SPACES Nepal JULY-AUG 2012

Art - Architecture - INTERIORS - ACCESSORIES

JULY - AUGUST 2012

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January 2013

Varanasi, India

Paro, Bhutan Chartered Flights

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DOING OUR PART TO STEM THE BRAIN DRAIN, ONE HOME AT A TIME

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Contents

Volume 8 Issue 5

July - August 2012

29 Architecture

In the mist of Alpine Architecture…a rendezvous with Christian Müller by : Ar Kalpana Bhandari Alpine architecture has similar characteristics to architecture of Himalayan regions in Nepal.

Therefore, the works of Christian Müller can be inspiring for Nepalese tourism in terms of design, management and promotion.

32 Interior

The Fresh White Splashes of Water DURAVIT

22 Architecture

Bags of Dirt to Durable Buildings

© Calearth Institute

by Ar. Bansri Pandey The technique of building walls by stacking bags of sand is not new. The novelty is in the idea of building houses or permanent structures with sandbags.

Cover Photo Ashesh Rajbansh

63 Opinion

Chaos, Commotion and Confusion in Kathmandu by : Ar Ar. Chandani K.C. Antonio Nodar,a Spanish photographer worked with more than 300 Nepali artists during his three weeks stay at Nepal for his project “...from portrait to self-portrait,The Nepal Album”.The article also focuses how his project sucessfully brought together so many artists from various generatoins and genre in the same platform.

by : Ar Sushmita Shrestha-Ranjit The untouched scene of purity, the unobstructed transparency showcasing the crisp and elegant products reflects the finesse of 200 years of experience of Duravit, the sanitary-ware on display at Tripureshwor, Kathmandu.

38 Heritage

Renovation for Adaptive Reuse II Yala Mandala, Kwalakhu by : Ar Swati Pujari The series on Adaptive Reuse continues with Yala Mandala, Kwalakhu, Patan, a conglomeration of art, history and culture. Yala, an art gallery that collects, designs, manufactures and preserves pieces that are exclusive to the Nepali ways.

48 Art

Emerging New Faces: Enriching Nepali Painting by : Madan Chitrakar If one is to follow critically the trails this young generation has traversed so far, it has given a good lot of reasons of a better hope. More amazing is their appetite to explore in diverse ways and express it in newer visuals: and indeed this new phenomenon has given a new dimension in Nepali Painting.

Volume 8 Issue 5 July - August 2012

Regd. No 30657/061-62 CDO No. 41

Contributors

Managing Editor Ashesh Rajbansh

Editor at Large Siddhartha Lama Editor Features Ar. Swati Pujari Editor Products Ar. Sushmita Ranjit Shrestha

Director - Editorial Sarosh Pradhan

Director - International Affairs Rajesh Lal Joshi Director - Business Dev. & Fin. Lalit K. Pradhan

Business Dev. Consultant

Ashok Verma Birendra K. Agrawal Jyoti B. Shrestha Kripa Shrestha Roshan Lamichhane

Marketing /Correspondence Kajal Pradhanang Subscription/Marketing Ass. Anish Shrestha

Contributing Art Editor

Contributing Editors

Madan Chitrakar Kasthamandap Art Studio Ar. Sworup G. Koney (President - Society of Nepalese Architects)

Madan Chitrakar, a regular contributor to SPACES, is an artist, art critic, writer, and holds a masters degree in History and Culture besides a degree in Applied Art from J. J. School of Arts in Mumbai, India and Iconographic Design from the Netherlands. His writings on art include the book on his late father Tej B. Chitrakar, ‘Icon of a Transition’, published in 2004. He is presently associated as visiting faculty in the KU Centre for Art & Design. (madanc@ntc.net.np)

Ar. Debesh Raj Bhattarai (General Secretary - Society of Nepalese Architects) Ar. Jinisha Jain (Delhi) Ar. Chetan Raj Shrestha (Sikkim) Barun Roy (Darjeeling Hills)

Contributors Madan Chitrakar Ar. Chandani K.C. Usha Sharma

Accounts / Admin

Int’l Correspondent

Correspondent

Photographers

Dipa Shrestha Ar. Bansri Pandey Ar. Kalpana Bhandari A. Rajbansh Pradip Ratna Tuladhar

Designed & Digiscan Pre-Press Pvt. Ltd.

Processed at Naxal, Kathmandu.

Phone: 4436817, 4428572

Published by

Ar. Chandani K.C. completed Masters of City and Regional Planning from University of Texas at Arlington and Bachelor of Architecture from VNIT, Nagpur.

She has worked in numerous urban planning projects in the United States and is currently working as Urban Planner in DUDBC. Her interests include urban research and regional development and she is keen to be involved in designing cities that are convenient, healthful and aesthetically pleasing.

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SPACES is published six times a year at the address above. All rights are reserved in respect of articles, illustrations, photographs, etc. published in S P A C E S . 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.

Usha Sharma, completed her Diploma In Interior Designing from IEC,Bagbazaar in 2007 and is currently working as an Interior Designer at Aakar International,Battisputali. She is currently studying fine arts at Srijana College of Fine Arts, Lazimpat and is also a photography enthusiast. Her fascination is towards Art and Architecture.

SPACES New Location

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.

SPACES Office

from the editor

ditor

Time brings change – whether we like it or not and so is it with SPACES. With a new team in place, we continue bringing a glimpse of the visual reality and its debate, the spirit of the place in all it’s positivity as well wrinkles that we notice in our environment as well as beyond.

We would like to start by thanking Uday Sundar for all his efforts as the editor for SPACES for developing it these past years – who leaves us now for new pastures and we wish him well.

We also welcome all the new members in the team who bring in renewed energy with their respective experiences and look forward to their contribution positively for SPACES. This issue is an interesting blend of chaos, confusion and order our writers have observed, explored and put together. As Nepal continues with the political instability with the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly without a Constitution – our general visual environment reflects this confusion too. But surprisingly with the decay of existing corners of the cities, new interesting spaces seem to sprout up almost as regularly to catch our eye and bring it for focus.

Yet the rich pockets of cultural heritage – art, architecture and craft that we are blessed with continue to remain as a source of inspiration for the observant. The challenges for each of us remains whether you look at it from an internal or external perspective from your space – a search for a cohesive identity that reflects and binds us Nepalese together in each of our vocation. Sometimes the day-to-day experiences of survival within our cities – the roads or traffic, the river or the garbage, the power cuts or the fuel shortage is a microcosm of our reality which each of the featured local projects has struggled against and succeeded in their own many ways.

