SPACES Nepal SEPT 2017

Vol 13 No. 04 SEPTEMBER 2017

ART ARCHITECTURE INTERIOR

THE ECOCITY WORLD SUMMIT 2017: MELBOURNE

AUSTRALIA AND THE CONCEPT OF ECOCITY

The Fruition of Heritage

Karkhana Reclaiming

streets as public space

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Eternal Visions and Contemporary Forms

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Contents Volume 13 NO. 04 | SEPTEMBER

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22 ARCHITECTURE

36 ARCHITECTURE

62 ARCHITECTURE

Kaleidoscope: Heroes of Future 2017

Reclaiming streets as public space

The Ecocity World Summit 2017: Melbourne Australia and the concept

28 ARCHITECTURE

44 INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

50 INTERIOR

The Fruition of Heritage Karkhana 2017

El Museo Prado en Filipinas del

Manbhawan Project

54 INTERIOR

76 FROM THE SHELF

78 ARTSPACE

Geological impact of Color Combination2017

Art and Culture of Nepal

E-arts

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Dr Ram S Sangapure, Executive Director of Punjab National Bank and Someshwar Seth, CEO of Everest Bank handed over the items to Garidhari Sapkota, Executive Director of Temple Area Development Committee.

Everest Bank has provided its support to Mata Manakamana Temple. As part of its CSR activity, the bank provided incense stick stands and dust bins to the temple during a programme held at the temple premises.

Everest Bank Support for Manakamana Temple

Presently, the bank has a paid-up of Rs 2.75 billion. After the distribution of the bonus shares, the paid-up capital of the bank will reach Rs 4.67 billion. The bank said if it issues the 3:1 right shares, the paid-up capital of the bank will reach Rs 6.24 billion.

and floating 3:1 right shares of the paid-up capital maintained after distributing the bonus shares to its existing shareholders. Both the proposals are subjected to approval from the central bank the upcoming AGM of the bank. the winners. Julius, Senior Director of South Asian and JCC Countries of MoneyGram handed over the prizes to the winners with a promise of providing more services beyond the customer's expectation.

distributing the bonus shares and right shares. Moreover, the bank has also approved relocating its central ofce at Kamaladi, Kathmandu and providing authorisation to the board of directors to initiate merger or acquisition processes with other BFIs.

NEW BUSINESS AGE DECEMBER / 2016

prot and net interest income. Similarly, the operating prot of the bank increased to Rs 45.5 million in the rst quarter of the current FY, a three-fold increase compared to the same period The net prot of Nepal Gramin Bikash last year. Moreover, the loan extension Bank has increased by two folds during of the bank has increased by 21.31 the rst quarter of the current FY. percent to Rs 6.85 billion. However, the During the review period, the bank reserve fund of the bank has decreased earned a net prot of Rs 30 million. The 80.21 percent Rs 45.8,Tara million bank said the increase has been InsightbySpaces Privatetolimited Bhawan, 1st Floor (Near Prakash Pharmacy), Teku, Kathmandu, Nepal during the review period. attributed to the increase in operatingLandline: 01-4100235, 01-4100236 Mobile no.+977-9801900099, E-mail: marketing@insightspaces.com

Nepal Gramin Bikash Bank Net prot Increases Two Folds

The 10th annual general meeting (AGM) of Muktinath Bikash Bank has approved the proposal of distributing bonus shares at 34 percent to its shareholders.

The AGM also approved the proposal of distributing 50 percent right shares of the paid-up capital maintained after

Muktinath to Distribute 34% Bonus Shares

Money transfer company MoneyGram has distributed prizes to the winners of its scheme launched during the festive season. The company distributed 10 motorcycles, 10 refrigerators and 10 mobile phones to

Contributors

Volume 13 N 03 | AUGUST O.

CEO

Ashesh Rajbansh Editor-in-Chief

Ar. Sarosh Pradhan Director- Products and Materials

Ar. Pravita Shrestha

Contributing Art Editor

Shreesha Nankhwa

Kirti Kusum Joshi

Shweta Shakya

Rajina Shrestha

Madan Chitrakar Kasthamandap Art Studio Junior Editor

Shreya Amatya Sristi Pradhan Pratap Jung Khadka Advisor

Ar. Pawan Kumar Shrestha

Sangeeta Singh

Asha Dangol

Chhavi Vashist

Maureen Drdak

Subscription and Administrative Officer

Riki Shrestha

Contributing Editor

President - Society of Nepalese Architects Ar. Jinisha Jain (Delhi) Ar. Chetan Raj Shrestha (Sikkim) Barun Roy (Darjeeling Hills) Photographers

Pradip Ratna Tuladhar Intl. Correspondent

Bansri Panday Samir Dahal Intern

Soyana Nyachhon Director- Operation & Public Relation

Anu Rajbansh

SR. Business Development Officer

Debbie Rana Dangol Marketing Officer

Ruby Shrestha Legal Advisor

Yogendra Bhattarai Financial Advisor

Shreesha Nankhwa is an aspiring environmentalist with a penchant for writing. She is interested in sustainable living, alternative energy and creating a better future for the planet. Her works have been published in a number of magazines and publications in Nepal. She currently writes and edits blogs for IT companies while dreaming of trekking across the Himalayas.

Kirti K. Joshi received Ph.D. in urban and regional planning from Tohoku University, Japan in 2007, and has been a Fulbright postdoctoral scholar at Harvard University, USA, and a postdoctoral visiting scholar at University of Indonesia. Besides urban research, his other interests include psychology and philosophy.

Shweta Shakya is 4th year Architecture student in Khwopa Engineering College.

Travels, takes photographs and writes to keep her sanity.

Sangeeta Singh is an Associate Professor at the Department of Architecture and Urban planning at the Institute of Engineering and has been teaching there since almost 20 years. She holds a master’s degree in infrastructure planning from the University of Stuttgart, Germany and is currently undertaking PhD research at the department where she teaches. She is also a practicing engineer/ planner and has a keen interest in research. Her research interest includes urban ecological planning, sustainable development, eco cities, housing among others and she has published her research articles in national and internal journals.

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.

Chhavi Vashist is a Delhi- based Architect. She enjoys reading blogs & posts at blogger, WordPress, and some social networking sites too, which inspires her to write blogs. In past she had worked for a website: www.ebuild.in as an Interior Designing - content writer. She is also skilled in blogging, photography, travelling, event coordination, drafting, rendering, art & craft and model making.

Kiran Rajbhandary

Rajina Shrestha is currently working full time for Marketing and Operations at Threadpaints Store, a moderated online selling platform. She is a also co-founder at Women Leaders in Technology (WLiT) and Vice-President at Women LEAD. She is a freelance writer and asks too many questions.

Published by

Maureen Drdak is a graduate of the both the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She travels widely in pursuit of her visions. Her research has taken her to Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, India, Nepal and the Himalayas. She is the recipient of numerous honors, including the 2011-2012 U.S. Fulbright Senior Scholar Award for Nepal. Her work is found in numerous public, private, and university collections within the US and abroad.

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SEPTEMBER 2017 SPACES / 11

Editorial Karkhana is revolutionizing the education sector of Nepal as we know it, and the premises that houses the company is making a statement in the Kathmandu architectural and interior design scene as well. The building has a rich history, from being the residence of the Pudasaini family to the former International school. After the 2015 earthquake, the building needed urgent renovations, which has been carried out now in spectacular fashion.

Spaces features Karkhana and Galli Galli’s offices in Gyaneshwor, providing anecdotal accounts of the building’s history as well as the earthquake resistant retrofit and redesign process.

