SPACES June issue_3July16

Vol 12 N o. 04 June 2016 

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

Sensus 

Investment 

Post-quake meeting with 

an architecture enthusiast 

Ar.Wolfgang Korn 

CENTRE FOR 

RESEARCH (CCCR) 

Gokarneshvara 

Reconstruction 

of heritage 

structures in Patan 

Ramblers 

and Settlers 

Dhalinkhwa 

& 

Dhalinkawa 

in Nepalese architecture 

Enhancing the Restaurant 

Experience with 

Colors 

June 2016 SPACES / 1

2 / SPACES June 2016

HOMESAAZ NEW 


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Toxf“ gful/s 

nagariknews.com 

myrepublica.com 



Contents 

Volume 12 N O. 04 | June 

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

54 

archAeology 

Dhalinkhawas 

The use of Dhalinkhawas is a special technique employed by 

the Newar architects to give an interesting and appealing took 

to the cornice, which in turn beautifies the facade. Sukrasagar 

Shrestha explores the details of the craft. 

28 

interior 

Sensus Investment 

How can we turn small spaces 

into pretty, and a pleasant working 

space experience? How can scraps 

be used to build beautiful furniture? 

Architects are known to employ their ideas to introduce 

such innovations. Through this article, you will see how 

that can be done. 

15 

Events 

20 

archAeology 

Interior design competition 

An interior designing challenge was organized for students of 

the fraternity. It helped enhance the student’s skills and the 

ability to find new perspective in things. Pramila Rai tells us 

about how the event tried to achieve its purpose. 

Ramblers and Settlers 

The streets are places for us to roam, to walk, to drive through or to 

rest sometimes. Every nook and cranny on the streets serve some 

purpose for pedestrians. What have the spaces on the streets in 

Kathmandu stood as a significance of? How can these spaces be 

used to enhance the aesthetics as well as meet people’s convenience. Here’s on Subik 

Shrestha’s take on it. 

42 

Personality 

Discussion with Wolfgang Korn 

Nepal lost much of its cultural 

heritage during the recent 

earthquake. When we’re building 

back, what techniques can be 

employed to build back better? This article discusses 

just that with architecture enthusiast, Ar.Wolfgang Korn. 

45 

Architecture 

JK Cement article 

The Centre for Climate Change 

Research (CCCR) in Pune, 

India, is an example of how a 

building can be constructed to 

be environmentally friendly, instead in investing the 

techniques that take a toll on the atmosphere around 

us. The building is a representation of what the 

minds at the research centre believe in and stand for. 

Madhav Joshi has more for you. 

58 

interior 

Colours article 

Colours are vibrant. They can also 

be subdued. But what does that 

mean for people who experience 

the impact of the different shades. 

Kritika Rana did some research to tell you how the 

colours are used by eateries or bars to have the 

desired impact on their visitors. 



Volume 12 N O. 04 | june 

CEO 

Editor-in-Chief 

Feature Editor 

Director- products and Materials 

Creative Manager 

Contributing Art Editor 

Junior Editor 

Correspondent 

Advisor 

Interns 

Contributing Editor 

Photographers 

Ashesh Rajbansh 

Ar. Sarosh Pradhan 

Prateebha Tuladhar 

Ar. Pravita Shrestha 

Deependra Bajracharya 

Madan Chitrakar 

Kasthamandap Art Studio 

Shreya Amatya 

Sristi Pradhan 

Avantika Gurung 

Ar. Pawan Kumar Shrestha 

Aastha Subedi 

Riki Shrestha 

President - Society of Nepalese Architects 

Ar. Jinisha Jain (Delhi) 

Ar. Chetan Raj Shrestha (Sikkim) 

Barun Roy (Darjeeling Hills) 

Pradip Ratna Tuladhar 

Intl. Correspondent 

Director- Operation & Public Relation 

Business Development Officer 

marketing officer 

Accounts 

Legal Advisor 

Bansri Panday 

Anu Rajbansh 

Debbie Rana Dangol 

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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 

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Contributors 

Niels Gutschow 

Dr Niels Gutschow was born in 1941 in Hamburg, 

Germany. He is an honorary professor at the 

University of Heidelberg, South Asia Institute. 

Graduated in architecture from Darmstadt 

University, he wrote his PhD-thesis on the 

Japanese Castle Town in 1973. From 1978 to 

1980 he was head of the Münster Authority of 

Monument Protection and from 1980 to 2000 a member of the German 

National Committee for Conservation. Now a prolific writer of history 

of urban planning in Germany and Europe and into urban space and 

rituals in India and Nepal, his book ARCHITECTURE OF THE NEWARS: 

A HISTORY OF BUILDING TYPOLOGIES AND DETAILS IN NEPAL (3 

VOLUMES) is the most valuable contribution for the documentation and 

preservation of Nepali architecture. Currently he lives in Abtsteinach, 

Germany and Bhaktapur, Nepal. 

Ar. Chandani K.C. 

Ar. Chandani K.C. completed Masters of City 

and Regional Planning from University of City 

and Regional Planning from University of Texas 

at Arlington and Bachelors of Architecture from 

VNIT, Nagpur. She has worked in numerous 

urban planning projects in United States . Her 

interest includes urban research and regional 

development and she is keen to be involved in 

designing cities that are convenient, healthful and 

aesthetically pleasing. 

Ar. Kritika Rana 

Ar.Kritika Rana is a graduate from IOE Pulchowk 

Campu. She is currently practicing architecture at 

Prabal Thapa Architects. She is keen about research 

based writings about architecture and the sensation 

of spaces. She believes in understand the essence 

of space and its influence in human behavior. She is 

also engrossed in energy efficient and sustainable 

design in contemporary scenarios. 

Shukrasagar 

Sukrasagar is an archaeologist and a specialist 

in Nepali culture and history. He, coauthoring 

with Mehrdad Shokoohy and Natalie H Shokoohy, 

has recently published Street Shrines of Kirtipur: 

As long as the Sun and Moon Endure (2014). 

The book focuses on the shrines’ chronology 

from the earliest specimens to the end of the 

twentieth century, the reasons for their erection, their typology and 

their iconography with the aim of providing a broad understanding of 

such features in a wider perspective for all Newar settlements. Another 

important he has coauthored is Jarunhiti (2013). 

Ar. Sushmita Ranjit 

Sushmita Ranjit Shrestha received her B.Arch 

degree from IOE. She carries a passion 

for contextual writings and art. She has 

accomplished various design and construction 

projects and is dedicated to her profession. 

She is currently working on spatial product 

designs alongside consulting for a local product 

development and artistic installations design for 

MeghauliSerai, a Taj Safaris Lodge at Meghauli. 

Subik Kumar Shrestha 

Subik Kumar Shrestha is currently working 

for the University of Minnesota’s Metropolitan 

(Minnesota) Design Center as an Urban Design 

Research Fellow. He is pursuing his Ph.D. 

in Architecture at the University of Oregon 

beginning fall of 2016. Subik aims to improve his 

understanding of research and design methods 

in sustainable design. He aims to focus on cultural sustainability for 

developing a better architectural and urban design language for the 

Kathmandu Valley in particular. Subik completed his Master of Science 

in Architecture degree (concentrating on Environment Behavior and 

Place Studies) from Kansas State University in 2015 and Bachelor of 

Architecture from Tribhuvan University in 2011. 

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. 

Ar. Rumi Singh 

Rumi Singh is a B.Arch graduate from IOE 

Pulchowk Campus. She is currently working as 

an architect in Sustainable Mountain Architecture 

(SMA). She has been involved in a Variety of 

voluntary works including the Rapid visual 

assessment conducted by Nepal Engineering 

Association (NEA) post the Nepal Earthquake. 

She is also the recipient of the Winning Award at the KVDA Park Design 

Competition organized by Society of Nepalese Architects (SONA). 


editorial 

In this issue some of the highlights are the viewpoints on construction material, technology and economy in Nepal. As a media 

partner for the Nepal BuildCon International and Nepal Wood International Expo 2016, we have taken the opportunity to interview 

industrial and business houses that participated at the expo and other business houses. Enclosed is a feature interview on how 

businesses have prepared themselves for their journey after the earthquake, the responses from the general public, and opinions on 

the construction economy of Nepal. 

We also have comments from experts within the construction industry - sharing construction technicalities and management issues 

that had been disregarded since decades, along with issues that can be guided towards mitigation. Nepal's construction practices, 

if viewed through the lens of the recent 2015 Gorkha Nepal Earthquake, provided a glimpseof the changing construction trends over 

the last decade. As Ananta Baidya shares that major aspects of construction practices such as “Public Safety for all including People 

with Disabilities and the Elderly” has been disregarded, while vertical growth in infrastructures have sporadically mushroomed all over 

Kathmandu Valley. While Badan Nyachhon shares that the last decade has seen positive changes in termsof consulting/utilizing the 

services of engineers, architects and designers. There is still plenty that needs to be done, and the bottom line should be not cutting 

corners in construction in terms of safety and respecting Mother Nature and the environment. 

Conversations on ethics of the built environment – leads us to talk to Ar.Kishore Thapa, the current President of Society of 

Nepalese Architect. He shares that the built environment is also the responsibility and moral duty of the citizen, besides the 

government rules and regulations. On the note that disciplines of ethics and philosophy should be included in the curriculum of the 

architectural schools, he relevantly points out thy architecture students should not only be good architects but should also be good 

human beings. Humanities courses are now being included in the engineering curriculum, in order to realize this important aspect. 

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

by Albert John Mallari and Parametric Environmental Analysis with Saurabh Shrestha. Besides the main objective of the Organic 

form-making workshop of playing with the materiality of bamboo and stretchable fabric to create a dimensional form for a luminaire 

fixture, the deeper note was perhaps to learn to experiment, play and understand materials and getting beyond the skin to make 

meaningful and relevant design. Therein lies the soul of good design, which further echoes the skills of indigenous people are a major 

part of the cultural heritage, contributing hugely to the sustainability and design. 

We also feature interior designer Preksha Baid’s creatively crafted Ruby Celing at the Park Hotel and Animesh Shrestha’s Architectural 

thesis on a modern day Auto Showroom. Besides the interesting Ruby ceiling, what clearly echoes within the features is that it finally is 

the awareness and understandings of the designer as well the various people within the context and craft of the design that become tools 

for story telling. What does stand out in the design endeavor is to have a sustainable design approach having both innovative as well as a 

continuity in treasuring traditional and the skills of our craftsmen. 

Much to learn and get inspired further… 

Namaste! 

Sarosh Pradhan / Editor in Chief 


Technical Associates New 



NEPAL CONSTRUCTION MART 

THE FIRST CONSTRUCTION 

E-COMMERCE STORE IN NEPAL 

Value Properties Pvt. Ltd launched www. 

nepalconstructionmart.com, Nepal's first 

e-commerce store and online information 

centre for construction materials on 

June 12, 2016 - Nepal Construction 

Mart. It provides complete e-commerce 

solutions to construction materials and 

services that give priorities to quality and 

customer satisfaction and on time delivery. 

Architecture and Engineering Company: 

Green Tree Developers, SPACES Magazine 

and other professional Architects, Engineers 

and Builders are amongst the promoters of 

Nepal Construction Mart (NCM). 

The main objective of NCM is to educate 

and empower the customer with the right 

information to purchase construction 

materials and services and make buying 

convenient and easy for them. The 

customer can buy various construction 

materials and accessories including 

Electrical, Sanitary, Plumbing, Interior 

Furnishing, Paints, Security System, 

Various Building Materials, Doors, 

Windows, Household Solutions, 

Household Appliances and many more. 

The company also provides a wide range 

of project solutions for its customers. 