The reality of our deteriorating environment beyond the pages of SPACES remains a lull before the storm and we do hope that future articles will strive to bring in the awareness and be a medium for change. We should not give up as we begin untying these self-created knots – it just demands a lot more education, challenge and respect for each other as well as ourselves.

As we learn and share this - we will then realize the richness that we still have and what we can build creatively.

Pegasus Children’s Project In Nepal is a commendable project featured – utilizing the need of the hour, turning bags of dirt into durable buildings. Imagine if we could recycle, reuse some of the abundant disorganized garbage in our environment to build these shelters for the needy by employing local Nepali workers. With the Yala Mandala story in Kwalakhu - Swati continues to write incisive features on Adaptive reuse. The earthy Nepali textures and feel of this space is even more striking as you reflect upon the projects professional and sustainable business potential.

Finally the feature on Uniting Nepali Artists delves deeper into this creative contemporary chord that exists today. This is an important exercise on Unity not only from the creative viewpoint but the more profound message perhaps being for the larger good for the Country as a whole. .

United We Stand. Read on.

Sarosh Pradhan

t n e r r Cu

events

Asian Paints Design Competition at KEC – June 2012

Nepal Engineers’ Association Golden Jubilee Celebration – July 2012

A

T

Museum Design Competition was hosted by the Department of Architecture, Kathmandu Engineering College in association with Asian Paints (Nepal) Pvt. Ltd. The competition was open to all 4th year architecture students of KEC. The site for the competition was chosen at Kathmandu Durbar Square and a time frame of one month was provided as design phase to the participants.

The final design submission was held on 2069-01-11, followed by a jury presentation and panel exhibition. The jurors for the competition were Ar. Shailita Manandhar Joshi, Head of Department, Ar. Kailash Shrestha, Dy. Head of Department and Ar. Bindu Shrestha, Jr. Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, KEC. The winners of the competition were Ms. Jenisha Tamrakar, Mr. Sabin Maharjan and Ms. Nita Rai, securing the first, second and third positions respectively. The winners were felicitated by Asian Paints on 22nd June 2012.

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he golden jubilee of Nepal Engineers’ Associaion (NEA) was celebrated in a 2 day event on Shrawan 3 and 4, 2069 at Nepal Academy (Pragya Pratisthan), Kamaladi, Kathmandu. Shrawan 3 is recognized as Engineers’ Day all over Nepal and to mark the special 50 years NEA spread out its events over one week, culminating in the formal celebrations during the two day program. The theme of the golden jubilee celebration was ‘50 Years of NEA: Engineers’ Relentless Journey towards Prosperous Nepal’.

The event covered formal celebrations as well as a series of papers presented on the subject ‘Thinking Big: Engineers’ Leadership for Nation Building’. The program was organized by the 29th executive council of NEA.

Nepal Engineers’ Association Golden Jubilee Celebration – July 2012

A

sian Development Bank – Nepal Resident Mission moving to a new office space: ADB - Asian Development Bank’s NRM (Nepal Resident Mission) is set to move into its newly designed office premises at Metro Park building. ADB-NRM was located at Kamladi for the last 20 years. The architectural design firm Sarosh Pradhan and Associates (SPA) was selected as the Consultant after an open bidding process. The design of the space is completed and the implementation is currently underway.

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Furniture and Furnishing Expo, 2012 to be organized – July 2012

T

he Nepal Furniture and Furnishing Association (NFFA) is set to organize a Furniture and Furnishing Expo FURNEX’ 12 from 27 September to 1 October 2012. The Expo was announced at a press-meet on 10th Shrawan, 2069 (July 25, 2012). The Nepal Furniture and Furnishing Association is a non-profit, non-government organization which acts as an umbrella organization of Furniture and Furnishing Manufacturers, Product Importers, Distributors, Dealers and Professional in Nepal. The association is also a member of Nepal Chamber of Commerce, Jamal, Kathmandu.

The event is set to be organized at Bhrikuti Mandap Exhibiition Hall, Kathmandu. The main objectives of this exhibition are to promote and present information on the manufacture, installation and use of different kinds of furniture, all the while providing a platform for the sale and purchase of these products, thus offering services to both the manufacturer as well as the buyer. The different products that will be exhibited at the expo are Home and Office Furniture, Kitchen and Bathroom Furniture and Appliances, Bamboo Furniture, Outdoor Furniture, Interior Decorating, Interior Designing, Furnishing and Flooring, Steel Furniture and fixings, Steel and Wooden Railings, Aluminum Windows and Doors, Flooring Items, Upholstery and Mattresses, Paints, Carpets, Marble and Granite etc.

SPACES - Art, Architecture, Interiosrs and Accessories, is the official magazine partner of the event, Furniture and Furnishing Expo - FURNEX’ 12.

MAGZTER DIGITAL MAGAZINE STORE TA P . R E A D . E N J OY

SPACES now available in MAGZTER, Digital Magazine Store - SPACES magazine is now available for purchase and subscription on www.magzter.com, the digital version of the magazine is available through magzter on iOS, Android, Web and Amazon. SPACES is available for purchase for NRs. 87.94 and for yearly subscription for NRs. 443.26.

The prices are subject to applicable taxes.

Society of Nepalese Architects Annual General Meeting – July 2012

T

he annual general meeting of Society of Nepalese Architects (SONA) was held on July 14, 2012 at Hotel Radisson, Kathmandu. The meeting was chaired by Ar. Baburam Bhattarai, Prime-Minister of Nepal and was attended by different members of SONA. The election of the 10th executive committee of SONA was also held during the event. The new executive committee is headed by Ar. Swarup G. Koney, President, along with Ar. Bishnu Panthee, Vice-President and Ar. Arun Dev Pant, General Secretary. All key aspects of SONA, the achievements of the last executive committee including the purchase of its office space were presented at the event. The annual souvenir of SONA was also launched and distributed during the event.

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pr o d u ct

Understanding Wall Papers before application:

A181-4

• They are available in rolls. Each roll covers 57 Sq. Ft of area.

• Rolls are available in 21 inch to 41 inch in width.

Therefore, for effective repetition of patterns in regular interval, a good assistant from technician or studying the application method in related catalogues is very necessary • It is composed of three layers i.e. base layer, printed layer and vinyl coating layer.

• Surface preparation of walls should be smooth for effective results. Applying on plastered wall doesn’t give excellent output.

