha–identified as the work of Adayraja Pun and Udayrama Pun– immortalises Gagansim, a mere mortal, in art. There is an abundance of red in the painting–passion and amour represent in colour, and it is this quality of the painting that makes it exceptionally powerful.

In more recent times, artists like Sashi Shah have illustrated the power of flat, strong colours through their work. As Chitrakar, who is himself an artist justifiably states, it is the world’s artists who celebrate colours most joyously in this world.

January 2015 SPACES / 51

From the

atelier

It was during the Malla Period, Nepal’s artistic ‘golden age’, that mural art reached its zenith here

Murals

of the Valley

Madan Chitrakar traces the roots of early Nepali murals back to the 11th century when refugee monks from the neighbouring Pala Empire, a Buddhist imperial power in Classical India, came to Nepal and worked as mural painters practicing in their native Buddhist traditions

G

reat excitement was aroused when Bhaktapur’s Pachpanna Jhyale Durbar–named so for the 55 windows that line the old palace’s facade– opened to public viewing in 2012 after a gap of 24 years. The opening presented an opportunity for the general public to see the magnificent interiors of the palace, specifically its spellbinding Malla-era murals– an element of traditional Nepali art that is less talked and written about than wood- and metal-work, sculpture and architecture.

Whenever there has been discussion of Nepali murals in the local and international media of late, it has been of the lively, colourful graffiti that line the walls of what has been called a drab, congested city. While this new wave of creating art on brick and concrete might have its roots in the West, mural art–the art of painting on walls, ceilings and other large surfaces–has its own, very ancient roots in Nepal, and it is these origins that Madan Chitrakar explores in his piece Mural Art Has Ancient Roots in Nepal.

As Chitrakar explains, mural art had established itself as an important part of the Valley’s painting tradition by the time Buddhist Bihars and Bahis were being built here in the 12th century. In fact, mural art seems to have had an instrumental role in the creation of the artist caste, ‘Chitrakar’, in medieval Nepal.

Madan Chitrakar traces the roots of early Nepali murals back to the 11th century when refugee monks from the neighbouring 52 / SPACES January 2015

Pala Empire, a Buddhist imperial power in Classical India, came to Nepal and worked as mural painters practicing in their native Buddhist traditions.

It was however during the Malla Period, Nepal’s artistic ‘golden age’, that mural art reached its zenith here. The mural at the Pachpanna Jhyale Durbar is a specimen of that age. Executed in the Paubha style of painting, these murals include portraits of the 17th century king Bhupatindra Malla and visual renderings of scenes from the Mahabharata. In one of the most stunning sequences–

“Viswosworup”, the centrepiece of the Bhaktapur mural–the king is portrayed as the deity that embodies the universe with his queen Biswo Laxmi being represented as consort of the lord.

We know that such artwork was being produced here to good effect up until the 19th century. There is a series of wall paintings that depict Bhimsen Thapa–the 19th century Mukhtiyar (equivalent to prime minister) of Nepal–and the lord Viswosworup in the private quarters of a house in Lagan Tole that belonged to him.

Murals can still be seen in temples and even old buildings around Kathmandu, although they are often in deteriorating and dilapidated conditions.

And although there seems to have been no effort related to their conservation made in recent decades, traditional wall paintings remain intrinsic to Newari culture and social life. As Chitrakar points out, auspicious signs like the five Panchayan deities from the Hindi and Buddhist faiths are painted on the walls of homes in which weddings are talking place to this day. This practice points to a time when mural art was more visibly and directly a part of the cultural life of Kathmandu.

As the city morphs and changes so does its culture and its art. But it falls upon us as citizens of this bustling metropolis to conserve and preserve the rich heritage of its past. The murals of Kathmandu, old and new, have their own stories to tell. It is up to us to hear and to listen.

January 2015 SPACES / 53

From the

atelier

A look at

manuscript paintings

The manuscript paintings of Nepal have a unique set of aesthetical qualities that cannot be found in their contemporaries. They are artistic representations in and of themselves and have been found to narrate stories as effectively as the manuscript texts they appear alongside

M

iniature paintings executed by unnamed artists onto strips of bark and paper since as far back as the 11th century still exist in manuscripts of the era. Yam Prasad Sharma, Nepali art historian, talks about the meanings and significance of these drawings in his article A Study of Characteristics and Features: Nepali Manuscript Paintings.