The official website www. 

nepalconstructionmart.com is a user 

friendly and informative website with 

the features like handyman tips, buying 

guides, material calculator and blogs 

providing various construction related 

information and updates. To assure that 

you don't face problems like low quality or 

duplicate products, Nepal Construction Mart 

has a precise vendor screening and enlisting 

process followed by governing policies set 

for vendors to achieve the required product 

quality and service levels to ensure your 

protection while buying products from us. 

They also provide all the necessary building 

materials in a package to simplify your 

purchases which will not only help you 

save money but also help you save time by 

avoiding running around to buy different 

items multiple number of times from 

multiple sources. 

NCM'S Protection Measures include: 

• Vendor's detailed background check, 

including authorization, product quality, 

service level agreement etc. 

• Buying assistance from our experts so 

that you get quality products at best 

prices with accurate estimation that suit 

your requirements. 

• Manufacturer warranty assurance. 

• Provision of receipts of your purchase/ 

payment to assure a legal transaction. 

Their prices are very competitive and you 

can’t beat their customer service. Even 

on a tight time frame Nepal Construction 

Mart always comes through for us. 

No matter what you need, give Nepal 

Construction Mart a call… you won’t be 

disappointed! 

www.nepalconstructionmart.com 


e v i e w 

G.P. Trading Concern 

launches EXCLUSIVE 

showroom for Opple 

LED Lights 

G.P. Trading Concern inaugurated its 

EXCLUSIVE store for Opple LED lights 

Putalisadak, Kathmandu on April 29, 2016. 

G.P. Trading Concern is a successful 

trading concern under Triveni Byapar. 

Triveni Byapar is the distribution arm of 

Triveni group and a well-known business 

conglomerate of Nepal. It has been 

dealing with some of the most popular 

home appliance brands such as Yasuda, 

Symphony, Crompton, Panasonic, Sansui, 

Samsung etc. The inauguration of the one 

of its kind showroom for Opple LED Lights 

was done by Mr.Shailesh Sanghai, Company 

Director of Triveni Byapar. 

The showroom showcases different 

varieties of Opple LED Lights available in the 

Nepalese Market with features like flicker 

free technology and 88% less consumption 

of energy than other lighting, which puts 

less strain on the eyes and increases 

productivity. Opple has a wide range of 

lighting products which can cater to an array 

of industries, such as hospitality, medical, 

commercial and manufacturing. Also, 

Opple is the lighting partner for some of 

the most renowned businesses around the 

world such as Holiday Inn, Adidas Flagship, 

Burger King, Starbucks and Sheraton. 

Opple provides the most comprehensive 

after sales services to consumers in Nepal, 

given the much needed quality lighting 

required for the Nepalese Market. Knowing 

the type of energy deficient country Nepal 

is, Opple's saving innovation that reduces 

electricity consumption, can solve the 

problem to a great extent. 

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e v e n t s 

INTERIOR DESIGNING COMPETITION ENCOURAGES 

STUDENTS TO CHALLENGE THEMSELVES 

TEXT : Pramila Rai 

T 

he functionality of a building depends 

in a major way, on appropriate interior 

design of the structure. Interior design also 

ensures that the structure is aesthetically 

pleasing along with its smart functionality. 

A first of its kind competition in Nepal, the 

national level Interior Design Competition 

(IDC) was organized in August 2014, 

with the objective of providing a creative 

platform for students. This pioneering 

initiative of Spaces magazine and Nepal 

Furniture and Furnishing Association saw 

the participation of 50 students from eight 

colleges. IDC 2014 revolved around the 

theme of a residential design inspired by 

culture but in a modern setting. The designs 

were to be submitted in 2D drawing and 3D 

computer rendering. 

Top 15 students in the final stage of IDC 

2014 were given the opportunity to put up 

their models for display and public voting at 

the Furnex Expo 2014, where a surprisingly 

large number of visitors to the furniture 

exhibition turned up to vote for their 

favorite. 

After the successful first attempt, the 

organizing committee prepared the second 

IDC to be held toward the end of 2015. 

Fifty students from IEC College of Art and 

Fashion, Kantipur International College 

(KIC), Kathmandu Engineering College 

(KEC) and Nepal Engineering College 

(NEC) joined the contest. Each of the 50 


e v e n t s 

participants had to work on the theme of 

a modern BBQ restaurant with a generous 

cultural feel to it. 

The students were enthusiastic. They 

worked hard, did their homework, 

researched and learnt. The top three 

students assert that the competition was 

definitely a learning experience. Lasata 

Shrestha from IEC won the top prize for her 

project, which had elements of traditional 

Newari design and architecture. 

“It was just like a real project and we took 

the opportunity to learn and research as 

best as we could,” she says, recalling the 

competition. “I took inspiration from my 

own culture and used basic elements of 

a typical Newari home with its warm mud 

color and wooden posts in the ceiling.” 

Shrestha says she worked hard to win and 

that managing to do so was a validation of 

her hard work. 

The competition proved to be the perfect 

platform to test the students’ theoretical 

knowledge, according to Shrawan Thakuri, 

who won the first runner up award. The 

KEC student’s project included interesting 

ingredients of traditional Nepali art like cobbled 

courtyards, stone spouts, and the famous 

Durbar Squares. “The contest gave us a 

chance to put our learning to practical use. 

All the theories and principles we were taught 

were finally put into action. We approached it 

like a real project,” says Thakuri. 

KEC student Pratik Lohani, who won 

the second runner up award says the 

competition taught him about market 

trends, correct budgeting, working on mood 

boards, and using the right materials. He 

adds that he also learnt the art of interacting 

and handling of clients, “I’m an architecture 

student, so this was a great opportunity to 

learn about interior designing. I worked on 

a rustic theme for my BBQ restaurant using 

timber and stone in my designs.” 

The second IDC had its share of triumphs and 

disadvantages. The year 2015 was to be an 

eventful year for Nepalis as the country was 

first rocked by earthquakes followed by the 

Indian border blockade. It can be said that IDC 

2015 was an example of the Nepali resilience, 

with the organizing committee doing their 

best to prepare a great second innings. 

Interior architect Sabin Shakya, a member 

of the executive committee, believes that 

the team did really well despite the barriers. 

“The show must go on regardless of what’s 

happening,” he says. “So it was tough to 

convince sponsors and those directly related 

to the competition that we had to keep going. 

Given the problems of last year, I think we did 

a good job. Of course, there are certain gaps 

we have to bridge the next time. But overall, it 

was a good collective effort.” 

Shakya says lessons for next time includes 

being prepared well before hand so as 

to avoid last minute rush and decision 

making. “It’s also important to educate the 

country about the interior design market so 

the role of the mainstream media is really 

important here,” he says. “This will also 

help us connect with clients. Accordingly, 

it’s a must to have an effective promotion 

package in place, not just IDC but for the 

entire interior design industry. Otherwise it 

will be a Herculean task to take the industry 

to the next level.” 

The jury members say that it was quite clear 

that students lacked proper grooming. The 

panel comprised interior designer, Sabita 


e v e n t s 

Sakha, product designer, Pravin Chitrakar, 

and architect Sanjaya Pradhan. They 

said they observed that the glaring lack 

of preparation and guidance stopped the 

students from meeting their potential, even 

as they were talented. 

The judges concur that it is the 

responsibility of the colleges to ensure 

that their students are prepared for such 

competitions. National level competitions 

require talent as well as the right kind of 

preparations. The jury members said they 

felt that the participants lacked proper 

guidance and the knowledge required to 

excel at such competitions. 

At the same time, they were still impressed 

by the commitment shown by the 

students. 

“I appreciated that they worked really 

hard and came up with good projects. I 

remember we had a hard time selecting 

the top five,” Chitrakar recalls. 

“A handful of students really caught my 

eye, although most of the presentations 

needed a lot of improvement,” says 

Pradhan, “If they’d been better prepared, 

our students would have done really well. 

I noticed that students of architecture 

focused on architecture in their projects 

while interior design students did likewise.” 

The minimal interaction opportunity 

with participants was another drawback, 

according to interior designer Sakha. “We 

just had two sessions with them. I believe 

with more feedback at different stages, 

their final projects could have been a lot 

better. Some students did take our advice 

which was nice to see,” she adds. 

Another suggestion she has for the 

organizing committee is to get a superior 

filtering process so only the best students 

can get in, thus elevating the quality of the 

competition. 

“The next IDC must be better planned with 

each component meticulously thought 

out. The organizers should also take in 

suggestions and feedbacks from previous 

jury members so that it’s better than ever 

the next time”, says Pradhan. 

Jury members Pradhan and Chitrakar also 

said thatthe amount of work expected 

from the students and the expectations 

were too high. 

The jury also commented that the contest 

was badly timed with most students 

undergoing their final exams, which perhaps 

cut into the time they should have used 

for project preparations. In spite of the 

drawbacks, it is hard to not compliment the 

vision of the organizing team. 

The judges’ professional backgrounds 

came to be a bonus, as their different 

professional backgrounds brought fresh 

perspective to the event. Students received 

different kinds of inputs and advice, which 

helped further their knowledge. 

According to Pradhan, a competition like this 

is important because it gives students the 

opportunity to test their own standards. 

Chitrakar calls the event successful and adds 

that it was a great platform to expose students 

to what is expected from them in professional 

capacity. 

The top three students received cash prizes of 

Rs 30,000, Rs 20,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively 

along with certificates, trophies, dinner coupons 

to BBQ Courtyard restaurant and bar, and coffee 

packets from Kathmandu Coffee. 


e v e n t s 

AN 

INTRODUCTION 

TO TIMBER 

CONSTRUCTION 

Technical Support Office (TSO) 

Architectures Sans Frontiers Nepal 

(ASFNepal) and Architecture & 

Development, supported by Foundation de 

France successfully organized a seminar 

led by Andrew Lawrence, Associate 

Director of Arup, on 'An Introduction to 

Timber in Construction'. The workshop was 

held at Alliance Françoise, Tripureshwor, on 

April 7, 2016. 

The workshop had an impressive turnout 

of more than a hundred professionals, and 

students. His excellency, Yves Carmona, 

Ambassador of France to Nepal and 

Prafulla Man Singh Pradhan, Advisor at 

un habitat were among those attending 

the event. The seminar kicked off with an 

introductory speech by Pawan Shrestha, 

Program Manager of ASF nepal, and his 

excellency Yves Carmona talked about the 

need to explore different technologies and 

ideas, and gave credit to the organizing 

team for initiating such programs. 

Andrew Lawrence, the timber specialist 

from Arup, started off his session with 

an argument on why ‘many people 

become skeptic about wooden buildings 

regarding their durability’. With that said, 

he introduced the audience to the oldest 

timber building in the UK, that has stood 

for oever a thousand years. Lawrence 

said that the last 15 years has seen a 

renaissance of wooden construction 

around the globe, primarily for its 

sustainability and durability. He showed 

some case studies of houses that were 

fully constructed with timber that have had 

great results. 

Lawrence’s other focus was also on 

ensuring maximum resistance against 

termite, insects and fungus and its 

further treatment using Boron, Pressure 

Treatment and other tips, do's and don’ts. 

Lawrence reiterated that the locally 

found species of timber in Nepal Sal, is 

not only very durable but also produces 

natural toxins that poisons fungus and 

termites. Lawrence concluded his session 

supporting his argument with all the 

necessary steps that are required for 

grooming timber, which is a process worth 

the extra mile. Lawrence’s session was 

short but precise, informative and helped 

build a sense of awareness among the 

Nepalese and non-Nepalese, who still live 

in timber homes, or are looking towards 

building in timber construction. 

The talk ended with the floor opening 

for questions from the audience. 