• To clean its surface, a damp cloth can be used with only a gentle scrubbing.

• Unlike other surface finishing, wall papers can be easily applied on wall, keeping the site clean and hassle free.

• Designs are available on various ranges to create ambience and mood as per the user’s requirements.

• Applying these wall papers on appropriate surface can last up to 10-15 years of duration.

S180-9

Vinyl Wall Paper

Available at Ambience Life Style Pvt. Ltd. New Baneshwor, Kathmandu Phone: 4781071, 4781072-73

Product Code 8063-2 S180-9 S2840-0 A181-4 S365-4

8063-2

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Product Cost NRs. 5000 per roll NRs. 5500 per roll NRs. 5000 per roll NRs. 5000 per roll NRs. 5000 per roll

S365-4

July - August 2012

S2840-0

pr o d u ct

Pasupati Paints

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spacesnepal.com

pr o d u ct

Available at ........................................ ................................

Product Code: CJ 069 Made in: Malaysia Product description: Tempered glass top round centre table with stainless steel frame Dimension: 39”D and 14”H Status: Available in stock

Product Code: CF 542 Made in: Malaysia Product description: Rest chair with stainless steel frame Status: Available in Cream, Red, N. Blue

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July - August 2012

Product Code: CJ 069 Made in: Malaysia Product description: Black tempered Glass Top with the stand of stainless steel frame, 3pcs in a set Dimension: Small 11” D Medium 14” D and big 18” D and height 13” to 16”

Product Code: CJ 202 Made in: Malaysia Product description: Oval tempered glass top side table with stainless steel frame Dimension: 19” 20”H

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I N T E R I O R

A “

i n t e r n a t i o n a l

CHIC Style Text: Ar. Selma Vaidya

A golden lampshade with transparent glass base on top of circular glass table, though simple, gives an elegant completion to the room’s decoration.

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July - August 2012

“An abode with an international chic style,” says architect Siddhartha Gopalan, who has designed the interiors of this house.

This contemporary modern house silently boasts of the designer’s aesthetic skills in providing a simple yet elegant interior, giving a warm homely feel to the owners.

The architect has done justice in the design, satisfying the client’s requirement of international looks with a well finished, detailed interior.

I N T E R I O R

The house, designed for a single family, comprises of a master bedroom, two children’s rooms, a guest bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, a dining room, a store, a common toilet and a terrace garden.

The entrance to the house welcomes you with a rhythmic rectangular pattern connecting the floor, the wall and the ceiling. The rectangular patterns of light yellow Italian marble and dark travertine noce marble on the floor; rectangular niches with onex stone on the wall and the rectangular recesses on the ceiling gives a feeling of unity, which matches well with the exterior wall treatment of vertical bands on the western façade.

The visual drama created using

lights in the niches and the ceiling is definitely enthralling during the hours of dusk.

The wall next to the entrance door, with a statue of Ganesh arranged asymmetrically on a simple dark brown frame, acts as an integral part of the decoration and draws attention of any new guest. A flower patterned background, achieved by cutting the marble finish, forms a beautiful backdrop for the statue and even in contrast, with the flow of its flowers, harmonizes well with the straight forms of the entrance.

A guest bedroom on the Southern part of the ground floor, with a color combination of grey and beige,

A niche area decorated by simple distressed veneers with tiger striped onex stone behind, giving a silhouette image to the objects used for decoration.

The anti metallic copper colored ply-board screen with the interplay of rectangular voids divides the living room and still gives an open feeling.

I N T E R I O R

7 The rhythmic cylindrical white vases with a simple circular seating for two, though simple, provides a comfortable seating space in the lobby adjoining the dining area.

awes the guest with its simple yet luxurious look. Two rectangular masses enclosing the mother of pearls act as a focal point on the wall behind the bed. The word ‘horizontal’ strikes your mind when you enter this room as this phenomenon is enhanced by the use of horizontal striped curtains on the window. One can see beautiful circular disked lamps breaking the monotony of straight geometric lines in the room.

The transparent glass partition between the guest bedroom and the attached bathroom not only makes the room look spacious and open, but also luxurious. The bathtub on the centre, surrounded by stone pebbles gives a floating feeling. This arrangement is not only aesthetically beautiful but also functionally justifiable. These stone pebbles are arranged in a French drain which quickly vents out water that seeps down due to overflow from the bathtub.

The mirror at the rear end of the attached bathroom in the master bedroom, besides beautifying the dead end, also gives a spacious feeling. spacesnepal.com

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The vertical circulation is through a well lit staircase with large glass windows that perfectly frame a tree at the back of the house, making the circulation more interesting and natural.

The first floor with an open spatial planning has a corridor foyer

which connects the kitchen, dining, and the living-cumfamily room. A bunch of high polished stainless steel balls, vertically interconnected using white strings is a lovely centre piece in the staircase void suspended from the ceiling above. The light reflected from its surfaces adorns this area, making it a visual delight.

A transparent glass door with spherical glass handles gives a luxurious welcome to the livingcum-family room which has been divided into two separate

I N T E R I O R

The Baroque styled wooden trellis partitioning the TV area and the bed area in the master bed room, though asymmetrical to the bed framing, looks visually balanced.

spaces, one catering to an informal T.V. space and other a more formal family gathering space. The division is done using an anti metallic copper colored ply board screen with the interplay of mass and void derived from the Swastik symbol, which divides the space while managing to avoid the feeling of being bounded.

The coldness that might have accompanied the use of the marble on the floor has been counterbalanced with the use of veneers for framing and the right kind of furniture providing a feeling of warmth instead. The melamine polish on the distressed veneer visually preserves the beautiful natural grains of the wood, giving it a clear natural warm feel. The living room is a perfect blend of decoration and comfort through a balance of color, material, light and furniture. Though individually

handpicked, the furniture and the decorations all come together as a single unit. The cove lighting on the floor and the ceiling harmonizes well with the interior giving a cozy feeling while reducing glare.

The dining area is elegantly simple with a rectangular pendant light hanging from the ceiling. The red onex stone, framed within the rectangular distressed veneer box on the wall acts as a focal point in this area. The onex stone with its property of glowing with the light thrown from behind gives a bizarre look to this area. The stone work itself looks like a piece of abstract art on the wall.

Though there is no natural light and ventilation provided in the common toilet, it feels lighted with the use of the white mother of pearls in contrast to the semi glossed July - August 2012

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I N T E R I O R

black tile. The rectangular stripes of this mother of pearls connect the floor, the walls and the ceiling. With the reflection of golden yellow light from the fixtures the toilet gets a warm surreal effect .