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While there are strong religious themes to be found in most of Nepal’s ancient manuscript paintings, there are also others which give us a glimpse of ancient beliefs that are not necessarily religious in nature The extended article explores the specific symbolisms of paintings that accompany the texts of important Hindu and Buddhist manuscripts including the 12th century Pajnaparamita, Pancaraksa and Jataka. In the process the author explores iconography, tradition and religious philosophy. Manuscript paintings are essentially found to be structurally narrative and are anthropomorphic and often mystical in nature. While there are strong religious themes to be found in most of Nepal’s ancient manuscript paintings, there are also others which give us a glimpse of ancient beliefs that are not necessarily religious in nature. The personified representation of charms– powerful spells that were supposed to protect people from the effects of snakebite and fatal diseases–was one such theme.

The article’s focus is on the story-telling in which manuscript paintings engage and also on the aesthetics of the formal execution. That such paintings served to highlight and elucidate the meanings of the principal texts is strongly established.

The manuscript paintings themselves had a unique set of aesthetical qualities that could not be found in other contemporary forms of art. With lines that are “continuously flowing” and compositions that are “rounded and sweeping with the colour having a modelling effect”– as defined by scholars quoted by Sharma–such paintings were artistic representations in and of themselves and have been found to narrate stories as effectively as manuscript texts.

Because the writer presents such a rich history and provides such detailed contexts with respect to demystifying the symbolism of the manuscript paintings he is discussing, and because religion is largely intrinsic to their meanings Nepali Manuscript Paintings also acts as an introduction to Buddhist and Hindu traditions.

In his description of manuscript paintings, the writer Sharma into the meanings and symbols of religious art where each colour, form and gesture is endowed with its own specific meaning. On this level, the article also serves as an introduction to certain aspects of traditional Nepali art.

As Sharma discusses the Buddha and Boddhisatvas and narrates the story of Vishnu’s various avatars, the philosophical core of these two ancient and still thriving religions are touched upon. The writer’s

exploration of Buddhist philosophy which in his discussion of the Prajnaparamita manuscript is particularly effective and it establishes a perceptible link between art and philosophy.

Because art comes from an effort to represent and explore, its philosophical

dimensions are potentially boundless.

What Sharma himself sees our religious manuscript paintings as essentially doing, though, is depicting the religious co-existence and harmony of the times in which they were made. These unique pictures represent the richness of Nepal’s cultural and religious heritage.

January 2015 SPACES / 55

from the shelf

On construction and community “The Discovery of Architecture” offers an alternative way of contemplating, constructing, preserving and learning about our built-environment at a time when architecture’s focus has shifted from the merits of an architectural idea to the size and volume of a project

Reviewed by : Biresh Shah

A

rchitecture is an ancient discipline, and the results of its thinking and endeavor provide us with some of the lasting examples of our culture.

Architecture emerges at the conjunction of geography, history and philosophy.

So starts “The Discovery of Architecture”, a unique book borne out of a discourse between two contemporary architects over a span of 12 months. The two architects have practiced, researched and taught for several decades with a deep commitment and belief in the development of architecture based on ancient values based on our cultural roots.

The Discovery of Architecture: A Contemporary Treatise on Ancient Values and Indigenous Reality

By M.N. AshishGanju and Narendra Dengle Published in August 2013, by GREHA Publications, New Delhi (www.greha.org)

In recent times, the “modern formal practice” of architecture has expanded manifold in our part of the world.

Consequently, the number of schools of architecture too has proliferated in the sub-continent to keep pace with the demand for architects in these practices.

It is no secret though that architecture practice, by and large, operates in a theoretical vacuum today.

India, and indeed the whole of South Asia, is currently undergoing a major civilizational transformation, which has massive implications on the production and quality of the built-environment.

As the region experiences the throes of modernisation, industrialisation and globalisation, exoduses from the villages to the cities are inducing construction work to take place at scales that have been unprecedented in history.

In recent decades, architecture’s focus has shifted from the merits of an architectural idea to the size and volume of a project. Property value parameters and the speed of construction have taken over the architecture agenda.

Successful architecture practices are measured by the volume and square footage that they are able to deliver, rather than the architectural value of the construction. The so called “high-end” world class design is just another phrase for expensive vendor management. And the queue of vendors gets longer by the day, as the over producing factories of the saturated markets eye the vast potential of what is being touted as the third largest economy.

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Within the space of such a concise publication, the book traverses a vast tract of issues, ideas, thoughts on architecture and the built form that concern us today

The early architecture schools of India opened up to provide manpower for the large-scale construction of the colonial empire. Subsequently, new schools opened up more or less adhering to the Bauhaus model of architectural education, which became prevalent all over the world. The huge proliferation of architectural schools today has simply become training ground for imparting the skills needed to feed the demands of the huge construction frenzy that has engulfed Indian cities as the economy has been liberalised and expanded.