Art, architecture, and interior design competitions and conferences have always been a great way of promoting the field, and the past month has been full of very exciting events. Spaces believes that it is critical to report about the winners, sponsors and the operations of these events to spread awareness within the art community and beyond. Started as an attempt to provide a platform for fourth year architecture students to expand their theoretical knowledge base and utilize it in the practical field, the winning entries of the Kaleidoscope are much appreciated evidence of wonderful vision of the students. Shrawan Thakuri’s concept of Dasharath stadium could be next functional beauty that Nepalese will truly aspire.

As the author Kirati Kusum Joshi well reflected that ‘What connects, can also divide’ regarding the usage of roads as ‘we’ do. He amalgamated so many seen and unseen habits of reclaiming our streets that it simply incites us not just to think but act right away. What simply has been the practice since ages has grown into chaotic confusion of who or what exactly is the priority now. A spectacular piece, discussing the significance and history of the streets in Kathmandu also provides some wonderful ideas for our beloved city to be more eco-friendly.

Bringing vitality to the public space it inhibits, a delightfully new concept of travelling exhibition takes the museum experience into the public spaces providing more than a frame for the museum’s art prints, it brings a spatial and visual experience through a replication of architectural expressions in both form and program. The taste for interior décor and lighting is becoming a substance of style from designer as well as the owner. The everlasting color of stone has been of deep influence and inspiration since ages. Application of the natural stone in their varying color and contents in interior designing and architecture, the combinations makes us feel close to mother earth.

The universally celebrated mastery of Nepalese art on metal for their eternal beauty and spiritual relevance is eminent all over. The Newar master artisans are giving shape and life to the not so fortunate real substance of Nepalese heritage which suffered multitude of damages on 2015 earthquake. The technicality and sensory ability of these craftsmen is well cherished for ably restructuring the missing to bring back the esteem that was lost for a while. With innovative participation of these master visionaries, the legacy of Newar art is here to endure.

Wishing all readers and well wishes a peacefully joyous festive season,

Ashesh Rajbansh / CEO

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SEPTEMBER 2017 SPACES / 13

NEWS

PRASHANTA SCHOLARSHIP AWARD 2017 Prashanta Memorial Society was established with an aim to promote upcoming new young artists from the Fine Arts Colleges in the name of “Prashanta Scholarship Award”. It was initiated in the name of late artist Prashanta Shrestha in 2003.

Since then the Society is giving Scholarship Awards for three young artists from the Fine Arts Colleges in Kathmandu.

On the 4th August Friday, the Society felicitated the three recipients of this year’s Prashanta Scholarship Award at Nepal Art Council and the recipients are: Pradip Pal Saud (Lalit Kala Campus), Tshering Chhambel Sherpa (Sirjana College of Fine Arts) and Shushank Kalapremi Shrestha (KU Center for Fine Arts and Design). The program was inaugurated by Mrs. Greta Rana and the program was also featuring the paintings exhibition of late artist Prashanta Shrestha till 6th August 2017. n

DARLING MATTRESS Darling Mattress Co. Ltd. is a mattress manufacturer and wholesaler in Thailand, and a subsidiary of Darling Deluxe Group established in 1961. They produce quality mattresses such as pocket spring mattress, latex foam mattress and as well as mattresses for hospitality industry or hotels. The Sole Agent in Nepal for Darling Mattress is Fashion Furnishing Pvt. Ltd. located in Kathmandu. The company has been importing Darling Mattress to fulfill the needs of hospitality industry or hotels and also to consumers importing who emphasize on quality. Some of their customers in Nepal are Hyatt Regency, Hotel Ambassador, Soaltee Crowne Plaza, Hotel Radisson, Fishtail Lodge, Hotel Mount View, Temple Tree Inn etc.

Darling Mattress Co. Ltd. won the PRIME MINISTER’S (PM) EXPORT AWARD 2017 in Product Category: Hospitality, which is the prestigious award of Thailand given by the Ministry of Commerce, Royal Thai Government as the highest official tribute to the country’s foremost exporters. Even in Nepal Darling Mattress has succeed to create the market in Hospitality Industry as well as win the trust of general customers. n

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NEWS

MONSOON PRINTMAKING WORKSHOP 2017 Bindu Space for Artists has been organizing many art activities over the years providing artists an opportunity to work together. This Monsoon Printmaking workshop marks the sixth printmaking workshop organized by Bindu. The mission of this workshop was to develop and share the new techniques in printmaking, especially in etching and aquatint, for enhancing the local printmaking scene. Korean Printmaker Mr. Hyun Ju Kim had conducted the Monsoon Printmaking Workshop 2017 for six days (three days for etching process and 3 days for aquatint process). Each artist had created two works through those two processes.

The exhibition was inaugurated by eminent artist Mr. Birendra Pratap Singh. Twelve artists from multi-disciplinary

art background were selected to join the workshop which was held in Bindu’s premises. The participant artists had shown their own creation at Siddartha Art Gallery, Babarmahal,Kathmandu. The participating artists were Aman Maharjan, Anil Prajapati, Bijendra Shrestha, Bidyaman Tamang, Jenney Ghale, Pawan Sunuwar, Pramila Lama, Prithvi Shrestha, Ritu Thapa, Sarad Darshandhari, Saurganga Darshandhari and Subash Tamang. n

SEPTEMBER 2017 SPACES / 15

NEWS

7TH SAARC ARTIST CAMP 2017 SAARC Cultural Centre, which is based in Sri Lanka was established by the Governments and Heads of State of the SAARC Countries to promote cultural cooperation within the Region, to enhance cultural understanding and harmony amongst the people of South Asia and to share the distinct cultural identity of South Asia with the world.

The 7th SAARC Artists Camp was held from 28th to 31st July, 2017 at the Gokarna Forest Resort in Kathmandu, Nepal. The Camp was organized by The SAARC Cultural Center, Sri Lanka in collaboration with The Ministry of Culture, Tourism & Civil Aviation, Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.

There were 40 artists from 7 Member States participating in this camp

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Beauty of Nature”. For the first time traditional and folk arts were included in this event. Lok Chitrakar and Uday Charan Shrestha were participated from traditional art and SC Suman and Namrata Singh were participated from folk art.

including known artist from Nepal, namely: Lok Chitrakar, Udaya Charan Shrestha, Erina Tamrakar, SC Suman, Sunita Rana, Jasmine Rajbhandari, Jyoti Prakash BK, Namrata Singh, Anita Khanal Bhattarai and Subha Joshi. Participating artists had to create two paintings on the given themes “Sacred Sites” and “The

The SAARC Cultural Centre Artists Camp created space for artists from the Member States to gather together and put forward their creative expressions on canvass and share techniques and knowledge through the language of art. The atmosphere of interaction and friendship, cultural connectivity and cultural exchange during the Camp contributed towards establishing long lasting partnerships in art. The cache of being recognized within the region will increase as these paintings will be exhibited at various events. n

NEWS

SAMAAHIT

The second solo exhibition of Mr. Nabendra Limbu focuses more on the dissection of feelings that are pure abstract works created from 2004 till 2017. The artist has tried to strike a balance between subjective and objective values on to the canvas carrying a moral dimension, in that it can be seen to stand for virtues such as order, purity and simplicity.

Various artists have expressed the beauty of abstract art through spiritual and visual attributes, power, and psychoanalysis. But Limbu has given a different perspective to abstract, believing that the abstract connects a human being to the society as society itself is a combination of abstract things that makes a perfect whole. He focuses more on the dissection of feeling that a human face in day to day life.

His painting had similar pattern which reminded people of jigsaw puzzles and clothing designs, but on close observation the painting had different meaning to it. He says that the painting itself is a medium of how people feel while they observe it.

The curator of the exhibition Mr. Sujan Chitrakar says that Limbu's paintings are infused with the passion of the person himself with rough surfaces and jagged edges. He recalls that the artist would disappear for a long time and reappears eventually bringing stories of faraway lands on his new sketches.