Questions were raised regarding the use 

of materials like bamboo and timber, 

policies regarding management of timber 

production, structural significance of 

traditional joints during the earthquake, 

etc. This introductory session on timber 

construction left the participants with a fair 

knowledge on the topic. 



archAeology 

Ramblers 

and Settlers 

Streets as 

Determinants of 

Urbanism and Urban 

Life for Kathmandu 

TEXT: Subik Kumar Shrestha 


archAeology 

"Streets" in this article refer more to the 

pedestrian pathways and sidewalks as parts of 

the larger urban movement channels. 

In highly cultured urban places (in terms of the quality of 

space) around the world, streets form the major urban 

open spaces, in contrary to the more conventional 

understanding of streets as being solely the arteries that 

connect different places or channel movement. Streets 

are places themselves that tell the stories of particular 

locations—venues where the normal life occurs every day. In 

the traditional times, the streets were closely related with the 

adjacent buildings through careful ground floor occupation. 

The floor immediately in connection with the streets would 

have shops and dalans to facilitate and support human flows. 

These facilities would be supported by the windows of the 

upper floors which maintained direct visual connection with 

the streets. In this sense, the houses made a dialogue with 

the outdoor environment, most prolifically with the adjacent 

streets. Do we find that sociable connection ubiquitously in 

Kathmandu today? Simply put, if the answer was a certain yes, 

this article would not have been conceived in the first place. 

The traditional streets and early modern streets of Kathmandu 

possess special characteristics of being able to offer so much 

to the urban life, in contrary to the post 2000s contemporary 

streets that have been bullying their way all around 

Kathmandu till present. The traditional streets possessed 

distinct characteristics of being paved in brick or stone and 

allowing pedestrian and minimum vehicular access through 

the same pathway. This indicates that vehicles requiring 

asphalt roads were not in use and more importantly for this 

discussion, signifies that a single continuous street system 

possibly connected the whole town. The urban design 

characteristics of these interlinked continuous streets, thus, 

suggest the characteristics of wholeness in urban design 

for such towns. It would also mean that pedestrians ruled 

the streets and urban spaces, and that lively and vibrant 

spaces between buildings existed. While it will be foolhardy 

to suggest today that the road/street system should not 

promote automobiles, it can certainly be argued that such 

road systems should not come in the way of a lively urban 

realm. In other words, if major areas of a city contain roads 

that prioritize automobiles in place of pedestrians, the urban 

and architectural designs will be inclined towards the “auto- 


archAeology 


archAeology 

dominated” cities. Such cities evidently 

contain buildings that do not speak with 

the outside (e.g., no openings), the ground 

floors are usually closed or contain nonsociable 

use (lack of retail stores or such 

facilities on the ground floor that promotes 

interaction), and become deserted (since 

there would consequently be fewer reasons 

for users to walk). 

It is evident that poorly used streets 

manifest the urban ills of any place. But 

another question needs to be answered as 

well: so many of the streets in Kathmandu 

are full of moving pedestrians traveling 

from one point to the other; so why a 

discussion of poorly used streets in terms 

of Kathmandu? As an important focus of 

this article, it suggests that there are big 

differences between ‘traveling pedestrians’ 

and ‘staying pedestrians.’ In other words, 

most of the newer pedestrian streets 

in the Kathmandu Valley (the streets in 

Baneshwore and Bishal Bazaar along 

the ‘institutional’ buildings) are only used 

as a medium of movement and not as 

“places to stay.”They are treated largely 

as channels of movement and supports 

no resting (sitting/standing) opportunities 

whatsoever to support urban life. Due 

to this reason, these pedestrian streets, 

although decorated with overcrowding 

pedestrian flows, are actually lifeless. 

Evidently, one can contend that the 

degradation of Kathmandu’s urban street 

life, spans a period of more than two 

centuries over the Rana era, Shah era, 

and Ganatantra (republic) years after that. 

Rana period (lasted till 1951) did see some 

thoughtful changes made to the street 

patterns, particularly with the widening 

of road sections for the increasing 

automobile use. But these developments 

were less sociable in terms of street use 

for the pedestrian, except for some visible 

examples in the New Road area. Another 

fact that needs consideration, however, 

is that the Rana rulers at least made 

numerous efforts to preserve the street 

patterns of the Malla towns and in fact, 

contributed large urban fabrics of their 

own consisting of such “buildings and 

communities that maintain dialogues with 

the outside”—a term discussed previously. 

This effort should be lauded and was 

very important for the Kathmandu Valley 

urbanism, although not at equals with the 

Malla era urbanism. It was only after the 

1950s (the duihajaarsaatsaal ko andolan) 

that thoughtful premises for urban 

design began lacking from the concerned 

authorities, resulting in the present form of 

thoughtless street designs. 

As an effort to once again bring the 

importance of streets in Kathmandu’s 

urban design into focus, this article 

lists three preliminary characteristics of 

streets. It should be noted that this article 

is interested in presenting the “design” 

aspect more than the “planning” aspect 

of the streets. These design qualities and 

characteristics present a holistic idea 

of understanding and designing streets 

as a universal phenomenon for urban 

Kathmandu: 

1. Architectural design and street life: 

a. Building edges and active frontages and 

b. Blank walls and the cynical city streets. 

2. Streets as stages for manifesting the 

urban culture; and 

3. Streets as more than channels for 

movement. 

1. Architectural design and street life 

Considering streets as important elements 

of urban “design,” the discussion cannot 

be considered complete without explaining 

their relationship between with the adjacent 

buildings. In this regard, two topics become 

important: (a) building edges and active 


archAeology 

frontages and (b) blank walls and cynical 

architecture. 

a. Building edges and active frontages 

Building edges and active frontages 

play a pivotal role in defining the active 

social life of any street. Building edges 

represent various opportunities for 

passers-by and the public to engage to 

the world adjacent to the buildings via 

their architectural characteristics. While 

the outdoor spaces adjacent to buildings 

may be lawns, open spaces, roadways, 

or pathways, this discussion focuses on 

the role of such building edges which are 

adjacent to pedestrian streets. Building 

edges are comfortable resting areas 

placed on the public side of buildings and 

with a direct connection to them, which 

influence life between buildings. Some 

relevant examples of building edges could 

be sittable projections, designed edges, 

benches, tiny gardens, shops, or any form 

of outdoor seating. If a building contains an 


archAeology 

outdoor café with seating, it is making more 

connection with the public in the sidewalks 

and promotes use. Similar character can be 

supposed about shops having displays that 

promote window shopping and makes a 

connection with the outside. 

In specific architectural terms, doors 

and windows represent active frontages. 

Although this statement reads nothing 

that is unheard of, designers vividly 

lack the imagination of how to make 

proper “urban use” of these elements. 

Kathmandu’s fascination with “curtain 

walls” is enough of an example to validate 

this point. The question of how much does 

Kathmandu offer to the citizens through 

active frontages may well be answered via 

empirical research works and findings, but 

a careful observation will certainly indicate 

that “doors” and “windows” are slowly 

vanishing with the adoption of modern 

cultures. There aren’t any governing 

rules that require the incorporation of 

building elements or facilities at least on 

the ground floor that contribute to the 

urban congregation while longer stays 

in the streets (roadside) of Kathmandu 

are turning out to be “urban myths” in so 

many of the major locations. Kathmandu 

needs more numbers of urban street users 

in addition to the ramblers and active 

frontages may well play an important role 

in attaining this goal. 

b. Blank walls and cynical architecture 

According to Matthew Carmona, blank 

walls are a declaration of “… distrust of the 

city and its streets and the undesirables 

who might be living inside them.” Blank 

walls (both without any openings and 

with openings that cannot be actually 

opened) are “architectural dead ends” and 

long rows of blank frontages (typically 

of institutions, banks, corporate offices) 

not only deaden the part of the street, but 

also break the continuity of experience 

vital for the rest of the street. They are 

inward focused even if designed in the 

best possible way (with fancy court-like 

interior spaces), which is not good enough 

to bring activity to the streets. It is not 

that these buildings individually are an 

end in themselves, but blocks after blocks 


archAeology 

of only such institutional 

functions without any retail 

and residence facilities 

are certainly malicious to 

urban Kathmandu. One 

may walk from the main 

road connecting western 

end of Tripureshwore with 

Teku leading to Kalimati to 

observe this phenomenon. 

How many are using the 

streets in terms of “stays” 

than just “walks” in any 

given day? Perhaps, only a 

handful. People are attracted 

to activities which give 

opportunities to see, hear, 

and meet others. As many 

others have noted, people 

get attracted only if there 

are activities to be involved 

in or people to watch. As 

this article claims, the street 

design should facilitate 

the coming together of 

individuals; not separating 

away from each other. 

According to a 2004 TEDtalk 

by Howard Kunstler 

such huge blank facades 

that deliberately disconnects 

architecture with urban life 

“… make humans feel like 

termites,” and rightfully so! 

2. Streets as stages for 

manifesting the urban 

culture 

Urban culture in this regard, 

refers more, to the dayto-day 

activities occurring 

on every street in addition 

to the special “cultural” 

functions they serve (like 

jatras and festivals). Whyte 

(1980), in a seminal study 

of plazas, argued that the 

three most important design 

factors for plaza design 

are: (1) location; (2) streetplaza 

relationship; and (3) 

seating. Although this article 

is not a discussion about 

the plaza, Whyte’s findings 

and his consideration to 

streets as an important 

element of urban design 

(note the second design 

factor) is valuable. This 

points to an earlier debate 

that streets need to be 

connected to each other 

and also to other forms of 

open spaces, as is evidently 

lacking in the Kathmandu 

Valley at present. Traditional 

Kathmandu Valley streets 

are examples of streets 

being a stage for all these 

activities. Such streets 

facilitated not only the dayto-day 

urban life but were 

designed for the chariot 

festivals that would occur 

periodically each year. 

So, the point that is being 

made here is that streets, 

in relation with the larger 

open spaces are the stages 

for urban culture to flourish. 

These are the spaces where 

city users are allowed to 

perform their activities. 

Kathmandu needs much 

more of such stages, not 

less. 

One of the more interesting 

observations can be noted 

from Jane Jacobs’ work in 

which the author discusses 

‘street ballet’— “…an intricate 

ballet in which the individual 

dancers and ensembles all 

have distinctive parts which 

miraculously reinforce 

each other and compose 

an orderly whole.” Street 

ballet can be most clearly 

visible in thedaytime in 

Asan of Kathmandu. This central node/space has been providing a 

platform for urban life for centuries. Even today, one can view flocks of 

people passing through this area bearing specific movement of their 

bodies and defining the certain flow of mood, that can be correctly 

termed as street ballet. One can relate words such as “overcrowding,” 

“congestion,” “unmanaged” to the central node of Asan, but the power 

of this place should be understood first, more importantly, to learn 

from these spaces and to replicate their characteristics in future 

designs. Designers who have experienced this phenomenon shall not 

attach such disheartening cliché words to indicate Asan. 

3. Streets as more than channels for movements 

Interesting routes make the “experienced distance” shorter and 

promotes walking. Along with the facilities on the ground floor and the 

nature of the adjacent buildings, the nature of the streets themselves 


archAeology 

can play an important role in fulfilling this 

criterion. In connection with the previous 

discussions, it becomes important to repeat 

here: how does a particular street facilitate 

longer stays? Although it is very important 

to consider human movement in the design 

of streets to facilitate appropriate design 

elements, streets and sidewalks need to 

be presented as a social arena instead 

of being only a channel for an efficient 

movement like in modern cities, or as an 

aesthetic visual element like in city beautiful 

movement. Bill Hillier and Julienne Hanson 

(the inventors of space syntax theory) have 

advocated that treating urban pathways 

and open spaces “…as a place to go and not 

to pass through on the way to somewhere 

else…” creates the potential for other 

activities in addition to the basic activity of 

traveling from origin to destination. Major 

streets, on the contrary, act as barriers 

to longer stays, creating “fragmented” 

urban areas because movement if it exists, 

becomes only a pass-through activity and 

not a social experience. 