The authors correctly argue that while most of the formally produced architecture has lost its anchor with place, the majority of construction taking place outside the formal production of architecture still demonstrates a much closer relationship to a place and its people. They hardly get the attention in front of the glare created by these “iconic “ buildings of today, which are less about a place and act more as billboards for technology and advanced fabrication techniques.

The authors advocate a return to our ancient values of built environment, which decidedly sought a balance with the order of the natural phenomenon in the construction of architecture for habitation.

The traditions of construction had a much closer affiliation with the community they built for, this ensured the close ties between architecture, place and community, and guaranteed the development of high quality craftsmanship. The modern practice of architecture seems to have misplaced this

The study of traditional architecture in most schools rarely goes beyond documentation into actual learning.

Schools seem to insist on these studies almost out of a sense of guilt at being witness and collaborator of the eradication of a much more refined and sensible way of building our environment.

Despite all the hype about market forces, technology culture, advanced construction techniques, marketing hypes and financial imperatives, architectural production remains a cultural phenomenon, with a pretence to a theoretical basis of design.

Amidst this banal consumption of space sweeping the landscape today, “The Discovery of Architecture” offers an alternative way of contemplating, constructing, preserving and learning about our built-environment.

January 2015 SPACES / 57

deep association with its place and its community. A majority of the people, today, hardly ever benefit from the services and expertise of the architect.

The book offers a fresh theoretical framework to re-establish this connect in the production of architecture. The authors offer a four part framework for architects and others interested in the discipline to re-establish a contemporary theoretical basis for their work based on the age-old values and community of a place.

The first part aims to position the architect as an individual within a community he/she is working for.

It is needless to say that although the architect has a pivotal role in the production of architecture, he/she is only one of the actors who collaborate with many others within a community to produce relevant architecture.

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The second part expands on the process of design and material construction. It elaborates on different ecologies of the design/ construction phenomenon. It offers a very informative critique of the current formal architecture design process and construction, steeped in elitism and industrialisation, which alienates aspirations of the community and a worthwhile participation of craftsmen in the production.

The third part explores on the importance of habitation of the builtenvironment, its maintenance and adaptation over time. As our lives get embedded in these built realities, they become part of our social memory and acquire meaning, which is what we are consistently seeking in the works of architecture. The maintenance, preservation and adaptation of built form are essential elements

the South Asian landscape, from Mughal architecture, the neo-classical adaptations of the Colonial period; the Modern architecture of the International style, and the eclectic/ iconic architecture made popular in a liberalised economy.

I am tempted to add here that though the architecture of the Colonial may have been inadequate in integrating indigenous techniques and forms, in its quest to construct a deliberate architectural image of the empire through standardised design and construction guidelines, its original deployment was able to spread sound construction practices rather quickly over vast regions and eventually got diffused and absorbed locally through adaptations by local craftsmen/ builders.

which define the culture of a community and impart lasting value to works of architecture. Unfortunately, the current practice of maintenance-free architecture advocates a culture of replacement over maintenance, which contributes to high economic growth but impacts the environment negatively.

The fourth part of the framework outlines how works of architecture can provide us with the learning necessary to recognise the things of value to our lives and wellbeing so that we may evolve to a higher level in our works in the future. The cycle thus allows us to remain anchored to our place, thoughts, communities and indigenous skills while still allowing for innovation.

The authors emphasise that the book has been written with a wide audience in mind, not just architects and academics.

This is another aspect which makes the

book unique. Architectural experience is something close to everybody’s life, yet its education and discourse have become mired in a techno-professional cocoon in recent times.

One would have liked to see the book address the speed and scale of the ongoing construction of our cities, perhaps more adequately. For if the framework for thinking and producing a more thoughtful and meaningful architecture is to be effective, we need immediate strategies to slow things down in the big cities. We need a national campaign to do this. The one strategy to decelerate the flight to big cities and the resultant construction is to accelerate the process of fixing and building small towns and cities thoughtfully.

The book also offers a critique of various architecture developments historically, which have had significant impact on

The ecology of planning and constructing buildings of all scales that was established in this period actually continued until the 1950’s in producing buildings of high-quality in the most unexpected corners of the region. Amidst the heady visual clutter of most bazaar towns of UP and Bihar, the quiet dignity of local neo-classical adaptations in residences, palaces, institutional buildings, government offices, railway stations, colleges and schools still offer a sense of permanence and purpose to these towns. A study of this phenomenon can offer important lessons for us today, as well.

The book makes a seminal contribution in another way as well.

Within the space of such a concise publication, the book traverses a vast tract of issues, ideas, thoughts on architecture and the built form that concern us today. It also consistently keeps encouraging us and directing us to understand the current world for what it is and to contemplate a more meaningful course in our thoughts and actions in the future.