The color combination appears prominent where harmony and blunt emotional forms expresses abstractionism. The use of white is a prominent attribute of his paintings.

When not applied as background, white comes mixed with background colors making the hue seem more pastel-like. With the help of white, the colors lose their original intensity to sit better with the complimentary hues that they are applied alongside.

Judging by his way of artistic approach, he is still exploring the theme ‘Relationship’ as he mentions “Everything in the world relates to one another. Just like how this exhibition has created a connection between you and me.” n

SEPTEMBER 2017 SPACES / 17

NEWS

FURNEX NEPAL 2017

F

urnex Nepal 2017 was organized by Nepal Furniture and Furnishing Association (NFFA) from 19th to 23rd August at Bhrikutimandap Exhibition Hall, in Kathmandu. Total 66 stalls (47 big and 19 small) showcased their latest furniture, home furnishings, appliances, wood works, floorings, carpets, and other designs to the eager customers. Honorable Minister of Commerce, Mr. Meen Bahadur Bishwakarma inaugurated the event in presence of special guests, Mr. Umesh Shrestha (Vice-President of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry), Mr. Rajesh Shrestha (President, Nepalese Chambers of Commerce), Mr. Surendra Kumar Sarda (President, Federation of Nepal Furniture and Furnishing Entrepreneurs Association) and Mr. Hem Raj Dhakal (BOD Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry). The opening ceremony also witnessed the launch of Souvenir, which celebrates the hard work of the jointly collaboration of SPACES magazine and NFFA. Heritage Carpet announced to donate goods worth Rs. 50,000 whereas Valley Furnishing announced to donate Rs. 51,000 for the flood victim during the opening ceremony of FURNEX Nepal 2017.

The title sponsor for the event was Gem Flooring and main sponsors were Heritage Flooring Carpet, Yeti Flooring and Shree MD Furniture.

Extra activities were held during the event such as blood donation program, checkup for diabetic patients, dental checkup and daily lucky draw from 18 / SPACES SEPTEMBER 2017

the visitors’ tickets. Blood donation program which was held in association with Lions Club of Kathmandu Central collected 87 pints of blood, similarly 350 diabetes patients were took the facility of diabetes checkup program.

Around hundred people took part in dental checkup which was organized

by Gem Flooring in its stall, who is the title sponsor of the event. The expo was visited by Honorable Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan Mr. Bidyasundar Shakya and Honorable Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan Ms. Hariprabha Khadgi Shrestha which made the exhibition even more attractive. They visited each and every stalls and made queries about the product which were displayed in the exhibition. Lucky winners from the visitors were selected from the tickets each day and the winners were awarded with the gift hampers which made the event more interesting.

All the funds collected from the sale of the tickets were donated to the flood victim in Terai. The closing ceremony was held on 25th August, 2017 at Anupam Foodland in

Battisputali, in presence of Honorable Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan Mr. Bidyasundar Shakya as a Chief Guest, Honorable Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan President of Federation of Nepal Furniture and Furnishing Entrepreneurs Association Mr. Surendra Kumar Sarada as Special Guests. Token of appreciation and Certificate of Participation were distributed at the event to all the exhibitors and supporters. Best three stalls during FURNEX Nepal 2017 were also awarded during the closing ceremony as Best Interior, Classic Mattress and Yeti Flooring ranked first, second and third respectively.

Gem Flooring was awarded for Most Crowded Stall whereas Pashupati Traders won Innovative Product award. FURNEX Nepal 2018 was also announced during the event.

FURNEX Nepal 2017 concluded successfully. It is yet another attempt

by NFFA to keep the furniture and furnishing trade in touch with each other and stay updated on the news and happenings. The five days event was filled with fanfare as eager customers from all walks of life came to absorb themselves in the newest materials while also getting a rare opportunity of mingling with the various exhibitors, all at the same venue. The exhibition was indeed a hot pot for the dealers to outdo each other and woo the customers as much as they could. This event was visited by around 50,000 visitors.

Despite of many challenges, NFFA is able to organize the only event related to furniture and furnishing in Nepal every year. n

SEPTEMBER 2017 SPACES / 19

NEWS

ART WITHOUT BORDERES The third edition of the painting exhibition Art without Borders was held at the Newa Chen Art Gallery in Patan from 12th -16th August, 2017, featuring works by aspiring artist such as Pramila Bajracharya, Nar Bahadur BK, Namrata Singh, Krishna Dangol, Sarita Dangol and Tanaka Akiko.

Since Buddha’s teaching and the value of selflessness seems to disappear in the modern era, the paintings at the exhibition worked as a medium to remind visitors about the principles of oneness. All paintings showcased at the exhibition were related to Buddhism and the teachings of Siddhartha Gautam in one way or other. The exhibition celebrated the core values of Buddhist philosophy.

“Art is a medium that allows us to surpass all limits, regulations and obligations and transcends eras. This exhibition evidently has shared a platform to commemorate

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the great teachings of Buddha,” said Ms. Astha Prabha Tuladhar, proprietor of Women for Women Nepal. The coordinator of Newa Chen Art Gallery, Sarita Dongol mentioned the exhibition also ensures cultural exchange through amalgamation of national as well as international artists. n

SEPTEMBER 2017 SPACES / 21

REVIEWS

Kaleidoscope Heroes of Future 2017 F

or the third year running, Asian Paints has successfully organized the Kaleidoscope “Heroes of Future� All Nepal Architecture Student Design Competition 2016-17. This competition began as an attempt to provide a platform for fourth year Architecture students to expand their theoretical knowledge base and utilize it in the practical field. Although, it first started on a college level at the Institute of Engineering Pulchowk Campus, it

soon spread to three different colleges before turning into a national level competition. Since 2014, students from different engineering colleges across Kathmandu valley have been competing to win the top prize.

This year, thirty four students participated in this competition with twenty nine of them making it into the submissions. The seven participating colleges were Institute of Engineering Pulchowk Campus,

Kathmandu Engineering College, Nepal Engineering College, ACME Engineering College, Himalaya Engineering College, Khwopa Engineering College and Kantipur International College. The participants from Institute of Engineering Pulchowk Campus, Kathmandu Engineering Campus and Nepal Engineering Campus were chosen based on a college level design competition, also organized by Asian Paints Nepal, and while the rest of the participants were nominated based on the criteria set by their college.

The competition this year was launched on Baiaskh 23rd at Sauraha, Chitwan where all the participants and college coordinators were briefed about the competition. The objective of the competition this year was to design the International Covered Hall at Dasarath Stadium in Tripureshwor.

Two architects from the National Sports council, Ar. Tillotama Bashyal and Er. Sabin Maharjan explained the criteria and requirements. They were given a little less than two month to perfect their designs and were asked to submit their designs by 11th of Asar.

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REVIEWS ALL NEPAL ASIAN PAINTS DESIGN COMPETITION 2017

5/5 CONCOURSE

PRIMARY MULTI-SPORTS COURT

SECONDARY MULTI-SPORTS COURT

SECTION AT A-A

B A

A

VIP/VVIP LOUNGE

B

CONCOURSE LOBBY

SECTION AT B-B

SOUTH ELEVATION The main facade of the complex is composed with different volumetric composition inorder to correspond the function it encloses and also to break the volumes.

WINNER

WEST ELEVATION The western facade is provided with less voids inorder to restrict the western glare into the arena.

NORTH FACADE Inorder to get maximum northern diffused light into the arena northern facade is provided with clerestory openings.

EAST FACADE Since the eastern part encloses the secondary court it is provided with large openings inorder to get optimum natural daylight.