The designer has used the color red in the children’s room, which is for the use of the owner’s twin daughters.

The red color does not look disturbingly vibrant, as one might expect, but the designer has carefully balanced it with the use of the color black. The red wall paper with black rose imprints gives the room a girly touch.

The partition of the wardrobe area has been done with a simple dressing unit which has optimized the use of minimal space. Instead of being just a wardrobe area with a dull cupboard that holds your dresses, the red and black tints painted on the translucent glass in the aluminum profiled sliding shutter gives vibrant, yet sober life to this area. The red theme has also been used for its attached bathroom with red and orange mosaic tiles on the shower and a glistening red marble top on the sink’s counter.

The living room with a perfect blend of decoration with comfort through perfect balance of color, material, light and furniture.

The designer has drawn, detailed and explained everything on site for the interior of the master bed room, which clearly defines the designer’s skills of visualization. The golden theme with the use of the colors golden yellow and black gives this bedroom a royal look. The cove light shielded using wooden baroque trellis gives a feeling of boldness in the room.

These trellises have been repeated in the room to frame the T.V., at the wall behind the bed, and also as a partition of the T.V. and bed area, thus uniting the whole room. The influence of baroque style of design can be seen in the curtains and the light fixture as well. Thus,

The horizontal stripes of the mother of pearls used on the bathroom binds the entire master bedroom together.

this feature acts as a monotony breaker for the entire house as the interiors of this particular room is quite different from the modern geometric treatment of other rooms.

The back wall of the mini bar uses pieces of travertino noce marbles weaved into a basket look. Matching mother of pearls is used as horizontal stripes on the bathroom wall, the mirror, the bed and the side tables uniting the bedroom units together. The use of mirror on the dead wall of the bathroom gives a feeling of continuity and makes the bathroom look spacious. A see through niche with a candle holder as a decoration and white artificial flowers on a large vase in the bathroom adds dynamism to this interior.

The architect certainly deserves applause for such a detailed finish in the interiors. As the saying goes “God

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I N T E R I O R

A well lit staircase with large glass windows offering a perfect framing of the tree at the back of the house and making the circulation more interesting and natural.

lies in the details�, and here the details have certainly paid off in the realization of this project. The grooves provided above the skirting and near the door frames; the fine cutting of the stair’s tread; the smooth joinery of the wooden frames; matching the textures of the onex stone; all of this points towards the accuracy of the details in this residence.

Easy maintenance is another feature that the architect has taken care of in the house. The grooves have been designed in such a way that they allow easy cleaning and mopping. The aluminum profiled translucent glass shutters behind some of the niches holding the onex stone, makes changing the lights more convenient. Thus, not only is the house an aesthetically brilliant product but the provision of easy maintenance makes it even more remarkable. And the credit certainly goes to the through vision of the designer! n

The asymmetrically framed Ganesh statue with flower cut patterns on the marble behind harmonizes well with the wisely united floor, wall and the ceiling with the use of rectangular pattern.

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A rchit e ct u r e

A

DEDICATION to

life

Text: Ar. Shreema Rana

The house that triggered a dynamic design response, unique in shape, form and functionality.

A

rchitect Prajwal Hada continues his ongoing search for form, material and space through one of his latest projects.

A residence that simultaneously synthesizes the qualities of simplicity and complexity, ‘Ram Niwas’ (named in honor of the client, Dr. Sudip Shrestha’s father) is located behind the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) building, Khumaltar. A functional and inviting family house, the building is perched on a serene suburban setting.

In the words of Mrs. Shrestha, her home is expressed as “….a distinctly serene place in the world, not because it is home or because of the

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family, but because all the desires of the family are fulfilled in the designing of this place which is aptly a ‘home’.”

The lines and proportions used in the roof, windows, and the layout, not to mention numerous details around the house, have catered to the achievement of visual and functional quality. The ground around the house is reminiscent of water conduits and ponds of Kathmandu. Some of these areas are designed for rituals and other gatherings. There is interplay of light and colour in the interior spaces as well as the compartments of the open spaces outside. The layout and planning of the building shows a spatial progress from open to semi-open, and finally, fully enclosed spaces.

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The materials and textures used in the building, along with the niches and alcoves, are inspired from a vast collection of architectural styles and trends - from the traditional to the contemporary. The 5476 square feet site is fully engaged into creating a setting for a home. The common family requirement was to utilize all possible areas of the site while maintaining privacy.

Entrance and walkways: Covered overhangs provide both shade and signify the space flow to the entrance of the Niwas, with a garage on the left and green patched garden with watchman’s cabin on its right. Carefully located operable windows provide effective

A rchit e ct u r e

cross-ventilation and visual connectivity between the inside and the outside of Ram Niwas.

watchman’s cabin). In contrast to this unit the courtyard on the left of the walkway is the entry to the basement garage, which the Shrestha family also uses as a photo gallery.

The pedestrian entrance is a volume sheltered by a glass enclosed white steel lattice, obeying its relationship with the sun. This transparent volume expands sideways but is secured at the back face by the boundary wall, thus blocking passer-bys along the road from locating the main entry to the house.

Patio and courtyard A private, sunny courtyard connects the living and outdoor dining areas with the landscape. Intimate views of the landscape and exposed brick façade are a welcome contrast to views of the surrounding valley. The stone slate with floor fountain anchors the house to the ground, morphing into one continuous mass to create the courtyard walls, terraces, fireplace, and the structural shear-walls of the basement. This very courtyard, as a family zone, is a muted mass bending and wrapping asymmetrically to frame dramatic views of the boundary walls, water bodies and raised grass deck.

The house is composed of discrete boxes forming three edges of the courtyards which can be used for various functions. The largest box form contains the public areas – entertainment, living, and raised patio spaces. Another box, (right side of the walkway) with glass roofing, acts as a walkway to the Niwas and opens itself up completely to the green patched surrounding (along with the

The aesthetic richness and striking theatrical effect which never cease to fascinate even when the lamp is out, are derived from the design’s simplicity and strength.

With sustainability given real consideration, slab-on-ground construction enables rain water harvesting, with minimal mechanical assistance.

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A rchit e ct u r e

Axial corridor

Interiors

The interior is organized along a circulation spine with spaces transitioning from public to private along its length.

Interior spaces are defined by modulating the voids between the masses with an axial corridor.