If one thinks about his/her travel along (1) 

the main street from Bhadrakali to Singha 

Durbar and (2) along Asan to Indrachowk, 

the difference becomes evident. There is 

no attraction that makes people stop on 

their way to Singha Durbar from Bhadrakali. 

The streets there are not vibrant and 

people only travel so as to reach other 

more bustling places of the city. The main 

reason is because the entire strip has been 

dedicated to institutions and banks which 

do not invite diverse users. Had there been 

other primary activities like residences and 

stores, the case would have been different. 

However, a walk around Asan will give a 

different experience to the pedestrians. 

Anyone who walks around that path will be 

persuaded to stop and look for something 

to buy, to enter a religious place, or just look 

at the place bustling with activities. 

Conclusion 

I do not intend to argue that every place 

should be packed with people all the 

time, but is there harm in making every 

pedestrian route in Kathmandu inviting 

for longer experience and more exciting? 

Can more streets be made a great social 

experience and not just a pass-through 

way? 


interior 

Sensus 

Investment 

TEXT : Ar. Rumi Singh Photos : SMA 

Swotha stands proud with its historic 

temples on the outskirts of the national 

heritage, Patan Darbar Square. The studio 

for Sensus Investment Company managed 

by Reshu Aryal Dhungana is located at the 

heart of the old city of Patan. The best part 

of this location lies in the fact that no 

one can escape the walk through the true 

and rich culture of the city before arriving 

at the studio. The space originally built in 

traditional Newari-style architecture, was 

renovated in contemporary design by the 

property owner for residential purpose. It 

was the joint mission of Sensus Studio and 

SMA to transform this apartment based 

furnished room into an office space. 

T 

he wood and bricks gave this small 

place a heavy look which is unseemly 

for a workplace. This very restriction 

became the source for creative inspiration 

for this studio designed to exhibit a 

personal work zone for Dhakal, with 

possibility of a meeting space. The plan 

was drawn up as such that the place would 

look more work-friendly with the use of 

light and colorful materials. A metal based 

Thinking Wall and Network Tables and 

fabric based Textile Wall were decided to 

be placed inside the studio to control the 

dark atmosphere, with a conscious use of 

materials other than bricks and wood. 

Firstly, a space planning was done for 

Dhakal’s workplace and a meeting room. 

Due to space constraint, innovation had 

to come with the design of personal table 

and the meeting table, which we call a 

Network Table because this is where 

the communication takes place. These 

tables are made with iron strips generally 

considered junk, and painted in seven 

different colors. It is topped-off with glass 

to provide the sense of tranparency. An 

aperture is built at the center of this crosslegged 

table through which wires can be 

placed in an organized manner. The gaps 

between the colorful strips and glass top 

provide a complete view of the ceiling to 

the floor which creates an illusion of the 

space being bigger, brighter and open. Also, 

these two equal height tables are designed 

to fit each other so that it can be affixed to 

be one huge table, to host bigger meetings. 

The Thinking Wall has been a solution 

of choice for discerning professionals to 

place their ideas, notes and memos. And 

to spark the ideas and trigger the thinking 

process of the visitors and to introduce an 

influence of work culture, The Thinking Wall 

was what Sensus needed. The blob–shape 

was chosen to diffuse the angle of perfect 


interior 

geometrical shapes inside the space. It has 

a metal frontend so that magnets can be 

used to stick papers on to it. Dhakal has 

even come up with different materials like 

thrown away rubber bands and paper clips 

to hold the papers placed on the Thinking 

Wall. The offset Textile Wall is hung as 

a partition between the kitchenette and 

the meeting room. This colorful wall of 

2150mm x 1830mm is made out of Nepali 

handmade fabric prepared by Women Skill 

Development Multi-purpose Cooperative 

Ltd. To prevent the movement of the 

Textile Wall with the passing of the wind 

and to make it sound observant, foam has 

Work in progress: 

Designers, 

Anne Feenstra and 

Ruby Singh work 

with a craftsman 

at designing the 

worktable for the 

Sensus Investment. 

been used. This façade conceals the view 

of kitchenette from the outside and also 

controls the sound. 

The insides of a room influence the 

mind. And Sensus Studio, a space of 

architectural beauty and iconic design, 

is one such exemplary outcome which 

believes in investing in heritage but with 

contemporary design and fabrication. 

The collaboration of Sensus and SMA 

focused on acceptance of culture of its 

surrounding, brought local artisans and 

craftsmen to create cross-cultural design 

which helps in composed communication. 

Dhakal now proudly opens the door for 

her visitors and business partners to her 

studio lying just outside of the hustle 

bustle of the city. 


architecture 

Gokarneshvara 

The apex of the Newar art of woodcarving 

at the end of the 16th century 

TEXT: Niels Gutschow Photos: Ashesh Rajbansh 


architecture 

Nothing is known 

about the origin of the 

temple. Owing to the 

importance of the place 

in the myth of creation, 

the temple must have 

been in existence since 

a long time. 


architecture 

Topographical and ritual 

context 

The Gokarneshvara temple is located 

upstream the Bagmati River, marking or 

even guarding the first of three gorges the 

river makes its way through before leaving 

the valley at its southern edge. The name 

of the temple refers to a sacred place at the 

southwestern coast of India’s Karnataka, 

where Shiva is enshrined in the form of the 

Atmalinga, the “original” linga. Literally the 

“cow’s ear”, the name Gokarna refers to a 

myth, according to which Shiva emerged 

from the ear of a cow, in front of Brahma 

who was about to create the universe. The 

creation of replicas of such places is a 

common practice in Hinduism and enriches 

the sacred landscape of the Kathmandu 

Valley in many ways. 

The temple of Gokarneshvara in Nepal 

figures as the 54th of altogether 64 

lingas, arranged in such a way that they 

form a spiral-like movement around 

the Pashupatinatha, thus arriving at 

the spiritual centre of the valley. The 

Gokarneshvara also figures as the 

second of the Eight Passionless One 

(Ashtavaitaraga), which in the Buddhist 

tradition of Creation, guard the valley. 

Moreover, the temple marks the first of 

twelve sacred places (tirtha) along the 

Bagmati and Bishnumati, which are visited 

by Buddhist devotees along a year-long 

pilgrimage (tirthaytara). The place right in 

front of the temple is called Punyatirtha 

because here, evil (paapa) is given up and 

merit (punya) attained. Punyatirtha is the 

place to perform a death ritual (shraddha) 

in memory of the deceased father on the 

day of new moon in September. 

One more context needs to be mentioned: 

The temple marks the 38th place of a 

series of 50 Power Places (Tib. gnas) 

identified in the valley according to the 

Tibetan tradition, written down in the 1770s 

by a Newar monk from the Tibetan “Vulture 

Peak Monastery” in Kimdol, at the foot of 

Svayambu Hill. This complex configuration 

of ritual entanglements presents the 

Gokarneshvara temple as a highly 

important pilgrimage site, a landmark of 

the religious infrastructure of the valley. 

History 

Nothing is known about the origin of the 

temple. Owing to the importance of the 

place in the myth of creation, the temple 

must have been in existence since a long 

time. The early temple was most probably 

replaced by the present one at the end of 

the 16th century – an inscription at the 

pinnacle refers to the year 1583. 

Somewhat hidden behind the hill of 

Gokarna, the temple has escaped the 

attention of historians of the field of 

architecture and art. Measuring 9.39 m, 

it is slightly larger than the Indreshvara 

in Panauti (8.95 m) but smaller than the 

Yaksheshvara in Bhaktapur (10.13 m). 

While the third tier of the Indreshvara 

temple appears to be a later addition 

to comply with height ambitions of the 

second half of the 17th century, the third 

tier of the Gokarneshvara temple seems to 

be an integral part of the original design. 

With this third roof the temple probably for 

the first time overcame the earlier tradition 

of the Licchavi era, which survived with the 

royal donations of two-tiered temples: the 

early 13th century Indreshvara, the 15th 

century Yaksheshvara, the three Vaishnava 

temples on the Darbar Squares of the 

three cities, and the later replicas of the 

Pashupatinatha and Changu Narayana. 

Later, triple, and even five-tiered temples 

with portals replaced earlier ones. 

The building 

The addition of a third tier is not the only 

striking innovation in contrast to the twotiered 

structure of those seven temples 

mentioned above. Even more innovative 

is the fact that the portals were built 

without the use of any tympana – the one 

facing east is a recent, early 20th-century 

addition. Dispensing with the tympana at 

portals – maybe the first case in the history 

of Newar architecture – also allowed the 

builder to abandon the use of the inner 

secondary jambs, to which colonnettes 

were usually added in order to support a 

tympanum. 

As a striking result, the four jambs of the 

portal are jointly bearing the primary and 

secondary lintels. The jambs left and right 

of the portal measure 26 by 19.5 cm, those 

framing the principal doorway 18 by 16 

cm. Compared to the 24 by 20 cm of the 

principal jamb of the Yaksheshvara temple, 

the dimensions are only slightly larger but 

can probably be called more monumental. 

The proportions of the Gokarneshvara 

temple appear to be more upright. 

The portals 

The thresholds are made up of three 

pieces of roughly dressed stone on all 

four sides. The U-shaped intermediate 

element dividing the outer frame from the 

principal jamb is shaped in a unique way as 

a miniature jamb of 10 cm width, with the 

bottom end molded in correspondence with 

the principal jambs complete with a pot 

motif and a narrow niche housing a pair of 

anthropomorphic snakes. 

The central doorway of rectangular shape 

has a stepped frame featuring lotus scrolls. 

On the eastern portal the lintel is covered 

by gilded copper repoussé. The doorway 

itself is framed by a pair of small pillars 

which are bearing a lintel with a single 

roof-molding. The three-foil cusped arches, 

made up of three horizontal layers, feature 

wisdom bearers in the spandrels. 

The jambs are based on a pot motif 

with niches on top with pointed frames, 

housing demonic beings usually called in 

a very general way daitya. At mid height 

medallions with niches are occupied by 

female deities playing musical instruments 

below a double roof molding and on 

top niches with beaded and pointed 

frames housing a variety of deities. This 

configuration allows 120 deities and 




architecture 

demons to be represented. Among these 

very few are easily identifiable: a pair of 

Surya on the eastern portal, Bhairava and 

unnamed demons dominating the southern 

portal, Hanuman on the western portal, 

Varahi and Kirtimukha on the northern 

portal. Bewildering is the use of a group 

of creatures with a human body, and 

multiple heads of a crow, a cock, peacock, 

a ram, and a lion (with horns), and that of a 

kneeling female deity holding a scale in the 

right hand. 

The pointed blocks above the threshold 

(bailahkva) are – as is usual for Shaiva 

temples – occupied by the Ashtabhairava 

in their capacity as guardians of the 

universe, the microcosm of which is 

represented by the temple. Corresponding 

to their specific location in oriented space 

we find the Ashtamatrika, the Eight Mother 

Goddesses in the quarter-round panels 

(dyahkva) of the wall brackets: starting 

with Brahmayani on her goose-mount on 

the right side of the eastern portal and 

ending with Mahalakshmi on her lion on 

the left side of the northern portal. Except 

Varahi, who appears against a mandorla 

and without attendants, all others are 

seated on their mounts. They are framed 

by attendants with namaskara gesture or 

presenting garlands. 

Unique and surprising is the group of eight 

four-handed male as well as female deities 

occupying the wall brackets. The top of 

these brackets is invariably occupied by 

foliage with up to nine leaves of branches, 

populated by birds and monkeys, the 

bottom is filled by the aquatic Makara 

creature, whose tail develops into three 

coils of foliage while the deities either 

stand cross legged in its wide opened 

jaws (Vishnu, Parvati), or on their mounts 

(Durga). The eastern portal is framed on 

both sides by female deities, probably 

representing Parvati, the southern portal 

displays Durga in her form as the crusher of 

the buffalo-demon (Mahishasuramardini). 