A jury panel of five judges consisted of Ar. Suman Nanda Vaidya, Ar. Sarosh Pradhan, Ar. Sahidi Joshi, Ar. Tilottama Bashyal and Er. Arun Upadhyaya. Ar. Arun Dev Pant joined the existing 5 jurors as an external jury member in order to judge the top 15 designs presented by the students on 27th of Asar. The top 5 winners were selected by the jury panel on the same day.

The Awards ceremony for the competition was held on 24th of Shrawan at Hotel Yak and Yeti, where the students finally found out who won the top prizes this year. The Chief Guest for the ceremony was Rt. Hon’ble Vice president of Nepal Mr. Nanda Bahadur Pun. The other guests on the dais included Presidents of Nepal

Engineering Association, Er. Hare Ram Shrestha; Society of Nepalese Architects, Ar. Suman Nanda Vaidhya; Federation of Contractors Association of Nepal, Mr. Sarad Kumar Gauchan; Society of Consulting Architectural & Engineering Firms, Ar. Rajesh Thapa, Ar. Anil Sharma, Special Guest from Delhi and Mr. Budhaditya Mukherjee, Country Director of Asian Paints Nepal.

During the ceremony, Mr. Pun thanked Asian Paints Nepal for organizing this competition to encourage budding architects and fulfilling their social responsibility. He also reminded all the students, that as an architect, they must shoulder the burden for the prosperity of this country.

MR. SHRAWAN THAKURI My major design approach was to create a space that stands with its surrounding rather than standing out from it. The main point of departure for my whole design approach was to create an open public space that can be shared by the users of both the sports arena solving the problem of entrance at Dasarath Rangashala .Since the requirement was to build a covered hall that in houses two multi-sports court, the secondary axis was developed perpendicular to the datum line dividing the whole buildable area into two halves providing the space required.

The secondary axis is later developed as the main service spine catering both the courts and optimizing the whole buildable space at the same time.

Finally the time for reckoning came when the top five winners SEPTEMBER 2017 SPACES / 23

REVIEWS

1

st

runner up

ALL NEPAL ASIAN PAINTS DESIGN COMPETITION 2017

MS. SHRINKHALA KHATIWADA The design of this building is highly inspired by the works of Louis. I Kahn, Marina Tabassum, Tadao Ando and Charles Correa in terms of contextual design, play with light and shadow and transformation of simple geometric forms into extraordinary spaces.

The building is designed along the movement of the user, creating beautiful spaces around the visual axis. The play with light and shadow is repeated throughout the building with the use of slits, pergolas, punctures and lattice pattern covers. The building moves with the shadow and no single point looks the same when observed at different points in time. It creates a sort of dynamism to the otherwise geometric shapes

POLICE/MILITARY ZONE

COMMERCIAL ZONE

CONTEXT

The main site is located within the core commercial hub of the Kathmandu city, as a sports and recreational zone.

The site is surrended by the commercial zone on its south and north frontage, whereas its proximity to the Army areas on its north and east frontage creates its limitation to build a structure.

THE SITE

The main site is located within the DASARATH STADIUM, an international sports arena of Nepal.

The project is to redesign the Multisports Covered Hall, that is on the eastern part of the main stadium.

Present Multisports Covered Hall - interior

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ACCESS

ARCHITECTURAL CONTEXT

Since the site is located within the core commercial hub of the capital, it is easily accessible from different city cores.

The surroundings of the site is highly affected by the buildings that showcases the characteristics of modern architectural approach.

Present Multisports Covered Hall - exterior

REVIEWS

architecture of Kathmandu valley. “I tried to narrow it down to materiality, feeling of a space through light and shadow and use of local architectural elements like dhungedhaaras and wooden jali work, to create an overall character of experiencing the spaces”, she added.

were announced. The winner of Kaleidoscope “Heroes of Future” 2016-17 was Mr. Shrawan Thakuri from Kathmandu Engineering College. Mr. Thakuri was awarded with Rs. 70,000 cash prize. His design was inspired from one of the philosophies of Tadao Ando, a celebrated self-taught Japanese architect, who believed that architecture should be influenced by the context of the site and that both should exist as a single entity together in harmony. “Besides fulfilling all the given requirements of the project, I was more concerned in developing the project as a part of the whole Dasarath Rangashala Sports Complex. I wanted it to fit into the site like it was meant to be rather than developing it as segregated individual entities”, he explained.

The second runner up was Mr. Govinda Prasad Mainali from Institute of Engineering Pulchowk Campus winning a cash prize of Rs 30,000.

His design was inspired by the natural postures of a bird, to be more precise.

“The urges of the functionality of the design was fulfilled by the inspirational concept from the natural postures of the birds. The idea lies in the posture of the bird at its stationary position. The skeleton of the bird that allows its body to counter act the external stimulus was taken as the core idea to develop the structural grid of the building. To make the body stable, birds inclines its limbs towards shorter rear bone sides so that it counter balances the longer fore side of the body. This feature has been developed to create the structure of the building as well as technique that lets the northern diffused light inside the indoor hall. This gives us the powerful technique to achieve the spatial need of the building; structural need as well as add the value to the functionality”, he explained.

Ms. Shrinkhala Khatiwada of Institute of Engineering Pulchowk Campus was the first runner up and she won a cash prize of Rs. 40,000.“I’m a strong believer that architecture should represent its place, especially when it is a National level project”, she said.

Hence, it was only natural that her design incorporated the identity of the

Mr. Pradeep Maharjan of Kathmandu Engineering College and Mr. Rustam Lama of Nepal Engineering College took home consolation prizes worth Rs. 10,000 each. The award ceremony also included recognition to the students of B.E. 2068 Batch as Thesis Winners, Mr. Sanjeev Shrestha, Mr. Achyut Paudel, Mr. Jenish Maharjan,

2

nd

runner up

MR. GOVINDA PRASAD MAINALI Inspiration derived from the form of the natural entity: nature, the sole muse from the form of the natural posture of the avian counterparts. The functionality urges fulfilled by stationary position of the birds; the skeleton that allows to countermeasure the external stimuli was the core idea for the structural concept for the building form. The design successfully incorporates the powerful technique to fulfil the spatial need of the building along with the structural, adding core value to the functionality of the design approach.

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REVIEWS

Ms. Ashmita Sigdel and Mr. Satish Manandhar & Dibash Adhikari (tied up), with cash prize of Rs. 50,000.00 to each from Institute of Engineering Pulchowk Campus, Nepal Engineering College, ACME Engineering College, Himalaya Engineering College and Kathmandu Engineering College respectively.

The competition has been not only provided a platform for the students to showcase their abilities, it has also proven to be a learning opportunity.

Shrawan mentioned that it is the kind of competitions that teaches you the architecture demands and teamwork, whereas Shrinkhala learnt to be efficient with her time as she did the project alongside her final year thesis. For Govinda, this competition was not with others, rather it was with himself. For

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both Shrinkhala and Govinda, juggling their thesis and the competition was proved to be rather challenging.

The winners all had many memorable times during the competition. Shrawan fondly remembered his visit to Asian Paints Nepal factory in Hetauda and as well going for safari in Chitwan. For Shrinkala, the most striking memory was of the harsh comments she received

from the juror, which only motivated her to work harder. Govinda remembered the disappointment of being denied more time to work on his thesis so that he could focus on the competition for the time being. The top three designs and their respective designers will be in consultation with the sports council for revisions and implementation of the design they created for the covered hall at Dasarath Stadium. n

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ARCHITECTURE

The Fruition of Heritage

Karkhana

photos : Pradid Ratna Tuladhar and Karkhana

THE BUILDING NOW HOSTS SEVERAL OFFICES AND AN EVENT SPACE. THE EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION HUB KARKHANA AND CIVIL TECHNOLOGY NONPROFIT GALLIGALLI SHARE THE BOTTOM TWO FLOORS. THE THIRD FLOOR HOSTS MATHI KO HALL, AN EVENT SPACE AND GALLERY THAT CAN HOST UP TO 150 PEOPLE FOR CONFERENCES AND TALK PROGRAMS.