When the corridor from the entrance extends inside the house, the threshold is defined by a floor-to-wall surface of laminated wood. The materials used in the interiors are opaque, translucent and transparent in different locations as per the requirements of privacy.

Double-height living space separates itself from the rest of the house but mingles well with the outdoor units. This central axial corridor is a spatial form naturally lit from two directions, admitting light deep into the interior. Punctuating this open space is the staircase - a vertical spine, connecting all three levels of the house. The wooden stairs set off from the corridor leads to the private domain which weaves the bedrooms along a common lobby at each floor of the house.

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First level The deck raised from the basement accommodates the kitchen, dining and family room capable of hosting everyday family events.

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A rchit e ct u r e

The family room mirrors the formal language of the exterior.

All dissimilar materials are boldly separated from each other making sure two different materials never meet. A refined exterior palette of smooth concrete, cement stucco, aluminum windows and red cedar is paired with an interior of red gypsum-board furniture and maple parquet as flooring.

The staircase provides vertical flow while admitting abundant light from above.

The interior is calm and simple where one can find a moment to relax, with warm welcoming rays of sun while viewing the valley of Hattiban towards the South-East.

Sustainability and climate friendly As an exercise in sustainability, the house orients itself in a climate friendly perspective. In addition to the architecture itself, efforts were made to make the house and the land more sustainable. For example, the land was cleared and raised

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A rchit e ct u r e Timber cladding was used not only to balance the façade, it also disguises the open space outside, and partially screens the windows in the primary living space from passers by.

Given the client’s involvement in the walkway, the architect was motivated to create a sense of movement, which resulted in a box appearing to have dropped in part to create a private entry with glass cover.

from the native ground level letting the warm ray enter all its living units. Also, all the water used in the water bodies of the landscape is harvested from the site during rains, the building and other components of the site act as a rain water harvesting surface for the on-site collection system. There are two wells on the site, one in the front yard (court beside the entering walkway) and the other on a lower level, along with the basement by the family courtyard.

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The brick cladded wall with niches defines the end of the space, before wrapping the corner and leading to a road.

This is a symbiosis of restraint and generosity.

The conventional design of the house on the outside seems almost anonymous, speaking a modern architectural language towards the open structure. But, the idea behind the home as a curtain was concrete, and appears implicit in this concept. n

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Renovation For Adaptive Reuse III

the peacock shop Text: Ar. Swati Pujari

Bhaktapur

The delicate lines and shapes of the Peacock Window

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he ‘Peacock Window’ is an exquisitely designed and crafted three dimensional window at the Pujahari Math in Bhaktapur. Renowned for its old settlement with its jhingati roofed houses and its brick paved walkways and courtyards, Bhaktapur is one of the three ancient kingdoms of Kathmandu Valley. A major square at Bhaktapur is the Dattatreya Square famous for the three storied Dattatreya Temple and the exquisite Peacock Window, a window that by any definition of the term is a landmark, a window that attracts thousands of tourists

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every year who never seem to get tired of photographing the delicate lines and shapes of its carvings .

The restoration of Pujahari Math was initiated by the German Embassy, in 1970 AD, as a wedding gift to the then crown prince Birendra Shah. Almost two decades after the instigation of this project, the Peacock Shop was established in a shop-front below the Peacock Window, in 2044 BS. Mr. Ram Narayan Prajapati started the Peacock Shop at this location after being advised by the Small Business Promotion Project, and named it in honour of

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The first shops of the Peacock Shop, before the expansion into the inner courtyard

the famous window. Today the lane of the Pujahari Math thrives with the charm of its shops and their shoppers, but Mr. Prajapati recalls how during the opening of the Peacock Shop the shop-fronts in the Math were empty, and how, through time, the lane has gradually developed this animate organism-like character .

With the growth of the activities in the lane, the Peacock Shop started to grow too. Today the store is spread across three showrooms - one at its original location below the Peacock Window, one in the lane opposite to the Peacock Window, and one in an inner courtyard.

The shop also has its own workshop where paper products and traditional masks, available at the store, are produced.

The Pujahari Math - Its History and Its Adaptive Reuse The Pujahari Math is undoubtedly the largest and perhaps also the most important of all Maths or Hindu Priest Houses in the valley. In its glory days the Math served as a place of Hindu learning with residential Mahantas, and also built several branch Maths and other buildings. But, in the last few decades, the lifestyle of the Mahantas has changed considerably, and after the instigation of the Guthi Sansthan, the income of the Math has also decreased significantly. Even after the renovation of the Mathin 1970-73 AD, the Mahantas no longer reside at the Math. Because of this, spaces other than the principal shrine are now used for other purposes, and the rooms in the ground floor along July - August 2012

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The lane of the Peacock Window in its current organism-like charecter

the lanes are used as shop-fronts. Today, one of the shop-fronts, the earliest section of the Peacock Shop, showcases a collection of wooden images and carvings .

It is fitting that the earliest section of the store, which is also the section that the shop gets its name from, showcases wooden elements. When the shop initially started in 2044 B.S. it started with a collection of Nepali Wood Carvings only. Two years later, in 2046 B.S. the store started collecting paper products from Mahaguthi and Bhaktapur Craft. Within a short span of 9 years, the space acquired by the shop in the two shop-fronts (at the Pujahari Math and at the lane opposite to the Math) was no longer enough. More space was therefore acquired in an inner courtyard.

Expansion of the Peacock Shop In 2053 B.S. Mr. Prajapati acquired some dilapidated buildings in a courtyard inside the lane, opposite to the Pujahari Math. All these ruined buildings were demolished and reconstructed by 2058 B.S. The new section of the shop accommodates a store that showcases Nepali paper products, traditional masks and wooden elements and carvings. Highlighting the store are pairs of wooden elephants , of varying sizes and with different decorative carvings. The expanded section also includes a workshop area where paper products and masks are produced .

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h e ritag e Space acquired for adaptation and timber elements prepared for its renovation The shop and the workshop together employ 18 people involved in different jobs like Paper Recycling, Paper Compression (or Calendar), Block Printing, Screen Printing, Painting, Mask Making, Paper Cutting, Stitching etc. A limited amount of wood carving is also done at this workshop.

The interesting part about the expansion of the Peacock Shop doesn’t end with the store and the workshop.

The Peacock Shop is always interested in acquiring buildings in the vicinity. Some of these buildings, like the one currently housing the store and the workshop, are completely dilapidated and thus needed reconstruction.