Some of the ideas and concepts in the book could perhaps benefit from further elaboration so that it can be comprehensible to persons not too familiar with the discipline.

January 2015 SPACES / 59

personality

An artisan and designer at his finest

Trilokesh SJB Rana “If we do not value our own architecture, no one ever will” With his office in YetkhaBaha–one of the 83 surviving Buddhist monastic quadrangles in the city–within the nooks of the Basantapur area, one can hardly imagine that Trilokesh SJB Rana has a modern work space hidden behind the wood carvings in the Agam (esoteric shrine) building. A perfectionist, a visionary and a master woodwork expert, Rana has a reason behind everything he does in life.

Having roamed across many countries around

Q

Where does your passion come from? What first got you interested in wood work?

When I was still very young, this was during my school days in St Paul’s School, Darjeeling, I was captivated by the arts and crafts. I remember I never got anything less than an A in all my art classes, even though I was not very academically inclined.

Woodwork always kept me so involved and motivated in those days that I would stay up all night so that I might finish a particular assignment and then go directly to PT (Physical Training) classes at 5 in the morning. So the passion was always there. It was also my education at St Paul’s–which focused much on the arts and crafts– that helped me evolve and mature.

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the world, and worked for high-end designing companies like Contract Chair, England; Christian Liagire, England; Castlebrook Furniture and Design, Ireland; Model Shop Assistant, USA, and Office Suites Inc Illinois, USA, he is now based in Nepal with this firm Tridevi Design and Builders Pvt. Ltd. Although there were plenty of opportunities for him remain abroad and work with highend clientele there, Rana chose to return

Q

So how did you end up going to the United States for studying woodwork? Was that always the plan?

That was actually not planned by me. I had an aunt, who was American, and she had seen my wood carving collection. These were works I had made since I was in the fifth grade. Astound by the intricate detail of my work and the skill that had gone into them, she suggested to my parents that they should send me to the US where a number of colleges have specialised courses for woodworking. So I first studied woodworking at Olney Central College, Illinois, completing my course in 1998. Later, I got enrolled in the Associate in Applied Science in Fine and Creative Woodworking course at Rockingham Community College in North Carolina. I then went on to acquire a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts in Interior/ Furniture Design from Kendall College of Art and Design, Michigan, in 2003. And there has never been a dull moment for me throughout.

to Nepal, almost 7 years ago, and has been active in promoting native art and architecture ever since. In 2003, while still in the US, his innovative design KOSI TABLE, inspired by the river Koshi, became the winning furniture piece at a free competition organised by the American Society of Furniture Designers securing him the David Kline Memorial Scholarship with a cash prize of $4000. He was also the winner of a woodworking show at Olney Central College (in 1997), and of the First National Bank Southeast Award in the Fine Arts Festival of Rockingham County (in 1999). Shristy Chhetri interviewed Rana on behalf of SPACES Magazine recently.

Excerpts from the conversation:

Q

What can be said about the present scenario of renovation and preservation work in Nepal with regards to old artefacts, buildings and woodcrafts?

It has begun, and is happening now in a big way. We cannot expect first world morals in a developing country like ours for its own reasons, and that is where we are behind. Otherwise there is a lot of goodwill for this country; we just need to utilise that even more efficiently. Having said that, there was a millionaire I met in Dublin, who said that you never reinvent the wheel, but actually just go with the flow.

You do just a notch better than others, but the same in the same thing. So, we are going with the flow at present, with this. But the need for the hour is graded preservation of Nepali architecture. All buildings above 200 years should be Grade I, which would mean that the façade of the structure (as well as its three sides) and all of its other architectural, structural

and design elements would have to be kept intact, untouched and well-preserved.

Then there would be other buildings and houses–those around 150 years old–that would be classed in the Grade II category.

These could be considered for renovation or rebuilding as long as their original aesthetics is preserved. It is in preserving vestiges of the creativity that once flourished here, rather than in demolishing or destroying these that we can see ourselves moving forward. To destroy is easier than to create.

Q

Do you feel like the youth have become a part of this movement too? Who are among the most involved?

It is essential for the youth to be actually involved in such endeavours. The irony of the situation is that there is hardly any financial payback through which someone can hope to sustain their life for creativity and talent of this kind. At the end of the day we are all humans and we all worry about our bread and butter. There is a need for relevant training and skills for the youth to become involved in bigger ways. There is also a need for change in our education system, something that would focus on creative talent as well, and provide room for such youngsters to grow.

The KVPT (Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust), on the other hand, is a key player when it comes to preservation and renovation, and they have been doing a wonderful job. I think there are still are lot more areas we need to focus and work on to maintain our architectural heritage. With the pace at which we are moving at present, we will hopefully get there soon.