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ARCHITECTURE

SOME GUIDING PHILOSOPHIES • Embrace the flaws: Three generations of the family have left their mark on the house by doing additions and modifications. The siblings and their architect made a design choice to show and celebrate these ‘flaws’ rather than try to hide them. This led to the decision to strip and expose all the bricks and the wood.

• Build a personal tribute to the earthquake: The April 2015 quake

was and will remain a big part of the psyche of a generation of Nepalis, including the Pudasaini family. One design decision was to accentuate all the retrofitting elements as a tribute to this powerful event. The tie-beams around the window sills were turned into molding and the corner stitching was made to protrude in a repeating stripe pattern.

• Make it a functional modern

space: Though the preference was to not impact old material when possible there was also a strong design commitment to making a functional modern space. Thus, incisions in the walls and floors, to embed electronic and internet writes, were approved. Similarly, the small older windows were upcycled to create the 6 x 10 feet south facing windows in the 3rd floor gallery space.

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ARCHITECTURE

“HAVING BUILT A FEW HOUSES IN MY LIFETIME I KNEW WHAT A BIG CHALLENGE IT WOULD BE TO REPAIR AND RETROFIT AN OLD HOUSE. WE HAD ALL THE USUAL TROUBLES - WITH CONTRACTORS, WITH TIME DELAYS, WITH COST OVERRUNS - AND ALSO ONE UNUSUAL TROUBLE WITH THE BORDER BLOCKADE MAKING EVERYTHING HARDER. STILL THE PROCESS OF WORKING WITH MY CHILDREN, OUR ARCHITECT MIKU AND THE ENGINEER TIWARI JI WAS NEW AND INTERESTING FOR ME. THEIR RESEARCH PROCESS, WHICH INVOLVED LOOKING AT HOUSES AND BUILDINGS RANGING FROM EUROPE TO JAPAN FOR INSPIRATION AND ALSO USING DIGITAL MODELS TO VISUALIZE NEW IDEAS, WAS NEW FOR ME AND THUS INTERESTING TO BE A PART OF. I AM HAPPY AT THE FINAL RESULTS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE HOUSE YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE IT RESPECTS OUR TRADITIONAL STYLES AS YOU SEE IN TEMPLES AND HOMES, BUT ALSO THAT IS SOMETHING NEW AND MODERN AT THE SAME TIME.” - SOM PUDASAINI: THE FATHER, WHO GUIDED THE PROJECT AND FINANCED IT.

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ARCHITECTURE

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ARCHITECTURE

“SO MANY OF THE FONDEST MEMORIES OF MY LIFE ARE ATTACHED TO THIS HOUSE. I WAS BORN AND GREW UP HERE. EACH OF MY 7 SISTERS WERE MARRIED IN THE COURTYARD OF THIS HOUSE AND SO MANY OF MY NEPHEWS HAD THEIR BARTAMAN THERE. FOR ME IT IS NOT JUST PERSONAL BUT ALSO A PROFESSIONAL ATTACHMENT. INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, WHICH I STARTED WITH MY SISTERS, WAS IN THIS HOUSE FOR DECADES AND I SPENT MOST OF MY CAREER TEACHING YOUNG CHILDREN TO READ AND LEARN HERE. I WAS SAD TO SEE THE COLORS, CEILINGS AND OTHER DESIGNS THAT I GREW UP WITH BEING CHANGED. BUT I AM ALSO HAPPY THAT MY CHILDREN HAVE GIVEN THIS HOUSE A NEW LIFE. I UNDERSTAND THAT WITH ME THE HOUSE HAS A HISTORY BUT WITH THEM IT ALSO HAS A FUTURE.” - PRAFULLA PUDASAINI: THE MOTHER, WHO WAS BORN IN THE HOUSE AND RAN A SCHOOL THERE FOR 46 YEARS.

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ARCHITECTURE

“OUR HERITAGE AND CULTURAL INHERITANCE IS A PLATFORM ON WHICH WE SHOULD BUILD. THIS POINT-OF-VIEW DEFINITELY GUIDED OUR COMMITMENT TO THIS RESTORATION PROJECT. BUT WE WERE ALSO CLEAR THAT THE PAST SHOULD NOT BE A PRISON THAT CONSTRAINS US. WE WERE NOT INTERESTED IN BUILDING A MUSEUM TO THE WAY OUR GRANDFATHER DID THINGS. WE HAVE BETTER MATERIALS, NEW AESTHETICS AND DIFFERENT FUNCTIONAL NEEDS TODAY. WE WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HISTORY OF THIS BUILDING WHILE HAVING IT MAKE SENSE FOR YOUNG NEPALIS, WHO HAVE 21ST CENTURY ASPIRATIONS AND TASTES, TO USE AS AN OFFICE SPACE. IT IS APPROPRIATE TO SAY THAT OUR DESIRE WAS NOT PRESERVATION BUT REBIRTH.” - SAKAR & SURABHI PUDASAINI: THE BROTHER SISTER TEAM THAT SUPERVISED AND LED THE RETROFIT.

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MIKU DIXIT, ARCHITECT After the 2015 earthquake left parts of this mid-century former schoolhouse unsafe, the third story had to be demolished. This project combines a proposal for a new upper level and rear “annex� space, with a renovation to interiors of the floors below, it also had a specific approach to both interior and exterior. For the exterior facade, we wanted to preserve the proportions of the original elevation while stripping away plaster, exposing brickwork, and making south-facing windows as large as possible. The interior renovation of the lower floors followed a similar approach, where plaster that was used to cover the brickwork was stripped away and seismic retrofitting was expressed both inside and out.

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All evidence of seismic reinforcements including steel dowels, molding around the mesh reinforcement of portals, injection grouting, post-tensioning and the addition of steel wide-flange beams were all expressed as yet only another addition to generations of alterations to the original structure.

A clear spanning hall was created at the top floor using steelwork and the spanning capabilities of the truss create an open interior space with narrow skylights and a combination of plaster and exposed brickwork finishes. The use of modern materials was used for the annex structure which was hidden away behind the hall. Lightweight steel and translucent polycarbonate was used to create a well-lit and ventilated space.

BASU BABU TIWARI, CONSULTING ENGINEER After doing multiple visits to the project site to assess seismic damage a retrofit plan was developed. Some key components of the plan were: • Corner Strengthening with Helifix: From the exterior, 16 mm reinforced bars were inserted in a 20 mm diameter hole, diagonally created with rotary drill, at 2’ c/ c spacing. With the bar in place, the hole filled with polymer non-shrink mortar and both ends plugged with high strength mortar.

• Junction Strengthening: From the interior, a 12 mm diameter bar was inserted at every 2’ spacing in a L-Shape. To accommodate the bar one course of brick was removed each side of the wall, bars inserted and gap filled with micro concrete.

• Bands: At three levels - Lintel, around Jambs and at the Sill - bands were run around the entire perimeter. A 250 mm width MS mesh fabric of 2 mm diameter and having a mesh size of 25 mm from both faces of wall around opening was run around sill and lintel level wherever possible. A 40 mm thick application of micro concrete across the mesh was cured for 7 days.