But, the buildings currently acquired are not reconstructed, instead these buildings are in the process of being renovated, and eventually adapted into a part of the store or for other similar activity .

When asked why he has such a fascination with building in traditional Nepali style, Mr. Prajapati replies that traditional houses are timeless and unlike modern buildings will never have to be demolished as such. His aim in life is to be able to construct a building as grand and as exquisite as the 55 Window Palace.

Workshop at the Peacock Shop, ongoing process of paper recycling, compressing, screen printing and mask making

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h e ritag e Display of traditional masks and Lokta Paper amidst traditionally designed showcase area with exquisite wood carvings and exposed brick walls

The Peacock Shop - Products The Peacock Shop has been reviewed and recommended by the Lonely Planet where it notes that it ‘creates and promotes 100% Nepali crafts’. Be it wood carving, timber elements, traditional masks made of clay and paper, paper products like greeting cards, notebooks, photo albums, posters, lampshades, calendars, and books on Iconography printed in Nepali Paper - all are available in the store. n

For further details on the Peacock Shop: Ph: +977 01 661 08 20 Fax: +977 01 661 06 92 Email: peacockshop@yahoo.com

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I N T E R I O R

Hotel Radisson

Extension Text: Ar. Sushmita Shrestha-Ranjit

Blending carpet (soft) and marble (hard) flooring to cut off monotony in the long corridor. Also the use of light and dark shades of veneer cladding along with indirect lightings on walls and ceiling depicts a simple interplay of light and form to accentuate soothing ambience for user who walk by.

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Scenario of Interior Design The widespread perception that architects don’t design interior spaces is actually a misconception. Architects in fact work from whole to parts, and then from parts to whole. It takes hours for an architect to come up with a concept that integrates the three components of architecture, i.e. the interior, the built form and the outdoors (which include gardens, adjacent vistas, neighboring building façades, or the hustle and bustle of roads nearby). All these play a significant role in blending the interiors and exteriors for a perfect piece of architecture.

So, whoever thinks that architects do not get involved in designing interiors, he or she is mistaken! But of course, the expertise on interiors remains with interior designers, who delve in comprehensive details for interior planning.

The vibrant waiting longue, soothing bar area, welcoming reception and a highlighting passageway sets an impression of a thoughtful design for this five star luxury hotel.

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The Genuine Effort The story of the new wing of Hotel Radisson at Lazimpat has a similar outline. This five star hotel design is a pioneering task to showcase the versatility and quality of architects and interior designers in Nepal. Never before has there been local talent that sketched such lavish and perfect five star luxuries. The team initially had a tough time convincing their clients regarding their potential to design and manage such a huge project, but being smart and persuasive, this team succeeded to meet the requirement of both Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group India and Radisson Management Team in Nepal, finally breaking the trend of employing foreign architects, designers, and engineers for projects of this kind. This genuine effort was carried out by a comprehensive team led by Design Cell Pvt. Ltd as illustrated in Table-1. These key players have set examples and crossed boundaries and have competed at an international level.  

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The view of an indoor and outdoor restaurant with a fine dine concept. The striped passageway neatly segregates the sitting space and the serving space.

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The vibrant waiting longue, soothing bar area, welcoming reception and a highlighting passageway sets an impression of a thoughtful design for this five star luxury hotel.

Thematic planning Designers always try and get inspiration to begin the design process. Inspiration sometimes comes from surrounding ambience or some philosophical derivation but most of the time it is the relative context that contributes to deriving the concept. Likewise, the design concept for the extension of Hotel Radisson is also very thematic, which is justified by the sophisticated rules and requirements of this five star hotel.

TABLE 1 Architecture and Interior Design: Arun Dev Pant, Sanjay Pradhan Project Architects and Interior Designer: Anjan Shrestha, Suresh Shrestha, Arjun Nanicha Shrestha, Ranjan Chandra Prajapati, Amit Rajkarnar Sanitary Consultant: Rajesh Prasad Srivastav Electrical Consultant: Upendra Badal HVAC Consultant: Prof. Rabindra Bhattarai Project Engineers: Achyut Khanal (Design), Jay Kr. Pandey (Construction) Interior Contractor and Sanitary: Nest Furnitures Pvt. Ltd. Civil Contractor: Nepal Aadarsha Nirman Pvt. Ltd. Electrical Contractor: Cosmic Electrical Pvt. Ltd. HVAC: Airtech Industries

A typical section of a hotel room July - August 2012

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The Instigating Factor The idea for the interior design evolved with the sketch of a single unit hotel room. Its area averaging 300 sq.ft., making it a big challenge to arrange all the essentials for an inclusive business retreat in the available floor space. In order to maintain the visual depth within a small area, the walls enclosing the bathroom space was kept transparent, with the interplay of a full length - 8 mm thick clear toughened glass. A suave look for the room interior was very important in order to make the design blend with the user group, as most of them come here for business purposes. Therefore, adhering to a minimalistic approach was a logical design choice, but at the same time, also a serious challenge. The continuous efforts of the architect and the interior designer to keep in line every detail, and not have an error of even an inch in any material, was indeed a painstaking job.

The other aspect that is equally commendable is the integration of art from the conceptual stage. Well known artist Mr. Kiran Manandhar and sculptor Mr. Navik Shakya were both involved in adding different forms of art into the interior. Their paintings and sculptures give a pleasant texture to the hotel ambience, which is a part of the thematic design portraying shades and strokes that are very overt and contextual. This interplay of art and ideas are the offshoot of four different experts (the architect, interior designer, painter and a sculpture) brainstorming for trans- modern context within the hotel environment. spacesnepal.com

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A typical twin room illustration. Here the design team elaborates the white walls and ceiling as the three dimensional canvas, where forms, colors and inspirations are a collage for interpretation of space in the form of art.

This unconventional bathroom has ROCA fixtures and American Standard fittings to complete the tending, washing and bathing luxury in a five star hotel.

The dark colored passage is flanked with pleasant sit outs having vibrant carpets and its complimenting sofa on one side, and the other side with soothing ambience to blend with the visitors who are in the bar mood.

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Faces of Design and Materials Different materials used for interior finishing and their set of textures define the style and fashion of the current context of the place. In an attempt to keep the ambience very soothing and relaxing, the color combination of materials used are not loud and flashy, but very composed and subtle. Light and dark shades of veneer cladding compliment the warm shades of color arranged on different parts of the walls inside the room. The marble cladding on the bathroom floors and of walls up-to ceiling height lend a bold look that highlights the grandeur of its five star luxuries, but also enables easy surface cleaning for smart housekeeping.