Q

How do you wish to pass this on to the next generation in the long run?

Nepalese youth are indeed very artistic and skilled, and that is why I always try to hire people younger than me. With the right resources at hand, I wish to establish a training centre. If I had the finance to,

“If we had a wood carving school, there would be people from all over the world coming to us to actually study it, because what we have is all original. We have just not been able to capitalise on that”

I would open a vocational institute to teach people more of the practical things related to designing. This is a project I will implement someday, when the timing is right. There is a dire need for professionals in this field, and it is only through formal training that progress can be achieved. We need to educate and increase awareness, and the government should carry its responsibility well too. If we do not value our own architecture, no one ever will, and we need to convey this message well.

Q

6. How can we sustain Nepali arts and craft?

The base of our art is spiritual; there is always a reason for why everything exists.

Like the traditional mat we make out of Kush, or Lokta paper; things like these should be subsidized for. One Village and One Product is a great idea to formulate indeed, and it had come to my mind a long time ago. If only we had villages or economic zones that were more efficient in producing at least one of these products– which would also be supported by the local economy, creating local demand–we would be able to revive skills from bygone times and come up with world class products as well. When designing new complexes and buildings, there should be a regulation for design modules–on how to build these structures, on what architecture from what period to implement and so on. Then there will be a demand for skills required by such work and the youth will be motivated to train in similar fashion. The only hope this country has left is its educated youth:

People who have seen the world, who have a vision, and are willing to come back to Nepal to contribute their part.

There are many other products, like the Bajra, Bell and Prayer Wheel, that are of great curiosity to the world outside, and they all hold specific meanings too. If only these products would have a sustainable market created for for them, we would see professionals blooming in related fields.

Once, during a KVPT luncheon in Clarence House, London, in 2006, Romio Shrestha, one of Nepal’s most famous Thanka painters, approached Prince Charles to shake his hand. He had a golden Bajra in his hand and was ready to hand it over to the Prince.

He did so when they shook hands, and the Prince was taken by surprise when he opened his palm to find a shining golden Bajra in it. That was PR at its finest. That is what we need as well, the right publicity in the right market to create the perfect demand. It will be a cycle that will then continue.

Q

What would be your favourite specimen of Nepali craftsmanship?

Well, I would not want to be called biased, but I would say it’s my office because it’s a space resting upon one of the oldest structures in Kathmandu, dating back to the 13th century. I am lucky that below me, I have the oldest Toran, dating back to the 12th century. The Toran is bent inwards, and nothing like you see anywhere else. It was one of the pieces preserved through the KVPT, and I admire their effort. I adore this space that I now have.

January 2015 SPACES / 61

Q

What kind of educational development do you wish to see in Nepal to help carry such craftsmanship forward?

The irony in Nepal is that, even though there are local artisans who have all the necessary skills, there are hardly any formal means to pass that on to the next generation. I would not imagine someone taking a chisel and a mallet to carve from scratch. With technological advancement, there are multitudes of ways to create an artwork. Having said this, I will say that the beauty of anything comes from handmade originals. We have 3D printers and 5-Axis CNC machines today. However the ‘mistakes’ in handmade works will always have their own aesthetics of originality.

Therefore, the first, original pieces will always be done by hand to attain this

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beauty of imperfection. Advancements in technology have brought about so many changes that we need a school to actually train people who are passionate in this field. If we had a wood carving school, there would be people from all over the world coming to us to actually study it, because what we have is ALL ORIGINAL. We have just not been able to capitalise on that.

Q

Any message you wish to convey to our readers?

We all tend to believe that woodwork and woodcarving in Nepal is a dying profession, but the problem is we do not realise the importance and beauty of wood and of nature. There is a future for this and it lies in us being able to properly preserve

and renovate where necessary–all the ancient woodwork we have in Nepal. It is a tough job and requires a lot of expertise and money, because Nepal is a museum of these extraordinary wood carvings and architecture, and these need more space in the limelight. There will also be a day when everything will come down to the design aspect of things, because that is the factor that differentiates one thing from another.

In terms of tourism as well, spiritual art will always be among the most unique in the world. I still have a book (Gardner's Art Through Ages, 11th Edition) from my design university days, more than 1000 pages of Western art history, and I tell you all that nothing there is better than ours! Therefore, this is the right time to invest your time and money on Nepali art and architecture. And, if you have the passion, go for it. Things will fall into place when you find your niche.