In her upper hands she wields sword and 

shield, her lower right hand aims the spear 

at the demon in human (right) and even 

in elephant form (left). The western portal 

presents on the right a rare representation 

of Vishnu in his Jalashayana form (“lying 

on water”). His head is protected by a fivefold 

snake hood, from his navel appears 



architecture 

right. The deity on the right has a rosary 

in her upper right hand, the palm of the 

raised left hand supports a bull in miniature 

form. Her lower right hand is raised in the 

mudra in which the middle finger touches 

the thumb, while her lower left hand holds 

the noose. Her earrings enclose a snake, 

the base of her crown includes skulls. On 

her right an ascetic appears offering fruits, 

while on her left is a devotee. 

Summary 

The documentation of the portal’s details 

represented something like a revelation 

to me and I have no explanation for my 

ignorance, not having paid attention 

earlier to this outstanding monument of 

the Newar architectural tradition. The 

carving at Gokarneshvara marks the peak 

of artistic achievement and the end of 

a period that presented figures with an 

outstanding volume. The faces of the Eight 

Mother Goddesses and the faces of the 

eight deities of the wall brackets are each 

crafted in such a way that they overcome 

prescriptions or clichés. Individual 

characters are created which transcend the 

general notion of “deity”. It is rather human 

beings with a prominently different facial 

features, whom the visitor encounters. 

a lotus, which supports the triple-headed 

Brahma. On the left side appears again Durga 

in her conventional form as the slayer of 

the buffalo: her right foot supported by her 

regular mount, a lion, her lower left hand 

wielding a vajra against the head of the 

demon, in this case represented in the form 

of a buffalo. The northern portal displays two 

forms of Maheshvari, on the left with damaru 

and trishul in the upper hands, the lower 

hands displaying the varada and abhaya 

gestures; her mount, the bull is seen to her 

Background 

In the context of my ongoing endeavour to 

document Newar architecture, details of the 

western portal of the Indreshvara temple 

in Panauti were presented by SPACES 

in November 2014. In the meantime, 

elevations of the portals of ten temples 

with an inner ambulatory have been made 

by Bijay Basukala at the scale 1:10. The 

photographs taken by Ashesh Rajvamsh 

are meant to illustrate the drawings the 

publication of which, are planned for fall 

2016 (Himal, Himalayan Traditions and 

Culture Series). The documentation was 

supported by the Gerda Henkel Foundation 

(Düsseldorf, Germany), a private, non-profit 

organization to promote research in the 

fields of history, archaeology and history of 

art. 


architecture 

Reconstruction 

TEXT: :................................ 

Ar. Chandani KC Photos : Ashesh Rajbansh 


architecture 

O 

ver the last few years, natural 

disasters have caused heavy 

losses and damages to human 

lives, physical facilities and have affected 

socio-economic conditions of different 

communities. The tsunami in India, hurricane 

in New Orleans, earthquake in Haiti and 

floods in Pakistan have completely disrupted 

the lives of people and caused damages to 

development of the country. The earthquake 

of April 25th and May 12th 2015 in Nepal 

caused tremendous damages to the buildings 

and rendered a staggering loss of lives in 39 

districts of Central and Western region of 

Nepal. According to the Government of Nepal, 

some 6,02,257 houses were destroyed and 

1,85,099 damaged. After more than a year 

of the earthquake, Nepal is still recovering 

from the disaster. Reconstruction process 

has been very slow and people are getting 

frustrated as their houses and heritage 

structures, which are part of their daily lives 

have still not been reconstructed. The 2015 

earthquakes also caused great devastation 

to the heritage structures. According to the 

Post Disaster Needs Assessment report, the 

earthquakes affected about 2,900 heritage 

structures with cultural and religious values. 

Major monuments in Kathmandu’s seven 

world heritage monument zones were severely 

damaged and many collapsed completely. 

UNESCO describes it as the greatest loss of 

heritage in the last century caused by a natural 

disaster. Kathmandu is now slowly reeling 

back from the loss of the structures that has 

greatly affected the rituals, practices and 

activities associated with it. 


architecture 

The 

priority in 

safeguarding the 

materials were wood 

rather than the 

bricks due to the 

craftsmanship 

involved. 

The major challenge immediately after the 

earthquake was to collect the materials from the 

collapsed structures and store it in a safe location. 

It was absolutely essential to retrieve the centuries 

old architectural remains and artefacts before it 

got stolen or destroyed. Bulldozers were used in 

Kathmandu Durbar Square, a world heritage site, to 

remove the debris which destroyed the materials 

that could have been salvaged. Army personnel 

were getting ready to use bulldozers in Patan as 

well, when the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust 

(KVPT), an organization with a mission to safeguard 

the extraordinary and threatened architectural 

heritage of the valley put a stop to the havoc 

caused by the bull dozers. Instead KVPT asked the 

community to help collect and store the materials. 

Initially, the materials were kept in Patan Museum, 

but later a temporary shelter was built inside the 

premises of the museum to store the materials. The 

priority in safeguarding the materials were wood 

rather than the bricks due to the craftsmanship 

involved. 

The active involvement of KVPT even before the 

earthquake and the relation they had with the 

community helped them complete the collection 

and sorting out of the materials even before the 

second major earthquake of May 12th, hit the 


architecture 

country. Community members from 

more than 25 toles came forward to help 

retrieve the most valuable artefacts. It was 

the vigilance of these community groups 

which helped save the artefacts. The 

most daunting task after the collection 

and storage was to identify, catalogue and 

assemble the pieces. This was like solving 

a jigsaw puzzle. It was difficult to sort out 

which pieces belonged to which temples 

and where each pieces were located in the 

structure. 

A visit to the temporary sheds where 

the materials are kept would help one 

understand the work that goes into 

reconstructing the structures. Rows of 

neatly arranged struts, columns, doors 

and windows line the walls of the shelter. 

Instead of creating an inventory of 

individual pieces, KVPT is first assembling 

the entire element, then documenting it 

which makes it easier to understand. After 

assembling each element of the structure, 

KVPT identifies the missing pieces which 

are then recreated by the artisans. The 

KVPT has now completed the inventory of 

the materials so they know which pieces 

should go where, when the temples are 

being reconstructed. . This was a long 

and tedious work that required patience 

and hard work. It was also necessary 

to understand the iconography and 

structural function of each element of the 

structure for reconstruction. 

Dr.Rohit Ranjitkar, a conservation 

architect, who is the country director of 

KVPT has been working relentlessly for 

decades to help conserve our heritage. 

Dr.Ranjitkar points out that the timing and 

the day of the earthquakes, fortunately, 

minimized the casualty, as in any other 

day there would have been scores of 

people sitting on the steps of the temples 

which would have increased the death 

toll. He also mentions that the biggest 

misconception after this earthquake has 

been that the traditional structures are 

weak and unsafe. However, there is no 

official data that shows the number of 

deaths caused by traditional brick and 

mud mortar structures and the modern 

concrete structures. He also mentions 

that the rescue efforts are easier in a 

brick and mud mortar building, rather 

than a concrete building and also the 

materials are mostly all reusable. The 

reason for most of the temples collapsing 

in all the three durbar square is the lack of 

maintenance and due to the work being 

done by people who have no knowledge 

about conservation. 

Complete restoration of the heritage 

structures will require the skills of 

local artisans, whose trade has been 

marginalised in Nepal in recent years. 

There is a dearth of local artisans 

including the woodcarvers. This has been 

the biggest challenge in the restoration 

of the heritage structures. There is the 

need to set up a school that can train 

craftsmen so that they can learn the craft 

and continue with the tradition. KVPT 

plans to reconstruct the structures with 

the salvaged materials as conservation is 

about reusing the materials and using the 

same technique rather than introducing 

a new one. The work of KVPT is 

commendable and everyone is optimistic 

that in a few years’ time we will see our 

temples and monuments restored to their 

previous glory. 


Personality 

Post-quake meeting with 

an architecture enthusiast 

Ar.Wolfgang Korn 

TEXT : Ar. Sushmita Ranjit 

Our meeting with Wolfgang Korn revolved 

around a discussion regarding the 

structure of the traditional architecture 

of the Kathmandu valley, that was badly hit 

and that survived the massive earthquake 

of 25 April 2015. The 7.8 magnitude 

earthquake brought down world heritage 

monuments like Kasthamandap, MajuDega, 

Dharara and JaiseDega to name a famous 

few, which collapsed within 60 seconds of 

the violent tremor that day. So, with lots of 

inquisitiveness and responsibility many of 

our questions were related to structural 

stability of traditional architecture of 

temples, rest house and palaces. 

Did our ancestors really think about the earthquake 

when they built these magnificent structures? Was the 

soil test done and foundation built accordingly? Did the 

high plinths of the temple absorb the shockwave of the 

earth’s movement? Are the wooden ties chukuls used 

for making the whole structure flexible to adjust with 

the seismic movements? Is the double layered brick 

wall (inside: sun-dried brick kachiappa, outside:fired 

–brick Chikanappa) design a possible weak structure 

unable to transfer load to the foundation? 

In 

response to all the questions raised, Ar.Korn, had 

only one thing to say: “We can’t avoid making 

mistakes if we intend to build a masterpiece”. 

He further reasoned that our ancestral team had 

built with much knowledge which was collected 

through a series of experiences. It was unaffordable 

to not make a mistake, so learning and focusing on 

details were acquired entirely from hands-on habitual 


Personality 

society. However, the only thing that our 

ancestors didn’t do, was to document the 

construction details, and hand them over 

properly to the future generations. It was 

only when these architectural beauties 

was opened to the world to admire, that it 

became an element of attraction for both 

entertaining and educational tourists. Many 

scholars have had the opportunity to study 

the architecture of the valley and publish 

articles and research papers. Ar.Korn was 

one of them in the 70’s, whose hobby was 

transformed into a comprehensive job 

to measure temples, palaces and private 

houses and document them in scaled 

line drawn sketches. His original work is 

being preserved and curated in Taragaon 

Museum Center for Arts and Culture at 

Jorpati. He has also recently shared the 

detailed drawings of Kasthamandapa and 

MajuDega at Maru with the Kathmandu 

Metropolitan City KMC, to help understand 

the existing (not standing now) architecture 

details for further study. His magnanimity 

deserves a notable gesture of recognition 

on the documentary text and unanimously 

in the heart of the Nepalese society. 

With a deep love for the architectural 

heritage of our valley, and after spending 

scores of ample time dedicated for 

measuring and understanding the structure, 

his opinion on the structural stability is 

something to delve into. He believes that 

chukul (wooden nails) are the most crucial 

part of the entire structural system of 

the traditional architecture. It is the main 

element that binds and puts every part in 

positions with much flexibility. He even 

adds a learning memory experience to the 

conservation work of Hanumandhoka in 

1973 AD, where large roof area of Nautalle 

Durbar was nailed (metal nails) together 

making a compact surface rather than 

giving it flexibility.Its result lies before our 

eyes today after the Gorkha earthquake. He 

reasoned that the roof structure should be 

built much lighter and flexible with proper 

interlocking techniques. Thick walls of 

temples and palaces should have proper 

sized braces at regular intervals to give 

proper bonding to the facing brickwork and 

the backing brickwork. 

Ar. Korn also believes that the temples that 

were completely destroyed on April 25, 

have unleashed the opportunity to study 

the physical attributes of its foundation like 

never before. This will not only shed light 

upon the unknown, but will be a source to 

build back better in the future. Therefore, 

this raises a serious question as to whether 

immediate rebuilding is dangerous. After 

the 1932 earthquake the Ranas rebuilt 

most of the buildings in a hurry. Their hasty 

restoration barred them from rethinking 

and improving before using the same 

materials and traditional construction 

principles to rebuild the palaces,which 

perhaps overlooked some of the crucial 

elements making them vulnerable 

structures in the event of earthquakes. 