• Soil Cement Grouts: For existing walls and cracks, a soil cement grout was injected at low pressure (.1 to .025 MPa). After using an initial injection of water to clean the insides and improve cohesion, the grouting mix (cement water 1:1) was added. n

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URBAN PLANNING

W

hat connects, can also divide; and roads probably exemplify this the best. Many streets in the old neighborhoods of Kathmandu Valley, where locals used to socialize or children used to play, have changed to become roads that divide neighborhoods like a knife cutting a cake into pieces. The two sides of the road are no longer the same single neighborhood that locals have known for generations. Roads have partitioned communities with vehicles dominating every possible inch of the space.

Our cities have been losing open spaces. Public lands have been encroached – even by public authorities at times.

Buildings and shopping malls are dominating the urban landscape in every imaginable way, creating their own traffic and putting pressure on government to make space for more vehicles by building roads or widening streets. And unlike in old days, roads are not public space any more – they are “exclusive” space for vehicles, whether moving or parked.

Pedestrians have been reduced to secondary users of roads – a minority vulnerable to the verbal abuse from motorists.

STREETS AS PUBLIC SPACE Old streets and pathways in the Valley served many functions besides the obvious use of walking. Streets acted as an extension of residential space where locals could socialize, children could play, elders could sunbathe or farmers could sun-dry grains. Houses were built without compound walls – a rarity these days – and streets formed part of the built environment linking houses with temples, bahabahi (Buddhist monastries), chowk (courtyards), paati (resthouse), dhwakha (town gates), ponds, and dhunge dhara (stone spouts). The place belonged to everyone, and everyone belonged to the place.

Streets also connected communities by providing space for or rather by taking part in jatra (festivals), ritual processions, and other socio-cultural and religious functions. Each of these functions would have historically defined routes and thereby streets or pathways.

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URBAN PLANNING

Reclaiming

TEXT : Kirti Kusum Joshi Photos : Naresh Shrestha

streets as public space SEPTEMBER 2017 SPACES / 37

URBAN PLANNING

For instance, in the ancient town of Sankhu where only five out of the original eight dhwakha exists, there are specific routes to welcome new brides, marry off daughters, perform ritual processions during Vajrayogini festival, and separately, during Shalinadi festival and even to take out funeral procession. Likewise, Rato Machindranath jatra in Lalitpur, Seto Machindranath jatra and Indra jatra in Kathmandu and Biska jatra in Bhaktapur, among others are wellknown festivals of the Valley where streets bring people together.

Besides religious or cultural uses, streets are also places where trades occur in formal or informal way. Shops that line up along either side of a street are there for obvious reasons.

Even today people, locals or not, enjoy walking and shopping along the streets of old neighborhoods although passing vehicles can spoil the pleasure at any time.

THE HEGEMONY OF VEHICLES During transport strikes when roads have no vehicles, people are seen enjoying the roads in every possible way. Children and youth are seen playing or cycling. Adults are seen enjoying chitchatting with old acquaintances who are also walking on the road after a long time. Strikes are of course, not a legit way to tackle vehicular dominance on roads but they do provide the pleasure of winning back the roads.

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URBAN PLANNING

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URBAN PLANNING

When roads are designed and constructed explicitly for vehicles, such as in the case of highways or some urban roads, vehicles are a priority by default because no one is supposed to walk along an expressway. But when a pedestrian street is turned into a caroverfriendly road, to whom should it first belong – to people who walk or to them who drive?

Many developing countries, particularly in Europe, are known for good public transportation system including pedestrianization, and it is not uncommon to see high-ranking officials or politicians walking, using

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public transportation or even cycling.

In contrast, our bureaucrats and politicos prefer to bask in the glory of gaadi suwidha.

Walking is vehemently discouraged in our cities, to say the least. Pedestrians are seen as lesser beings. Walking has become a serious “urban crime” for which punishment could sometimes be as severe as “death by accident”.

In cities, people are busy. Communication (with fellow citizens) may not be a priority but commuting (to jobs in particular) is important. Private cars have become a “necessity” now, and

in case one forgets just how necessary car, auto dealers and bankers are there to remind with offers of budget-friendly cars and budget-friendlier auto loans.

Moreover, cars are seen as a “savior” – they protect from dust and air pollution, enhance social status, and save from the humiliation of travelling in a crowded, stinky public bus with a foul-mouthed conductor.

If we keep on adding vehicles and building more roads or destroying more streets for them, where would we arrive?

URBAN PLANNING

RECLAIMING STREETS The street networks in the old settlements of our cities were built for navigation on foot. In the course of time, some streets were widened and some not, but they somehow became “motorable” roads. Two-wheelers first laid claims on the roads, followed next by four-wheelers, and then by vehicles of any size technically possible. The sharp turns and numerous junctions and paths that crisscross these streets were not meant to facilitate vehicular traffic – not even two-wheelers. As a result, these streets are often always choked with vehicles. The vehicular abuse of streets has continued but it is time to correct the mistakes.

In many countries, particularly in Europe, cities are transforming car-friendly areas into car-claimed, pedestrian-friendly zones. Barcelona is transforming nearly 60 percent of streets currently used by cars into public spaces. Paris is also slashing the number of lanes on major

axes and redesigning seven major squares to reduce vehicle lanes and parking. Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project is legendary in urban planning circles: the city replaced a major highway with smaller roads and green infrastructure without deteriorating traffic situation in the city.

If the city planners of Barcelona, Paris or Seoul have done the “unthinkable” and yet emerged victorious, what is holding us back?

Past efforts to pedestrianize old neighborhoods in Kathmandu have met with little success. The benefits of pedestrianization might not have been clear to the skeptics. Studies on pedestrianization and traffic-calming schemes in Germany and United Kingdom over years have shown that shops inside pedestrian areas benefit more than those outside, and parts of the increased turnover is transferred

to landowners (or locals). Likewise, a recent study by EMBARQ on the pedestrianization of Istanbul’s historic peninsula has found that locals were largely happy with the results that included decreased noise levels and improved air quality.

Studies around the world show that on an average, cars are parked 95 percent of the time or more which implies that most of the time, cars just occupy scarce urban space. Land is a scarce resource, and should not be wasted on roads and vehicles at the expense of better use of land. It is not enough to build pedestrianfriendly roads but to build more compact, walkable neighborhoods that require less commuting and have more public space.

Humans first learn to walk, then run and then to drive. This is how the priority for using urban space should be set. n

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ARCHITECTURE

EL MUSEO PRADO

en FILIPINAS del Correspondence : Samir Dahal

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ARCHITECTURE

El

Museo del Prado en Filipinas Travelling Exhibition takes the museum experience of one of the most important national museums of Spain into the public spaces of the Philippines. More than a frame for the museum’s art prints, it brings to the country a spatial experience of El Museo del Prado through an implied formation of its arches and vaults – walking through the series of the travelling exhibit modules is an

interpretation of wandering through the vaulted galleries of El Museo del Prado. Moreover, as it provides shade and visual interest through its sail-like canopies positively reminiscent of familiar umbrellas, it appeals to the sensibilities of the Filipino people. It is elegant yet approachable; fresh yet familiar. It brings the institution closer to the public.

The concept of this travelling exhibit takes the basic elements of a museum

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ARCHITECTURE

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ARCHITECTURE

and creates a module adaptive to the streetscape. Through a modular design that is both visually and functionally derivative of the El Museo Del Prado, the project achieves its goal of giving the public access to the museum’s rich collection of art. The basis of the design comes from simplifying the museum experience into 3 parts (the art itself, the structure that houses the art, and ample viewing areas for visitors). From there, a module resembling El Museo Del Prado’s form and function in a micro scale is created.

The modules, which follow the form of an arch, combine to form a visual representation of El Museo del Prado through its defining vaults and arcade. This brings the spatial and visual experience of El Museo del Prado through a replication of architectural expressions in both form and program.