January 2015 SPACES / 63

ART Scape

Jeevan Rajopadhyay Jeevan Rajopadhyay, studied art under the renowned Lain Singh Bangdel. A Lalit Kala Campus graduate, Rajopadhyay has been participating in group exhibitions nationally and internationally since the 1980s. Recognition for his work include awards such as the special prize at the “Spot Landscape Painting Competition” organised by Jayanti Yuva Club in 1985, special prize at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts (NAFA) in 2012, second prize at the “Ranglal Bangdel Memorial Award” in 1999 and best prize as given by the Nepal Film Development Board in 2005. He is an executive member of the Nepal Art Council and a founding member of the Society of Modern Art.

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Melting Landscapes Rajopadhyay's landscapes are dream-like visions. In his paintings, we see close-up images of hills, trees, majestic mountains, waterfalls and clouds appear and disappear and seamlessly melt into each other. These images are juxtaposed with the artist’s own emotions and feelings creating paintings that have real beauty and intensity to them.

Asha Dangol

January 2015 SPACES / 65

storewatch

One-stop destination for

furniture In the four years since its establishment, MD Furniture has firmly established itself in the Nepali furniture Industry. Its showroom in Nabil Chowk features both indoor and outdoor furniture and the store itself specialises in home furnishing.

MD Furniture deals in quality furniture products and has a considerable number of regular customers. It recently opened a showroom opposite the US Embassy in Maharajgunj in a bid to reach out to more customers.

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Both imported and locally customised indoor furniture are available at the store with its most sought after products being coffee tables, beds, sofas, bar cabinets and dining tables. The readymade imported furniture is brought in from China while the customised pieces are made upon demand.

The outdoor furniture, also imported from China, is well reputed and like the other furnishing materials at MD Furniture is available at reasonable prices. The store’s products are aimed at middle class families, which means it offers good quality products at affordable rates. Furniture prices at the store range from Rs 9,000-Rs 90,000.

The showroom itself is well kept and features replica rooms which give customers an idea of how the furniture

{

MD Furniture meets the needs of an increasingly space- and design- conscious Kathmandu

might look like in their room. A majority of the space has been dedicated to replicas of living rooms in which the furniture mostly consists of a wall cabinet (either a bar or a TV cabinet), sofas and coffee tables arranged with the appropriate accessories to complement them.

Bedroom replicas can be seen with queen-sized beds, cupboards, vanities, armchairs and tables neatly arranged across the space. The showroom also displays a replica of a child’s room.

The model rooms serve to display MD Furniture’s taste in furnishing and also help customers pick out the furniture that best appeals to them and suits their needs.

The store deals with customers with varied interests and needs. While some might come in just to buy a coffee table others may hand over a contract for the furnishing of the entire house.

MD Furniture is behind the furnishing at popular hang-outs like 8 Degrees, Jhamsikhel and Red Carpet, Durbar Marg.

They also fully furnished Hotel Shankar and provided the outdoor furniture at Gokarna Forest Resort.

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Open Spaces

P

The School of Creative Communications presents a unique blend of creativity and communication. We provide a platform for those who dream of nurturing their creativity through communication. We offer training programmes on art, photography, writing and languages.

We have been conducting SCC Explore Photography workshops since our establishment in 2009. We have been organising the SCC Blue Bag, a sharing programme with a scholar once every month for the past few years.

We are located at Kupondol, Lalitpur, Nepal (link road to the Bagmati River). www.scc.org.np facebook.com/scc.kathmandu

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altan Chhe is an exceptional building linked to the history of unified Nepal.

The freeze of a row of soldiers carrying muskets is the most unique part of the building, which clearly shows a foreign influence in design and detailing with its high floors and arched carved windows.

The soldiers are marching along the ancient street towards Hunuman Dhoka.

The Photographer Cati Ramsay is from America, and has been living and working in Nepal for the past 3 years. She serves as a community nurse and midwife, using photography in her professional life. She is passionate about photography and is an SCC alumnus.

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product

Smart furniture for your home A coffee table that will come alive at the touch of your hand, the Smart Multitouch Coffee Table represents furniture’s step toward the future. At a time and age when computers have proliferated into our lives, the Smart Coffee Table comes as a convenient means of connecting and coordinating all our personal gadgets and entertaining guests when there is company at home.

The Smart Multitouch Coffee Table is an ultra-smooth, waterproof interactive gadget that will help you stay connected, engaged and entertained Key Features: - Powered by Android Operating System - Ultra-smooth multitouch waterproof screen - Sizes 21.5”, 24”, 32” & 42” - Multitouch Coffee Table comes with Android OS installed which means you have access to virtually any Android App available on Play Store.

and post comments or photographs.