With all these eminent challenges from 

the past, Ar.Korn highlights that rebuilding 

should be carried out with much care 

this time. There should be optimum time 

to study and analyse before we start to 

write another history. Cases like why did 

Majudega (built: 1692 AD, renovated: 1975 

AD) collapsed and Nayatapole (built: 1702 

AD, renovated: 1996 AD) didn’t should be 

understood. And why Krishna Mandir(built: 

1637 AD, renovated: 1993 AD) survived and 

BatsalaDurga Temple (built: 1672 AD) of 

Bhaktapur Durbar Square didn’t, even after 

renovation should be a topic to discuss in 

order to form a vision for future restoration. 

Perhaps this indicates that experienced 

minds and interested crew should embark 

together to carry out these restorations. 

It should not hold back from inviting new 

ideas, and should also be equally careful 

that it does not displace the essence 

of traditional architecture of the valley. 

This sensitive change should not divide 

the values, but blend perfectly with the 

centuries-old fabrics for many more 

decades to come. Most importantly, it is 

a fact that both skilled human resources 

and economical resources are valuable 

and also unaffordable if we do not 

improvise on the materials, techniques 

and their maintenance, equally. It would be 

unbearable to see our temples, palaces and 

houses come to ground again in the next 

imminent quake. 



architecture 

CENTRE FOR 

RESEARCH (CCCR) 

TEXT & Photos : J.K. Cements Ltd. 

YEAR OF COMMENCEMENT: MARCH 2011 

YEAR OF COMPLETION: 23 AUGUST 2013 

COST OF PROJECT (in INR): CIVIL WORKS = 10,15 CRORES 

iNTERIOR WORKS = 1 CRORES 

BUILT UP AREA: 

3330 SQ MT 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION 

The Centre for Climate Change Research 

(CCCR) is a new office, research and 

training building designed to house the 

latest facilities at the Indian Institute of 

Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pashan, 

Pune. It neighbours with the recently 

built High Performance Computer Centre 

(HPCC) building designed by the same 

architectural office and complements it 

by forming a pedestrian plaza in between 

the two and extending the architectural 

vocabulary of the former. Both buildings 

are a part of this government institution 

conceived to pioneer research on climate 

change. The older building houses the 

super-computers while the new building 

provides workspaces for research scholars, 

scientists, and faculty. The institute caters 

to the urgent need to build a critical mass 

of trained researchers to address science 

related issues of climate change and 

provides state-of-the-art facilities. It is 

therefore imperative that the architecture 

of their new buildings is in response to the 

challenges posed by climate change and 

depleting material resources. 

The newly built three storied CCCR building 

is conceived as a model of a minimum 

energy use climatically comfortable 

building with inbuilt mechanisms 

integrated with architectural and 

functional concerns. The need of the 

hour was to come up with a typology 

for a workplace that is a low carbon 

development with minimal impact on 

the surroundings. The addition of this 

building to the IITM campus completes 

a research cluster functionally and 

architecturally by forming a precinct 

within the large campus thereby 

providing isolation within the campus, 

intimacy within the complex, and identity 

to its users at the same time. 


architecture 

THE DRIVING INTENT 

BEHIND THE PROJECT 

LAY EMPHASIS ON THE 

NEED TO DESIGN FOR 

THE SITE AND CLIMATE 

CONTEXTUALIZED 

APPROACH. 

THE DESIGN, SYSTEMS 

AND OCCUPANT 

COMFORT STRATEGIES 

RESULTS IN A 

MORPHOLOGY THAT 

TALKS OF FORM AND 

SYSTEM INTEGRATION 

TO REDEFINE THE 

TYPOLOGY OF 

A SUSTAINABLE 

WORKSPACE. 

ACCESS AND CONNECTIVITY 

The formality in an institution is reconceptualized 

as the buildings don't have 

a front or rear and can be accessed from 

all four sides'". Multiple vehicular drop-off 

opportunities bring connectivity of pedestrian 

traversing links within the precinct. 

CAPTURING THE VISTAS 

The two building are juxtaposed and 

sculpted in a manner to capture views of 

the existing evergreen tree cover, the distant 

hills and the Wind Tower placed as an 

urban marker in the plaza. 

AXIS AND BALANCE 

The Wind Tower placed at one end 

of the climate plaza creates an axis 

further accentuated by the linear water 

body. The two buildings are staggered 

and positioned with an intent to create 

a spatial balance and rhythm within the 

precinct. 

LANDSCAPE 

The two buildings are envisaged to 

be connected by a bridge and an 

open air plaza (CLIMATE PLAZA) that 

seamlessly merges the indoor and 

outdoor spaces. Modification of micro 

climate achieved by reducing the surface of 

paved areas and the introduction of water 

bodies within the precinct which assists in 

minimising the heat island effect. 


• Both systems do not use coolants 

or any other chemicals or gases for 

cooling. They thus release no ozone or 

other harmful gases in the atmosphere. 

Both are clean and non- polluting 

systems. 

• Both systems are not energy intensive. 

Their total power consumption is one 

third of that of a conventional airarchitecture 

PUNE: LOCATION AND CLIMATE 

Pune, located in Maharashtra, stands 

on the leeward side of the Western 

Ghats at an altitude of 560 m. The place 

experiences moderate climate with 

three distinct seasons viz. Summer 

(March-May), Winter (Nov-Feb) and 

the Monsoons (June-Oct) with most 

rainfall between the months of June 

and July. The most significant aspect of 

the climate of Pune is the large diurnal 

variations in temperature for a majority 

of the year. 

DESIGN APPROACH 

The project capitalizes on the seasonality of 

the location. The building details evolved for 

climatic comfort get additionally refined in 

this building with the sky-window combining 

natural lighting & ventilation techniques. 

Orientation of the block, the multi-layered 

envelope of the longer facades, the deep 

offset windows, & the triple-height volumes 

work complementary to the active radiant 

cooling & ventilation system integrated into 

the building's structure. 

STRATEGIES FOR CLIMATE 

RESPONSIVE DESIGN 

• The building is designed on the 

principles of solar passive architecture. 

The principles of orientation, facade 

and window design, internal volumetric 

dispensation, buffer areas, and elements 

like overhangs, louvers, ventilators and 

skylights are engaged and synchronised 

to get a building with comfortable 

temperatures, diffused working natural 

light & cross ventilation in the occupied 

spaces. 

• The building has a natural cooling 

system comprising of a combination 

of radiant cooling system and an earth 

tunnel cool air ventilation system. 

The first system cools the mass of 

the building by embedding PEX pipes 

inside its floor slabs and circulating cool 

water through them. The system id also 

operated at night to take the advantage 

of the capacity of the concrete mass 

to store the cooling effect. The second 

system draws air through a wind tower 

and passes it through an earth pipe heat 

exchanger buried 4m below ground 

thereby cooling it. This air is further 

cooled by an air handling unit with water 

coils. A water tower supplies cool water 

to these coils as well as those of the 

first system embedded in the slabs. The 

cool air is distributed to all floors at the 

top levels. This cool air in combination 

with the already cooled RCC mass is 

expected to bring down ambient interior 

temperatures to less than 24 degrees 

Celsius even during summers (this 

was recently tested and verified for this 

building). 


architecture 

conditioning system. Both depend only 

on fans and pumps for their operation. 

• Both use building elements as an 

integral part of the system. Air is drawn 

through a wind tower into the RCC 

pipes embedded at 4 meters below the 

ground surface. This tower serves as 

an important element of architectural 

composition of the plaza space between 

the two buildings. Inside the building, 

this cool air is circulated above the 

corridor spaces thereby creating a low 

height circulation space between the 

triple height atrium and the full height 

offices. The RCC floor slabs carry the 

PEX pipes with water cooled by the 

cooling tower. This discourages any 

installation of false ceilings in the 

offices. 

• Natural cross ventilation through 

openable windows is encouraged when 

the NCS is not required. A ventilator 

integrated with the sky- window over the 

atrium creates a good draft throughout 

the interior volume of the office. 

• The longer facades of the building 

are three layered. The first is the deep 

overhang of the roof, the second 

comprises of floor height adjustable 

aluminium louvers and the third is of 

low sill clear glass windows. The floor 

height louvers on the longer facades 

add an element of dynamism to the 

building with their carefully worked out 

rhythmic pattern. Their operation as 

per the users' requirements to admit or 

cut-off light and wind actually gives a 

unique facade composition all the time 

(Note: Louvers are still to be installed. 

They are currently installed only on the 

neighbouring building). 

• The size of the building block is based 

on the natural light & ventilation 

requirements. The narrow long block 


architecture 

with an atrium along its length ensures 

natural light to all work spaces as 

well as creates a natural breeze draft 

throughout the building interiors. 

• The working spaces are grouped & 

protected from the exterior surface 

thereby reducing their heat gain. This 

also ensures that when the building is 

cooled by the cooling system, it remains 

so over a much extended period after 

the system shut- down. 

Special Features 

The layered envelope of the building 

minimising its heat gain, the spatial 

planning combining various volumes 

of interior spaces, the deep shading 

devices defining the long facades of the 

building, the natural draft created by the 

large openable windows, louvered cabin 

partitions and the roof ventilators make this 

an air- condition free, yet bio-climatically 

comfortable building. 

The building integrates a low energy 

consuming cooling and ventilation system 

within its structure. The building design 

follows the principles of solar passive 

architecture that ensure diffused natural 

light, adequate natural ventilation and 

comfortable temperatures inside the 

working spaces. But while doing this, 

the design does not ever compromise 

on its aesthetic integrity and sense. 

Without resorting to visual gimmickry, 

technological flamboyance or formal 

acrobatics, the building makes a simple 

and clean statement of restraint, clarity 

and a functional aesthetics. It won't be farfetched 

to say that this building articulates 

an appropriate contemporary expression 

to Pune's and the country's institutional 

architectural context. 

Materials and 

Construction Details 

The new building expresses itself in 

tandem with its older neighbor. It follows 

a similar grid and extends the earlier 

vocabulary in local grey Deccan trap 

creating compositions in various hues of 

grey and black. Form-finished concrete is 


architecture 

the most strikingly used material combined 

with grey Basalt aggregate plaster and 

contrasted with clear float glass with 

aluminium louvers. 230 mm fly-ash blocks 

are used for double layered masonry cavity 

walls. The interior is bathed in white to give 

a soft glow of natural reflected light from 

the sky-windows. Deep browns and beige 

add to the warmth of the workspaces. 

The building details evolved for climatic 

comfort get additionally refined in this 

building with the sky-window combining 

natural lighting and ventilation techniques. 

Orientation of the block, the multi-layered 

envelope of the longer facades, the deep 

offset windows, and the triple-height 

volumes work complementary to the 

active radiant cooling & ventilation system 

integrated into the building's structure. 


architecture 

TEN POINTS HIGHLIGHTING GREEN 

STATUS OF CCCR BUILDING 

1. The building is designed on the 

principles of solar passive architecture. 

The principles of orientation, facade 

and window design, internal volumetric 

dispensation, buffer areas, and elements 

like overhangs, louvers, ventilators and 

skylights are engaged and synchronised 

to get a building with comfortable 

temperatures, diffused working natural 

light and cross ventilation in the 

occupied spaces. Landscaping of plaza 

& surrounds would minimise heat island 

effect and provided shading. 

2. The building has a natural cooling 

system comprising of a combination 

of radiant cooling system and an earth 

tunnel cool air ventilation system. 

3. Both systems do not use coolants 

or any other chemicals or gases for 

cooling. They thus release no ozone or 

other harmful gases in the atmosphere. 