Since it is a travelling exhibit that must adapt to various site conditions and parameters, the modules offer flexibility through the variations of layouts these modules can SEPTEMBER 2017 SPACES / 47

ARCHITECTURE be arranged in. By using its visual character and its ability to portray various architectural forms, it brings vitality to the public space it inhibits.

The modules can also be configured to define functional spaces, such as courtyards, event grounds, or community centers. Designed to be placed outdoors, it is provided with equipment necessary to withstand the elements and function even during nighttime augmenting its ability to integrate itself into the streetscapes.

Translucent canopy roofing, energy saving lighting fixtures, and added stability all help in resisting the natural elements. Ease of transport and storage is also addressed in the design as the modules can be dismantled in sections.

Urban lifestyles are made richer by bringing our institutions to the people, making culture part of our everyday lives, and engaing more with the public. El Museo del Prado en Filipinas Travelling Exhibit disseminates the museum experience to the streetlevel community. It makes prized art accessible to the general public. n

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ARCHITECTURE

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INTERIOR

Animated Interiors

A RESIDENCE AT MANBHAWAN

TEXT : Shweta Shakya photos: Pradip Ratna Tuladhar

T

he interior design picture in Nepal has drastically changed over the past few years with development of understanding the experience of a building. The image of our dream house has changed synchronously. This house at Manbhawan is an embodiment of a modern day dream house which portrays the fullness of its inhabitant’s personality and philosophy.

Rashmi Chitrakar, Absolute Interiors, understood the narrative weaves of owner’s needs. Taking a minimalistic approach with a tinge of tradition, a design process was initiated that suits the needs and lifestyle of the family. The vibrant social life of the homeowners unfolds a capacious and free flowing living area. Tailored living rooms were split into formal and more informal spaces emphasizing a spatial journey by a progression of the floor surface selection like marble, parquet to soft carpeting. The ceiling design commands every space balancing with the furniture and the textures. Working with a reduced palette of materials and colors has been the part of the process of creating timeless design while embracing the subtleness of the family.

Lighting is detailed to heighten the experience of the spaces.

Recessed lights have not been used but the reflected light of the chandeliers gives it a floating effect. All the possibilities were taken into account including chandeliers, LED lighting, spot lights, pendant lamps, and sconces have been used smartly balancing between ambiance and function.

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INTERIOR

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INTERIOR

The sequence of kitchen, dining and living room is maintained tunefully. In the contrary to the contemporary open kitchen concept, enclosed kitchen was embraced in the context of Nepal since our food habits demand tempering of spices (tadka) which can be peculiar. A breakfast table is placed beside the preparation table while the adjacent elaborate dining room is used only for dinner as it is the only time when all the family members

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INTERIOR

are together after a day’s toil. Etched glass partition door and a pair of curio shelves separate the dining area from the living rooms maintaining the balance between openness and enclosure when needed.

The spiral staircase emphasized by the textured tile cladding as the backdrop and a magnificent, cascading chandelier enhances as a focal point. A big painting of white horses galloping with rising sun in the background has a greater significance

in Vaastu as they represent the success and power while intensifying good luck and energy in the home.

It is believed that there are scientific reasons of orienting certain rooms and positioning certain objects that can make a greater impact in the lives of the occupants. The basement can be accessed through the entry foyer.

It consists of a gym, a lavish home theatre cum bar and a playroom which can be transformed into a dining area during gatherings with relatives and friends.

The designer takes her cues from the traditional wooden dalins used on the ceilings of traditional Newari homes. This concept is recurring in all the bedrooms except for the son’s bedroom which has a modern wavy design on the ceiling that represents his swaying nature. The master bedroom with a color scheme of red and white highlights the bedroom with its boldness and vigor. The headboard is elaborated and velvet-textured, adding softness in the room, visually and physically. The walk-through wardrobe leads to en suite bathroom where there are two sinks for the husband and wife.

This was personalized because of the clients’ morning rush to their offices.

The house is the outcome of an honest and open communication between the client and the designer. Fortunately, the taste and philosophy of the two concurred in terms of design. It is evident in the meticulous and plentiful detailing. The overall design is a quiet and unfussy but nevertheless, adds some drama while also making sense of the changes that have occurred in modern day lifestyles.

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INTERIOR

GEOLOGICAL IMPACT OF

Color Combination TEXT : Ar. CHHAVI VASHIST

‘GEOLOGY’ IS ANCIENT GREEK WORD, WHERE ‘GEO’ MEANS “EARTH” AND ‘LOGY’ MEANS “STUDY OF DISCOURSE”. THIS BRANCH OF SCIENCE DEALS WITH THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE AND SUBSTANCE OF THE EARTH, AND THEIR HISTORY. HERE, WE WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING NATURAL STONE, SOIL COLOR, THEIR CONTENTS, PROPERTIES, APPLICATION OF THE ABOVE SAID IN INTERIOR DESIGNING AND ARCHITECTURE. THE NATURAL OCCURRING COLOR COMBINATIONS OF THESE BUILDING MATERIALS GIVE THEM A UNIQUE IDENTITY, WHICH MAKES THE END USER FEEL CLOSE TO MOTHER EARTH. 54 / SPACES SEPTEMBER 2017

INTERIOR

Majority of us are familiar with the three main classifications of rocks which are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Stone occupies its own importance in interior designing and architecture. This gift of nature is used by designers in designing elegant facades, floorings, paving, stone cladding, kitchen slabs, landscaping etc. Besides this technical information, color combinations can also be enjoyed in form of corals, gems, and contour in hilly and valley areas.

IGNEOUS ROCKS Igneous rocks are formed when magma that is the molten rock deep within the earth cools and hardens with due course of time. Sometimes, the magma cools inside the earth or the lava erupts onto the surface from volcanoes, when lava cools very quickly, no crystals are form and the rock looks shiny and glasslike. But, if gas bubbles are trapped in the rock during the cooling process, it leaves tiny holes and spaces in the rock.

Examples of this rock type include basalt, granite and obsidian.

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS Sedimentary rocks are formed from particles of sand, shells, pebbles, and other fragments of material. Together, all these particles are called sediments.

Gradually, the sediment accumulates in layers and over a long period of time hardens into a rock. Generally, sedimentary rock is fairly soft and may break apart or crumble easily. You can often see sand, pebbles, or stones in the rock and it are usually the only type that contains fossils. Examples of this rock type include conglomerate and limestone.

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INTERIOR

METAMORPHIC ROCKS Metamorphic rocks are formed under the surface of the earth from the metamorphosis (change) that occurs due to intense heat and pressure (squeezing). The rocks that result from these processes often have ribbon like layers and may have shiny crystals, formed by minerals growing slowly over time, on their surface. Examples of this rock type include gneiss and marble.

SOIL AND ITS COMPOSITION Soil can exhibit a wide range of colors; gray, black, white, red, brown, yellow and sometimes green too.

This distribution and development of color is a result of chemical and biological weathering. Redox reaction plays an important role here. The color concentration, mottled patterns etc. Is produced from environmental conditions and weathering effects which results in gradual uniform color changes. Moreover the presence of water also affects soil color by affecting

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the oxidation rate. Yellow or red soil indicated the presence of oxidized ferric iron oxides. Dark brown or black color soils indicate that the soil has high organic matter content. Manganese oxide causes a black color, glauconite makes the soil look green, and calcite makes the soil appear white.

MARBLE Prized for its classic elegance, marble flooring has been around since ancient times. It’s instantly recognizable for its soft grain patterns and creamy colors that range from white to red, green, and black. It’s often polished to a high sheen that shows off its subtle beauty. Polished marble is slippery when wet and isn’t the best choice for kitchens and baths. Honed marble has more surface texture and is a good alternative, but doesn’t have the dynamic color of polished marble.