In other words, the coffee table is a computer that will let your do anything you can do on your PC or tablet. Its impressive screen size (21.5 to 42 inches) means playing your favourite Android games will get that much more fun. Imagine crushing bigger than life-size candies on it or even playing chess with your friends and family.

The Smart Coffee Table comes with a virtual keyboard on which you can write and send emails, access your Facebook account

w w w. b u d d h a a ir. c o m

a'Wb Po/ Fishtail & Annapurna Flight

Dhangadhi

Pokhara KATHMANDU

Everest Experience Flight

Nepalgunj Bhairahawa

Tumlingtar Bharatpur Simara Paro, Bhutan

Janakpur

Chartered Flights

Biratnagar

Bhadrapur

Varanasi, India

;Dks{ kmf]g g+= 70 / SPACES January 2015

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A tablet PC

for on-the-move professionals With its lightweight 952 gram body and large 12.1 inch screen, the VersaPro VZ has the lightest design in its class of large screen incorporated tablet PCs The Japanese tech company NEC has released a new tablet PC, the VersaPro VZ, aimed at business professionals on the move.

Unlike a conventional PC on which data entry is done mainly via a keyboard, the tablet PC is a new-generation computer that offers new options. Its touch-screen panel technology features fingertip operation, giving users the ability to enter data via hand-writing using a stylus pen.

With its lightweight 952 gram body and large 12.1 inch screen, the VersaPro VZ has the lightest design in its class of large screen incorporated tablet PCs. It

also features an easy pen writing option in addition to fingertip opseration.

The body is made of magnesium alloy with a thickness of less than 1 mm in order to ensure durability and freedom from denting or warping when the tablet is being held. The magnesium body is also responsible for the tablet’s lightweight design.

The glass surface is coated with an anti-glare film that prevents fluorescent light and other types of illumination from being reflected by the protective glass. This same feature also prevents the user’s fingerprints from staining the tablet surface.

Durability guaranteed The NEC VersaPro UltraLite Type VB laptop is a sturdy, resilient and light-weight option, perfect for those who frequent areas where gadget-safety is not always certain

General Specs Installed OS: Windows 7 Professional 32bit CPU: Intel® Celeron 857 (1.20GHz) Audio source: Built-in stereo speakers Interfaces: 3 USB2.0 ports (left side×1 , right side×2) Display Mini D-sub15 × 1 Battery drive time: Approx. 7.6hours Available at: International Electronics Concern Pvt. Ltd. Putalisadak, Kahmandu Tel: 4421991, 4422107

NEC has introduced its VersaPro UltraLite Type VB laptop, a robust, light-weight computer, in Nepal. Weighing in at 1.28 kg and featuring a magnesium alloy top pane, the laptop has the sturdiness to withstand surface pressures of up to 150 kilogram-force. Its acceleration sensor and shock-absorbing structure further protect its hard disk drive. This laptop can prove an excellent companion for those who frequent construction sites or other areas where gadget-safety is not always guaranteed.

The NEC VersaPro Ultralite features a 12.1 inch display and a WXGA 1280x800 pixel resolution. It enables gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n connectivity and comes with a pre-installed Windows 7 Professional operating system.

The laptop excels in terms of durability as well as usability, coming ahead of other brands that are currently available in the country in these regards. The fine scratch-proof top panel surface is coated with ‘Scratch Repair’–a self-healing layer for naturally repairing fine scratches, which means the surface of the top panel will not easily succumb to wear and tear.

Its keyboard is waterproof thanks to a water repelling sheet that has been placed beneath the keyboard surface giving users ample time to safely shut down before any moisture has trickled into the computer interiors.

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connects

connects 55 Aditya Hardware Enterprises Bluestar Complex, Room # 522, Thapathali Ph: 9851007818 sanjay_kyal@yahoo.com 11 Aaramva Collection Hanuman Dhoka, Yatkha Tole Ph: 977-1-4218118 www.facebook.com/aaramvacollection 47 Amtrade Pvt. Ltd. Soalteemode, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4672049 23 ATC Pvt. Ltd. 336/21, Ganesh Man Singh Path-2, Teku Road Ph: 977-1-4262220 Atc.wlink.com.np 09 Balterio - Navin Distributors Pvt. Ltd. 1st Floor, A.T. Complex, New Plaza, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4430785 balterio@navindistributors.com www.balterio.com 04 Beko Putalisadak, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1- 4422190 www.beko.com.np 78 Berger Jenson & Nicholson (Nepal) Pvt. Ltd. Berger House - 492, Tinkune, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4466038 info@bergernepal.com www.bergernepal.com 62 Bestbuy Nepal Pvt. Ltd. Kupondole, L.P. Ph: 977-1-5523289 / 5545481 info@bestbuynepal.com www.bestbuynepal.com 70 Buddha Air Jawalakhel, Lalitpur Ph: 977-1-5542494 www.buddhaair.com 53 Chaitanya Spa Wellness Healing Spa Pvt. Ltd. Bakhundole, Sanepa Ph: 977-1-5547774 info@chaitanyaspa.org www.chaitanyaspa.com 23 Communication Corner Pvt. Ltd. (Ujyaalo 90 Network) Ujyaalo Ghar (Behind Central Zoo) Jawalakhel, Lalitpur Ph: 977-1-5000171 info@unn.com.np www.unn.com.np