Both are clean, non- polluting systems. 

4. Both systems are not energy intensive. 

Their total power consumption is one 

third of that of a conventional airconditioning 

system. Both depend only 

on fans and pumps for their operation. It 

is envisaged that these can be power by 

on site hybrid system of solar PU & wind 

turbines. Thus making it zero demand 

on grid supply. 

5. Both use building elements as an 

integral part of the system. Air is drawn 

through a wind tower into the RCC 

pipes. This tower serves as an important 

element of architectural composition 

of the plaza space between the two 

buildings. Inside the building, this cool 

air is circulated from the corridor spaces 

thereby creating a low height circulation 


architecture 

space between the triple height atrium 

and the full height offices. The RCC 

floor slabs carry the PEX pipes with 

water cooled by the cooling tower. This 

discourages any installation of false 

ceilings in the offices. 

6. Natural ventilation through openable 

windows is encouraged and actually 

helps the installed system. A ventilator 

integrated with the sky- window over the 

atrium creates a good draft throughout 

the interior volume of the office. 

7. The long facades are three layered. 

The floor height louvers on the longer 

facades add an element of dynamism to 

the building with their carefully worked 

out rhythmic pattern. Their operation as 

per the users' requirements to admit or 

cut-off light and wind actually gives a 

unique facade composition all the time 

(Note: Louvers are still to be installed. 

They are currently installed only on the 

neighbouring building). 

8. The size of the building block is based 

on the natural light and ventilation 

requirements. The narrow long block with 

an atrium along its length ensures natural 

light to all work spaces as well as creates 

a natural breeze draft throughout the 

building interiors. 

9. The working spaces are grouped and 

protected from the exterior surface 

thereby reducing their heat gain. This also 

ensures that when the building is cooled 

by the cooling system, it remains so over 

a much extended period after the system 

shut- down. 

10. The building synchronises its spatial 

geometry, structural grid, functional 

space requirements, passive solar design 

elements and the inbuilt cooling and 

ventilation system into an inseparable whole 

without compromising on its aesthetic 

agenda, thereby creating satisfying 

experience to its user and patron. It is green 

in conception and not by applique. 



archAeology 

Dhalinkhwa 

& 

Dhalinkawa 

in Nepalese architecture 

TEXT & Photos : Shukrasagar 

The awnings of a structure need to rest on beams 

attached to the walls of the building. The beams are 

built into the walls and they jut out into the façade, 

forming a resting point for the roof. 

T 

he bare wooden ends of the beams 

jutting out of the wall, are likely to appear 

ugly. Therefore, the architects created 

a band of decorative motifs that could work as 

concealers. This band is called cornice in English 

and kaarnes in Nepali and Newari. This part is 

often decorated with bands of many designs. On 

them two main motifs are created. The ends of 

the beams are covered with the heads of different 

animals, demons, gnomes or even human 

figures. Those figurines are called dhalinkhvaa. 

Dhalinkhvaa literally means the face of a beam, 

in Newari. These decorations on the struts are an 

integral member of the cornice. But in the Newari 

artichecture, one end of all the beam protrudes 

through the wall.Decorative heads of different 

gods, goddesses, devils, demons, men, women, 

gnomes and animals are carved, in order to give 

life and religious meaning to the architectures. 


archAeology 

The repetitive depiction of these figures, 

gives uniformity to the art work and 

enhances the beauty of the particular 

portion of the building. 

The practice of decorating the exposed 

part of the beam or the portion that divides 

the stories is a universal practice. St. 

John's New College building in Oxford also 

has good examples of this practice. In 

Oxford, this portion is specially decorated 

with human heads, portraying different 

moods. The heads are sometimes 

repeated indefinitely with the same figure 

or sometimes represented by male and 

female heads. Animal heads like lions and 

griffins are also represented. 

The space left between two beams, if 

elongated, are arranged with the addition 

of false beams, and equal distance is 

maintained between the two beams ends 

in order to create a homogeneous size. The 

gaps in between become dark places, thus 

disturbing the semblance of the brickwork. 

Therefore the architects developed an 

idea to cover them to enhance the look. 

The idea was to cover the place with 

square-shaped pieces of wood carved 

with lovely patterns and scenes borrowed 

from different mythologies. This part of the 

structure is the most inconspicuous part 

of the Nepalese architecture. No one has 

so far, dealt with this subject. Mary Slusser, 

an imminent cultural historian of Nepal has 

touched upon the subject in her writings, 

describing it as conceal cornice. Since no 

other writers or historians have broached 

on the topic, I decided to research the 

topic. 

Every part of the structure should 

have its grounding in the architectural 

nomenclature. 

The Dhalinkawas is a part of space 

between two beams, seen horizontally in 

the facade. The space left is rectangular, 

its length being three times bigger than its 

breadth. Therefore the ancient architects 

created one more beam face by adding one 

extra false beam that could be seen from 

the outside. The cross sections of beams 

are often between 10x10 cms to 15x15 

cms long. Similarly the space left between 

two beam ends is also about the same size 

in diameter. In this way the look achieves 

a kind of homogeneity because of the 

dhalinkhvaas and the space left between 

them is distributed equally to fit nicely with 

the entire band of cornice that divides the 

floors. 

We should always pay attention to the 

perspective of its creators, while defining 

an object. What do the creators call them? 

I visited art workshops and artisans and 

asked them about its name and origin. 

Almost all the artisans named it as simply 

as astamangala pattern. No one to my 

knowledge, till date seems to be aware 

of the hundreds of designs that our 

ancestors created. This is not the art of 

one man, but the creation of generations 

of our forefathers. Therefore, it should 

have its roots in the native architectural 

nomenclature. This part should be called 

dhalinkava in the vernacular. Kawa means 

the space and Dhalin is for beam, khvaa is 

the face. Therefore dhalinkava is the space 

left by two dhalinkhwaas. Dhalinkawa and 

Dhalinkhwaa are the two main integral 

components of the cornice that divides the 

two stories of the temples or the houses 

of the affluent in the Kathmandu valley. 

Other members of the cornice remain only 

a pattern. 

The older the structures, the more 

intricate are the dhalinkavas. Some of the 

monuments that have interesting patterns 

are: 

# Ukubaha monastic complex has 

maximum of those designs still 

preserved in their original state of 

carving. There are more than 400 

different patterns and some monoscenic 

narratives from Jataka stories 

carved on them. 

# Sivaparvati temple of Svathatol has an 

eye catching pattern and another temple 

with equal standard of the carving is 

found in sulima pagoda the temple near 

Pimbahapukhu. 


archaeology 

# The fifty-five windows palace of 

Bhaktapur also has interesting 

scenes from what Prof. Purushottam 

Lochan describes as representation of 

Ragraaginis. But the quality is inferior to 

the standard of the above sites. 

# The Indresvara temple in Panauti is 

another temple that has the most 

ancient and master craft wood work 

in Nepal. The western façade of that 

temple has forty dhalinkavas bearing 

the figurines of independent gods and 

goddesses who are identical with their 

respective vahanas(riding vehicles). 

There should be many such monuments 

bearing master piece patterns carved into 

those conceal cornices. We should hunt 

for them, and collect them for the sake 

of research and preservation. The future 

generation of artists and architects should 

take up this project. Those patterns will 

immensely help designers in many fields 

to look them us reference and to borrow 

inspiration from. But one should not forget 

to credit our ancestors who created them. 


MAW 


interior 

Enhancing the Restaurant 

Experience with 

Colors 

TEXT: Kritika Rana 

As the famous aphorism goes, “We eat with our eyes”. This may be 

why the significance of color in the food industry is infinite. The color 

of the food, plate, napkin, walls, floor, furniture and even the menu can 

evoke diverse emotions, ultimately shaping our experience. Colors add 

a new dimension to our sensory stimulation, enhancing the sense of 

smell, and arousing our appetite, thus resulting in a tastier experience. 

Moreover, color can influence our entire outlook towards the surrounding, 

increasing our comfort level and degree of satisfaction. 

Designing a restaurant is designing an experience. We usually decide 

where we want to go for a meal, depending on the way we want to 

feel- excited or relaxed- while enjoying the meal. Color alters our visual 

perception, triggers emotional responses and ultimately influences our 

behavior. Architects and designers use color psychology to establish 

an evident brand personality of the restaurant as well as create an 

ambience with a design style that best projects its image, to attract the 

desired category of patrons. 

PERCEPTION OF SPACE 

Color can be used to change the perception 

of space in a restaurant to create a lesser 

or greater degree of intimacy. Cool and light 

colors such as blue and green recede from 

the eye and can be used to make a small 

space feel spacious and bright. 

Conversely, warm and dark colors such as 

red and orange advance towards the eye 

and can help make a large space not only 

feel smaller, but more cozy, sophisticated 

and personal. Moreover, warm colors instill 

elegance and can be used as highlights to 

draw attention. 

COLOR AND IMAGE 

Color can be used to portray a certain image 

of a restaurant such as bar, gourmet, family 

restaurant or fast food establishment. 

Bold colors such as red, orange and yellow 

are particularly appropriate for quickservice 

restaurants, coffee shops or for 

fast-food establishments. These vibrant 

colors encourage quick turnover as they 

convey urgency and induce excitement. The 

atmosphere itself reflects speed, inciting the 

patrons to order quickly and vacate the table 

for the next batch of customers. 

Muted and subtle colors are perfect for 

family restaurants as they create a restful 

atmosphere for the family to enjoy a laid-back 

multi-course meal. Soft pastel shades such 

as pink, purple and green create a tranquil 

effect and encourage lingering and even 

makes the patrons feel comfortable about 

spending money. Bars often use muted tones 

such as brown and beige to create a relaxed 

setting to unwind in. 

Color can also be used in restaurant design 

to evoke a theme, style or culture. Purple is 

the color of royalty, green represents nature, 

while red and gold could symbolize Chinese, 

while brown wooden tones suggest Nepalese 

influence or that of the Nordic culture. 


COLORS AND EMOTIONS 

1. HAPPINESS: 

Yellow portrays enthusiasm and 

youthfulness which helps in creating an 

uplifting atmosphere in a restaurant. The 

color is said to spread joy by releasing 

serotonin, a chemical in our brain that 

makes us feel good. Yellow, is the best 

choice for menus as it is said to increase 

analytical instinct, helping us think 

clearly and make decisions. 

Nanglo Express, New Road: Yellow can feel expansive 

and welcoming in small spaces which has worked 

perfectly in this petite restaurant. 

2. EXCITEMENT: 

Known as the most intense color, red instantly raises the 

energy level of the room and is perfect when you want to stir up 

excitement in rooms centered on enjoyment of food. It also brings 

on a feeling of hunger and makes people more inclined to spend 

money. Red has become the most effective and common color 

used in the food industry worldwide, from fast food chains to 

restaurants. To establish an upscale image, a combination of red, 

black and gold can be incorporated in the design. 

KFC, Durbarmarg: KFC, an international fast food chain 

uses red as the accent color in all of their outlets probably 

to stimulate hunger and provide a lively atmosphere. 

The Bakery Café, Teendhara: The Bakery Café features 

their original color scheme- orange tone in all of their 

outlets for a fine dining experience. 

3. ENTHUSIASM: 

Being an energetic color, orange evokes a feeling of enthusiasm 

and stimulates all senses. Orange can be used in a restaurant 

to create a warm comfortable ambience encouraging 

conversations as well as the appetite. The customers are 

inclined to spend more time and money in an orange themed 

restaurant as it also represents good value. 


4. COMFORT: 

An organic color, brown evokes a feeling of 

comfort and complements any color found 

in the nature like green or orange. The earthy 

hue conveys a feeling of warmth, honesty, and 

wholesomeness and increase the appetite as 

well. Brown is also often associated with the 

feeling of being sad or pensive which works 

well when used in a bar. 