Initially designed as a shopping complex by the same team, the building had to be converted into a five star hotel was the major twist in the project. Interesting but very challenging, the erected structural skeleton, and the pre planned mechanical, electrical and plumbing services had to be redesigned for a different function completely. During the process of making changes the major challenge faced by the design team was the floor height of the building and how to fit in the necessary services, such as the air conditioning ducts, water supply pipes, decorative false ceiling and many other equipments required for complete hotel furnishing.

This issue of height with respect to space and volume is smartly addressed and balanced by the selection of

flooring materials, furniture, and accessories. The use of a combination of dark and light colored marble floor, vibrant carpet on the main waiting longue complimented by the warmth of the sofa arrangements, a combination of direct and indirect LED lightings with trendy chandelier gives a visual balance that offsets the uneasy psychology of low ceiling height. Enduring all these and other unforeseen conditions that came up, the project stands successful with no hint of retrofitting as such. The international hotel ambience is perfectly assembled right from the entrance lobby. This area unfolds cleverly into even more interesting interior spaces, such as the waiting lounge, cozy bar area and the spacious banquet hall capable of hosting 300 guests. The hotel design also allows for fine dining indoor and outdoor, with a seating capacity of 150, with restaurant extended to the roof top with adjacent garden - all connected through the vibrant lobby, which also leads to the hotel’s 100 rooms.

The extension of Hotel Radisson is a pioneering design in the hotel fraternity of Nepal. The hearsay that has implied that the quality of in-house design and construction does not meet international standard has been erased by this bold team.

This project has extended the horizon for upcoming designs and designers to compete at an international level. The Design Cell team is commendable for setting this milestone in the field of art, architecture and interior design. n

The sequence of changing lights of a chandelier placed at the center of the 300 capacity banquet hall on the ground floor.

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IT Learning Centre in a Historic Fabric Text: Ar. Selma Vaidya

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midst the growing official and commercial hub of Kamalpokhari, a small neoclassical building stands out, just about 5 minutes south of the famous Kumari Hall. The building, through an attempt at adaptive reuse, has been given a chance to prolong its life, by the organization Islington College. A neoclassical residential building, it was constructed under the supervision of the father of former Prime Minister

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Surya Bahadur Thapa. The house was constructed by Late Harka Jung Thapa in memory of his wife who was killed during the Great Earthquake that hit Nepal in 1990 B.S. Lulu Rana Thapa, daughter of the colonel informs us that there were no other buildings around the area back then, which if compared to the present date, seems rather unbelievable.

Today, this two and a half storey building is used by Islington College, which is working towards the development of IT professionals in Nepal. With a number of blocks scattered around the premises, the college runs its ‘Brit House’ in this historic building. The Brit House caters to student learning services

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The curved steel truss with sheet covering although disregard the historic fabric of the neoclassical residence offers a shaded and usable white space for net surfing and discussions

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The original wooden railings providing a bold feeling to the vertical circulation

on the ground floor, and has a library on the first floor. Developed as a learning centre, it has a curved steel truss added with sheet coverings on the outdoor areas with wooden benches and an enclosed resource area. Although disregarding the neoclassical taste of the house, the area serves well as a white space for the students to surf the internet for their studies. A clean paved open space on the front premises with an old Bhogate trees and a chautaaro provides a peaceful and calming outdoor ambience to this learning hub.

No intervention has been made on the exterior faรงade, other than grey painted cornices, hence maintaining the historic fabric with the whitewashed walls and the full length green louvered windows.

An arched entry with green plants welcomes students to this learning centre. The ground floor with its student service department caters for printing, photocopying and report submissions.

The main staircase that leads to the upper floor has been renovated by nailing ply veneers to the original risers and treads. The original wooden railings have been kept, which provides a bold feeling to the vertical circulation. However, unequal riser height has some risk in the circulation. The selection of veneer is drastically different from the dark brown color of the old wooden railing, hence giving a feeling that a more achromatic selection would render the renovation much more wonderful.

The house, some 18 months ago, was in a degrading state. Due to the lack of timely maintenance and repair, it was in a critical state. Sulav Budhathoki,

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The book racks clearly define the pathway for the circulation which seems a bit tight anthropometrically

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chairman and CEO of Islington College, shares that the floors used to shake when they stepped on it. Nabin Rana, Discipline in Charge and Supervisor of the college, remembers their visit where the termite eaten wooden beams had fallen apart, and even in such a situation a school was using the house. Today they are quite pleased to have renovated the structure and to brought it to use with a proper, usable and safe space for their library.

For this project, the college authority replaced the rotten termite eaten wooden beams, which were not structurally strong, with steel members. Wherever required the floors have been concreted, replacing the original mud floors, but in places in good condition the floors have been left untouched. Hence, in some places, one finds a smooth new concrete floor while in other places, one finds an uneven old mud floor as well. With regard to the walls, putty has been used to smooth out uneven surfaces.

With the spatial constraints rendered by adapting from a residential building, the reading spaces for the library have been divided into several rooms. Though small, it has been well utilized, and the zoning required for the book stacks, lending zone and the reading area have been well incorporated.

With the false ceiling added, the trademark high ceiling of the neoclassical structure is intervened, providing a clean modern look and a human scale to the interiors. The added wooden frames to the openings in the inside catch your eye which highlights the window openings and also clearly guides the openings on the passages of the lending section.

The doors and windows have been simply enameled maintaining the original structure.

The large double shuttered windows with louvered shutters on the outside and paneled glass shutters on the inside and the large doors with threshold provide a classic feeling to the users in the inside. With thresholds and walls between room partitions, the library journey proves to be interesting with the changed levels of the floor as well as the ceiling. The book racks defines the pathways for the library unit, however, the circulation seems to be a bit tight from an anthropometrical point of view.

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The attic space which held the stores and the kitchen is yet to be renovated. The college authority intends to renovate it in the future.