51 Cosmopolitan Trading Concern (P) Ltd. Ramshah Path, New Plaza Ph: 977-1-4423379 69 Foto Hollywood Civil Bank Building, Kamladi Ph: 977-1-4169060 www.fotohollywood.com.np 05 Furniture Land Blue Star Complex Tripureshwor, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4224797 sales@furnitureland.com.np www.furnitureland.com.np 03 Futurex Ph: 977-9801171141 srijal.bhattarai@mss.com.np 26/27 Jagdamba Cement Neupane Tower, 6th Floor Tinkune, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4111500 jcement@wlink.com.np 02 JK White Cement 14 Kuleshwor, Naya Basti, Kathmandu Ph: 977-9851050650 prashant.chaturvedi@jkcement.com www.jkcement.com 65 Kapilvastu Glassfiber Industries Milanchowk, Butwal, Nepal Ph: 071-549406 info@kapilvastuglassfiber.com www.kapilvastuglassfiber.com 17 Maruti Cements Limited Tripureshwor, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4257566 maruticement.info@gmail.com www.maruticement.com 77 Marvel Technoplast Pvt. Ltd. Heritage Plaza - II, 2nd Floor, Kamladi Ph: 977-1-4169122 info@marvel.com.np www.marvel.com.np 08 Nagrik - Nepal Republic Media Pvt. Ltd. JDA Complex, Bagh Durbar Ph: 977-1-4265100 / 4261808 circulation@nagariknews.com 75 Newakar Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. Swet Binayak Marg, Buddhanagar, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4780569 newakar.enterprises@gmail.com

76 National Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET), Nepal Bhanisepati, L.P. Ph: 977-1-5591000 www.nset.org.np 07 Pashupati Paints Pvt. Ltd. Maitighar, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4258209 pashupati@paints.wlink.com.np 15 SOS International Kuleshwor, Kathmandu Ph: 977-9851128550 kedia.brighter@yahoo.com www.greenfloormax.com 65 Skylight Pvt. Ltd. Naxal (Opp to Police HQ), Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4423851 info@skylight.com.np www.skylight.com.np 74 Starnet Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. Shankhamul, Pragatimarga, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4781945 info@starnetenterprises.com www.starnetenterprises.com 06 Subisu Cablenet Pvt. Ltd. 148 Thirbum Sadak, Baluwatar Ph: 977-1-4429616 info@subisu.net.np www.subisu.net.np 63 Technical Associates Services Pvt. Ltd. Thapathali, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4219999 ta@ta.com.np www.tas.com.np 75 Ultra Interio Teku, Kathmandu Ph: P77-1-4242629 interio@ultragroup.com.np www.ultrainterio.com.np 72 Worldlink Communication Pvt. Ltd. Jawalakhel, Lalitpur Ph: 977-1-5523050 sales@wlink.com.np www.worldlink.com.np 48 Yeti Airlines Tilganga, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1- 4464878 reservations@yetiairlines.com www.yetiairlines.com 13 Yeti Polychem Pvt. Ltd. Dillibazar, Kathmandu Ph:977-1- 4421501 / 9851004448

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(USAID/OFDA)

76 / SPACES January 2015

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;}+a' uf=lj=;= j8f g+=$, e}+;]kf6L cfjf; If]q, kf]=a=g+= !#&&%, sf7df8f}+, g]kfn, Kfmf]g g+=M (&&–!–%%(!))), km\ofS; g+=M (&&–!–%%(@^(@, O–d]nM nset@nset.org.np, j]eM www.nset.org.np

sf] cfly{s ;xof]udf e"sDk k|ljlw /fli6«o ;dfh–g]kfn (NSET) åf/f ;~rflnt ‘‘e"sDkLo hf]lvd Joj:yfkgdf ;fj{hlgs lghL ;fem]bf/L k|j4{g sfo{qmd (3PERM)’’ cGtu{t :k]z]; DoflUhgsf] ;xsfo{df k|sfzg ul/Psf] xf] .

© NSET / Drop, Cover, and Hold Flier NSET/F-01-2014

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78 / SPACES January 2015