Attic Bar, Tangal: A typical attic space of 

Nepalese Architecture is represented through 

a monochromatic color scheme where brown 

associates with its lighter cousin- cream and tan. An 

epitome of nature, the brown hue blends naturally 

with the tone of the wood and leather. 

5. SERENITY: 

Green is the most serene and restful color to the eye as it is associated with health and well-being. It is used liberally in 

a restaurant to represent fresh, healthy, vegetarian and nutritious food. Moreover, green is believed to relieve stress and 

help people relax to enjoy a laid back meal. 

6. SADNESS: 

Blue, a relaxing color is rarely used in a 

restaurants as it is known to suppress the 

appetite and reduce hunger. It is the most 

unappetizing color when it comes to food, 

maybe because we cannot associate blue 

with the color of food. However, blue can 

evoke a sense of thirst and sadness which 

is why it is best suited for the bar area. 

Reef Restaurant and Lounge Bar, Thamel: A thematic 

restaurant based on portraying a seashore, minimal 

blue hues on a white background bring on a feeling of 

thirst ideal for a lounge bar. 

DECIDING ON A COLOR SCHEME 

Every restaurant has a certain personality which is defined by the desired mood of the customers, the type of food to be served 

and the kind of customers who are most likely to visit, based on the services offered. Hence, deciding on a color scheme 

to design an atmosphere that best delivers this message is essential in getting the right response. Colors can influence the 

emotions of the restaurant patrons, design a setting where they can relax and enjoy a laid-back meal and even feel content. 

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


Light Color Scheme: Lighter 

shades of pink, blue, pale 

yellow, ivory, beige, white 

Light colors are perfect for 

upscale establishments to 

create a formal setting with 

a leisure and relaxed feel. 

With the use of these colors, 

the space itself appears vast 

always welcoming a number 

of customers. 

Warm Color Scheme: Red, Yellow, Orange, 

Red-violet, Brown 

These stimulating colors are ideal for 

a fine dining experience with a positive 

ambience to encourage the customers to 

have a laid back multicourse meal. 

Dark Color Scheme: Deep purple, 

brown, crimson, dark gray 

Dark colors are ideal for banquet 

halls, as they can be used to create 

an intimate setting to reduce the 

impersonal feeling of a large group 

dining. Moreover, these colors often 

make these vast halls feel cozier 

and less empty. 

Cool Color Scheme: Green, Blue, Purple 

Cool colors are subtle and tranquil, which can 

be used to design an inspiring and soothing 

atmosphere. 

Bright Color Scheme: 

Bright shades of red, yellow, 

orange, green 

Bright colors are perfect for 

fast food establishments 

that depend on high table 

turnover rates. These 

vibrant colors raise the 

heart rate, inciting the 

customers to order and 

leave quickly. 



ARTScape 

“Form is Emptiness-Emptiness is Form” 

His images of deities and spiritual figures are fragmented, placed in unusual contexts, 

or broken up into a swirling composition, acting as a metaphor for the feelings of 

displacement experienced by the Tibetan Diaspora. 

He has gradually moved away from the precise discipline of thangka paintings to 

deconstruct and explore the abstract possibilities of the associated imagery, where he still 

maintains the refined techniques and rich textures. 

Asha Dangol 

Tsherin Sherpa 

Born in Kathmandu, Tsherin Sherpa currently works and resides in California, United 

States. He was trained in the Tibetan thangka painting by his father, a master 

thangka painter as the age of 12. Sherpa is now regarded as one of the foremost 

contemporary Tibetan Nepali artists. 


From the Shelf 

Modern Architecture 

There should at least be an answer to the question: what is modern 

architecture? Well, anything that was built after the war, perhaps? In 

an initial version of this book, our survey began at around 1900, but it 

soon became apparent that no understanding of modern architecture is 

possible without taking into account late 18th and 19th century works. 

T 

he history of modernism begins, 

to cut a long story woefully 

short, with the emergence of the 

notion of an individual acting with sole 

responsibility. This happened against a 

background of the loss of the churches' 

cultural dominance, and a situation 

driven by the contradictions of a 

productive sphere geared towards profit. 

This radical change, often equated with 

the "revaluation of all values (Friedrich 

Nietzsche), finds its technical and 

social expression in the industrialization 

that drastically altered the lifestyles 

of humankind and, with the intensive 

development of urban areas, had a very 

direct impact on architecture. 

Industrialization also introduced 

the academic "master builder" to 

competition via the “engineer", a title 

generally used in post-revolutionary 

France to refer to an officer engaged 

in fortification and defense works. In 

Paris, the Ècole Poytechnique, came to 

the fore as a technical training institute, 

alongside the Ècoie des Beaux-Arts 

with Its rich heritage. “And at the same 

time, in the same country, the contrast 

between construction and architecture 

began to express itself consciously and 

soon in a fiercely personal manner," as 

art historian Alfred Gotthold Meyer put 

it. 

The engineer, by profession, considers 

just the functionality of materials and 

uses them, wherever possible, only in 

the absolutely necessary quantity and 

size, relying in particular on standardized 

calculations. This rational principle soon 

pervaded the building industry and even 

became compulsory for "architects". By 

contrast, not all engineers adhered to the 

purely functional and necessary, creating 

bold and even aesthetically innovative 

buildings that made a radical impact on 

the idea of what was humanly possible. 

Therefore, industrialization laid the 

foundations for a new architecture, 

’at a time when craftsmanship was 

metamorphosing into the industrial 

production process’ as Eugene- 

Emmanuel Viollet-le- Duc put it. And yet, 

edited by: Peter Gossel 

this transformation was by no means 

direct and deliberate. Many circuitous 

routes were taken towards modernism, 

which can still be said to be “a work in 

progress". Modernism is neither an epoch 

nor a tide of events that points a way 

forward from any particular historical 

point in time. Rather, it is on the one hand 

equated with technological progress and 

rationalization, but on the other, with the 

loss of traditional values and aesthetics. 

From this standpoint, modernism 

must be regarded as a never-finished 

project concerned with harmonizing 

enlightenment hopes for self- determined 

individuals with social and technological 

changes. 


This can be explained by the special role 

architecture plays in our lives, as, among 

all the arts - if we still categorize it like 

this, although perhaps not necessarily 

in the most serious sense - it certainly 

ranks among those that most influence 

people, yet in the subtlest manner. In fact, 

it is so much a part of the perception 

of our daily reality that the whole of our 

activity in perceived space is also activity 

in formed space: each person has an 

architecturally defined home. Even for 

those of us who, because they have no 

house, have to sleep under a bridge, every 

building is associated with the function of 

protection and warmth. As a living space, 

the city is defined by architecture. Even 

the countryside is structured by culturally 

typical settlements, representing 

residences and destinations according to 

which our world view is established. 

Architecture, therefore, doubtless has a 

special role, though many will question 

its character as art at all. From the 

moment of its handover, architecture is 

immediately and essentially measured 

on the grounds of its usability, it does not 

enjoy the same space for progressive 

development as other arts. This argument 

has led to some dispute over the quality 

of architecture as an art. For example, 

it is still reflected in the German word 

for architecture, "Baukunst’ (the art of 

building). Yet, when we observe the 

history of architecture, it becomes 

clear that no building has automatically 

developed purely from the application of 

functional and technical specifications. 

Rather, even in the case of what are 

known as the functionalists, basic 

assumptions of an aesthetic nature have 

crept into the creation of form. As in art 

too, self-referential expression by the 

architect as creator of a building must not 

necessarily be accepted without criticism. 

He is, after all, a creative person through 

whom spontaneous suppositions are 

translated into experience. 



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39 ATC Pvt. Ltd. 

336/21, Ganesh Man Singh Path-2, Teku Road 

Ph: 977-1-4262220 

info@atc.com.np 

02 Furniture Land Store Pvt. Ltd. 

Blue Star Complex 

Tripureshwor, Kathmandu 

Ph: 977-1-4224797 

sales@furnitureland.com.np 

www.furnitureland.com.np 

27 Skylight Pvt. Ltd. 

Naxal (Opp to Police HQ), Kathmandu 

Ph: 977-1-4423851 

info@skylight.com.np 

www.skylight.com.np 

29 Subisu Cablenet Pvt. Ltd. 

148 ThirbumSadak, Baluwatar 

Ph: 977-1-4429616 

info@subisu.net.np 

www.subisu.net.np 

11 Technical Associates Services Pvt. Ltd. 

Thapathali, Kathmandu 

Ph: 977-1-4219999 

sktulshyan@gmail.com 

www.tas.com.np 

72 Berger Jenson & Nicholson (Nepal) Pvt. Ltd. 

Berger House - 492, Tinkune, Kathmandu 

Ph: 977-1-4466038 

info@bergernepal.com 

www.bergernepal.com 

37 Worldlink Communication Pvt. Ltd. 

Jawalakhel, Lalitpur 

Ph: 977-1-5523050 

sales@wlink.com.np 

www.worldlink.com.np 

56 Asian Paints Nepal 

Balkumari, Lalitpur 

Ph: 977-1-5203045 

ccm@asianpaints.com.np 

www.asianpaintsnepal.com.np 

04 Nagarik - Nepal Republic Media Pvt. Ltd. 

JDA Complex, Bagh Durbar 

Ph: 977-1-4265100,4261808 

circulation@nagariknews.com 

50 Red Paper Designers 

Lampati-14 Kalanki, Kathmandu 

Ph: 9843376000 / 9813900416 

e-mail:idsushovit2015@gmail.com 

www.facebook.com/redpaperdesigners 

21 Pashupati Paints Pvt. Ltd. 

Maitighar, Kathmandu 

Ph: 977-1-4258209 

pashupatipaints@wlink.com.np 

70 Foto Hollywood 

Civil Bank Building, Kamladi 

Ph: 977-1-4169060 

www.fotohollywood.com.np 

63 Communication Corner Pvt. Ltd. 

(Ujyaalo 90 Network) 

Ujyaaloghar(Behind Central Zoo) 

Jawalakhel, Lalitpur 

Ph: 977-1-5000171 

info@unn.com.np 

www.unn.com.np 

58 ARC Design and Developer Pvt. Ltd. 

2 nd Floor, Tandukar House, 

Shankhamul Marg, New Baneshwor 

Kathmandu, Nepal 

Ph: 01-4781155, 9803887861 

E mail: arcdesigncorp@gmail.com 

www.arcdesigncorp.com 

57 Barahi Builders 

Bhatbhateni, Baluwatar 

Ph: 977-01-4421192 

E mail: sukalaltamang@gmail.com 

62 Apurva Nepal Group 

Teku(Opposite of Rastriya Banijya Bank) 

Ph: 977-01-4248537, 4261617 

E-mail: apurvanepal2004@gmail.com 

03 Fashion Furnishing 

Ratopool, Kathmandu 

Ph: 977-01-4420661, 4420647 

E-mail:fnfurnishing@gmail.com 

45 Woodmaster (India) Machines Pvt. Ltd. 

Street no. 7, Bachittar Nagar, Gill Road, 

Ludhiana - 141 006 (India) 

Tel: +91-161-5034422 Mob: +91-9815627422 

Nepal Contact: +977 9813602412 

E mail: info@woodmasterindia.com 

www.woodmasterindia.com 

51 Samar Engineers and Developers Pvt. Ltd. 

Minbhawan, Kathmandu 

Ph: 977-01-4106719, 4106721, 4106722 

E mail: 32sukc@gmail.com 

www.samarengineers.com 

05 Pastapur Italian Restaurant Pvt. Ltd. 

Ekantakuna, Lalitpur 

Ph: 9813449587, 5000641 

E mail: pianob@pastapur.com

SPACES June issue_3July16

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