In a period when people prefer to have modern houses and materials, such adaptive reuse of old structures is quite challenging and worth praising as well. With the trend of neglecting and even demolishing old buildings of architectural, historical and emotional value by those who do not appreciate their traditional charms, there is a huge architectural loss to the country. Hence, though on a small scale, such an effort by Islington College to reuse the old building deserves applause! n

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The added wooden frames on the openings clearly define the pathway in the library and the changes in the level offer a pleasant library journey

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Well ventilated and lighted reading space with beautiful green backdrop on the outside making the space more pleasant

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Kathmandu Contemporary Arts Centre (KCAC)

Text: Usha Sharma

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ontemporary art is relevant to present contexts of society and current practices of art and styles. More often it is used to denote art of the present era or recent past. Since its establishment in 2007, Kathmandu Contemporary Arts Centre (KCAC) has been working to familiarize contemporary art in the art scene in Nepal. KCAC organizes various exhibitions, workshops, symposia, and also provides studio residencies to both Nepali and international artists.

KCAC was established with an aim to support emerging contemporary artists in Nepal and to promote their works abroad.

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Initially, KCAC was established as a British Charity in 2007. Later in 2011 KCAC opened Nepal’s first contemporary arts centre in Kathmandu. KCAC is presently located at Patan Museum, where it opened on 24 March 2012 with an exhibition by Pepon Osario. On 28 March 2012 a presentation on “Portrait to Self Portrait” by Antonio Nodar was also held at the KCAC studios.

“The artists KCAC has hosted were selected with great care. The idea behind the residencies has been to stimulate dialogue and collaboration between visiting foreign artists and practicing Nepali artists. We have been fortunate to have had

artists who have been funded by The Fulbright Program, The Bronx Museum and The Elsa Peretti Foundation. All artists have had a dynamic and positive exchange with the local art community. I believe the results have been monumental”, says Sangeeta Thapa, one of the founder directors of KCAC.

Artists –In-Residence

“The Kathmandu Contemporary Art Centre is undeniably, the greatness advocacy organization for the contemporary visual arts within Nepal .KCAC, under the leadership of founders Sangeeta Thapa and Celia Washington, has worked tirelessly to promote contemporary arts in Nepal.

In an extremely short period of time, in a very challenging financial challenge, KCAC has grown and is poised to establish itself as a world class platform for the contemporary art and contemporary Nepali artists.”

-Maureen Drdak, international artist-inresidence at KCAC.

Artists-in-residence was initiated in 2011. Since its establishment in 2011, eleven international artists have rented studios at KCAC and showcased their work. Robert Cervera Amblar is the most recent International artist to join KCAC garden studio at Patan Museum.

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“Every place has its own material language and everything we do is related to the resources.

As a sculptor artist I wanted to develop my skills of thinking with hands. I have been learning and developing so that I can connect to people. I don’t want to scare people when they come to my show. I don’t want to be an obscure artist”, says Robert.

Through his work Robert wanted to express to people, relate to people, society and their thinking discipline. He wanted to share all the experiences of contemporary art and how it reflects issues of present time. Contemporary art allows artists to use any media for expression. Some might take contemporary art as western way of art but it is not only about making a painting, it is applied thinking or philosophy.

Robert Cervera Amblar is a London based Spanish sculptor artist. The 36 year old began his residency at KCAC garden studio in mid May. He explored in and around the valley and was immensely influenced by the local architecture, pagoda styled temples, chaityas, garas, the terrace patterned style of farming and even ordinary sights like the clutter of

metal boxes in various shops, the stock of layered objects, vibrant colours of plastic ropes, statues of deities covered in layers of colour, buildings under-construction, water distillation process and so on.

“I was fascinated by terraced fields and it was interesting to observe how the same logic of layers is applied from fields to the pagoda of temples”, he says. Most of his works are derivations of layered patterns he noticed during his visit at various places. It is astonishing to see how the minor term” layer” dominates most of his works.”I hope through my work many will be influenced” says Robert. He further continues that he relates his work to present time and also explains that his displays reflect how art can evolve from every minor sights we observe in our daily life.

Though the artist holds a bachelor degree in communication, he tried a bit of everything before he focused his interest in art. He started his career in advertising but found it be shallow.”Making sculptures felt right”, he says. Robert completed his Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Art in 2011 at Central Martin, London and has plans to join Royal College of Art, London for Masters in Sculptor in October this year.

Robert’s residency at KCAC concluded with the exhibition “A few words in material Nepali”.

Everyone who visited the exhibition found it to be new and unique. The collaboration of everyday materials to form an art show that was peculiar from a normal Nepali art show was well appreciated by the art community.”It was an interesting contemporary show; there was more freedom with materials. People brought their own interpretation.

That is great about contemporary art. There is no central truth. IT doesn’t hold a key meaning, the artists says.

Robert shared his residency with another Nepali artist Mekh Limbu.”Mekh is a very talented artist and will go far. I learnt a lot about art from Mekh.” he fondly appreciates Mekh and adds.”I want him to put his work in front of the eyes of people in Nepal and the outside world”.

He also said that the more art is displayed, the more it evolves. So reception of art is necessary to find out how it is received by everyone.

Mekh Limbu completed his Masters in Painting from Lalit Kala Campus in 2012. The Dhankuta born artist

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joined, KCAC in July. Since he joined KCAC he has been talking references from Robert’s work. “Robert is fun to work with, he shares a lot, he expresses freely”, Mekh replies when asked if he has drawn any influence from Robert.

Mekh, who is usually very quiet shared that joining KCAC has helped him be more expressive.

The 27 year old emerging artist is known for his paintings that reflect human psychology and behavior.

Earlier, his works focused on psychological art mainly based on socio-politics. But currently, he is working on paintings which are influenced by “global warming” and its consequences. The artist hopes to express his experiences and ideas through contemporary art forms. Undeniably, his works will influence many to bring efforts to control global warming and rethink their responsibilities towards Mother Nature. n

“As a contemporary artist I respond to the current issues.

Time inspired me to focus on global warming. Contemporary artists represent today and tomorrow, not yesterday. We live in the present and artists are mirror of the society. Similarly my works reflect society, relate to the current world, and relate to people and their issues.” Mekh explains how art is directly related to society.

Through his work the artist hopes everyone will realize their responsibilities towards society.

Mekh, further adds that as a contemporary artist it is important for him to find ways to connect to people. His residency at KCAC will end with the final exhibition, at KCAC garden studio, which is scheduled in October this year.

Acknowledgemets: Sangeeta Thapa, Founder Director, KCAC Sanjeev Maharjan, Manager, KCAC Maureen Drdak, International Artist in Residence, KCAC Photos Courtesy: Robert Cervera Amblar, Sanjeev Maharjan, Mekh Limbu For Further Information on KCAC and Artists in Residence:www.kathmanduarts.org

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