Marble is one of nature’s softer rocks and prone to scratching and staining, so professional sealing after installation is recommended.

INTERIOR

When it comes for home improvement most of us prefer the stone which require less maintenance and easy cleaning.

Galaxy black granite stone is another option. As per present market situation, there is high demand for granite stones as it is used for all kinds of constructing purpose both for exterior and interior designing and decorations, granite stones are an apt choice. Readily available tiles and pre-processed slabs can be purchased at affordable rate. Out of the varieties of natural colors and designs, you can make a choice which attracts you utmost. By choosing absolute black granite tiles, you can have sophisticated flooring for your kitchen, living rooms, and bathrooms and even for entire space. This type of floor treatment are available in black, crystal white, blue pearl, golden garnet, tropical brown and many more colors.

By opting for the primary compositions of this kind of tile are potassium, quartz, mica and feldspar. It can be used both for houses and commercial buildings. As constructing a house or commercial space is meant for years to go, the stones used for flooring must be durable. In modern days, such durable flooring chosen by most of the people is absolute black granite tiles.

Makrana marble or white marble is mined in the town of Makrana in Rajasthan, India. It is popular and considered best in world because of its smooth and pure white milky appearance. Basically its a calcite stone, Makrana Marble is durable and becomes more shinier with time and usage. doongri marble is used in carving sculpture and building décor, his is mostly used in divine rooms, and decorating walls, windows, jali, pillars, idols, floors etc. in pooja rooms or holy spaces.

GRANITE Granite is an igneous rock formed under extreme pressure, making it one of the hardest flooring materials. It’s virtually impervious to staining and scratching. It comes in many colors and is found throughout the country — local varieties of granite flooring may be less expensive due to lower shipping costs.

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TRAVERTINE Travertine is a sedimentary rock and is one of the softer varieties of stone flooring.

That means over time, travertine will develop a soft, mellow patina. It comes in a wide range of shades and hues, from light cream to dark rust. Polished travertine resembles marble; tumbled travertine is characterized by pits, holes, and rounded edges that give it an antique look. Travertine flooring is porous and reacts quickly to acidic substances, so even spilled orange juice may cause a stain. Regular application of a stone sealer helps protect travertine flooring. Here, in t his image traditional Kitchen Style with Wooden Cabinets and Neutral wall Colors with Travertine Flooring is designed.

SLATE Slate is a metamorphic rock that was formed in layers, so it easily splits into thin sheets that are cut into tiles. Slate floor tiles can be left with their naturally rough surfaces or honed smooth. The rougher surfaces offer good traction for entryways, balconies, sunrooms, compound walls,

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bathrooms, patios and kitchens. Color-wise, slate tends toward blends of dark green, gray and brown. Slate comes in various densities. The denser the slate, the less likely it is to chip or flake in a process called “spalling.” A bit of spalling is common in un-honed slate. Slate is mostly found in the Western Hemisphere. It is used for both decorative and utilitarian purposes. Slate comes in a wide range of colors that are determined by the minerals found within the stone. The minerals it contains determine the color of slate. Red slate is caused by hematite, green by chlorite, blue-gray by sericite, black by carbonaceous materials and yellowish-brown by limonite. Some types of slate are also mottled, streaked or spotted because of its mineral content.

The cleavage surface of slate may have either a shiny or dull luster. Slate is an opaque material that does not transmit any light. Cross fractures are typically dull. Denser slates cost more. Here, a wall cladding of black slate is designed with a uniform, symmetrical and rough look.

LIMESTONE Limestone is a bit harder and over time will stand up better to everyday use. It has striking grain patterns that, when cut into long, narrow tiles, resemble wood planks. It’s a porous stone and should be protected with a quality stone sealer to prevent stains. Here, bedroom wall is designed with limestone.

INTERIOR

SAPPHIRE BLUE GRANITE Sapphire Blue Granite, English Brown granite, Brown Sapphire Granite, Sapphire Brown granite, Sapphire Blue Granite are other names of the blue sapphire stone. Sapphire Blue granite is an extremely hard igneous stone. Sapphire Blue granite is one of the known building materials and well finished granite, manufactured with fine texture to give a unique looks. It has been used for many years in both interior and exterior applications.

Sapphire Blue granite is durable, weather resistant and beautiful. One of the hardest of stones, Sapphire Blue granite is excellent for stone cladding, curtain walls, water features, counter tops, furniture, elevator panels and wherever a long lasting, naturally beautiful stone is needed.

FEROZA TURKISH STONE His stone is more used in astrology but certainly can be used as a decorative element in interior designing and furniture. For example, a glass table top can be paired up with feroza turkish stone to add elegancy and natural feel to the space.

FOSSIL MARBLE The distinctive marble is characterized by the clearly evident presence of the fossilized prehistoric marine life forms of orthoceras and ammonites, which lived between the Silurian, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods (65 and 435 million years ago), and are visible throughout the marble. As the orthoceras and ammonites died, their shells accumulated in great numbers on the sea floor, where they were aligned by currents, buried by sediments, and transformed over the ages into stone by various physical and chemical processes. Fossil Marble exits in five hues -- Kajal Fossil (black), Bordeaux Fossil (red), Chocolat Fossil (dark brown), Sijilmassa Fossil (brown), and Hezhra Small Fossil

(medium gray). Within each color, the figures of orthoceras appear as rocket or spaceship-like, elongated cylindrical shapes. Ammonites can be identified by their rounded, nautilus-shaped, spiral-esque forms. The animals have been preserved in their entirety and can be seen throughout the marble.

The beauty of life has literally been suspended in time, proving a oneof-a-kind visual adventure. Physical and mechanical properties of Fossil Marble make it a premium selection for interior and exterior design, building, remodeling and renovation project.

The natural stone have here own charm and bring everlasting aesthetic look to the spaces. It is expensive but durable too. n

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ARCHITECTURE

THE ECOCITY WORLD SUMMIT 2017: MELBOURNE

AUSTRALIA AND THE CONCEPT OF ECOCITY

TEXT : Sangeeta Singh

The ecocity world summit 2017 which took place in Melbourne, Australia from 11-14 July 2017, provided Ms. Sangeeta Singh, associate professor at the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Institute of Engineering, a unique platform not only in presenting a paper on the “Challenges and opportunities in urban ecological planning in the context of Nepal” but also in understanding the world views on building sustainable cities.The Economist’s annual global liveability survey has declared Melbourne as the most liveable city in the world for the seventh year running.

During the three days of the summit it was an overwhelming and a difficult task to choose from the 300 sessions from the three tracks on Urban Leadership, Academic Research, and City Practices which was participated by more than 900 delegates from 30 countries.

Although all the plenary sessions were interesting, the one that garnered a lot of attention was the plenary session where Al Gore was the keynote speaker. Discussing the dimensions of sustainable cities with Richard Register during the summit was indeed a totally enriching experience.

Eco city as a concept for planning cities is seen to have been popularized by Richard Register with the establishment of non- profit organization Urban

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Ecology in 1975 and Eco city Builders in 1992 which urged discussions on ecological aspects in urban planning and also with the publication of a book Eco-city Berkeley (1987), the journal “urban ecologist” and later some other books on the subject matter. Register envisions rebuilding cities “in balance with nature”, and he stresses on “as we build, so shall we live”. He further raises concern on the impact of “peak oil” situation where practically everything from transportation, indoor climate, food, clothing, shelter depends on oil.

“Given the crisis state of life systems on earth, the collapse of whole habitats and the increasing rates of extinction of species, it follows that cities need to be radically reshaped; they need to be reorganized and rebuilt upon ecological principles. “When we build the automobile sprawl infrastructure, we create a radically different social and ecological reality than if we build closely knit communities for pedestrians” .

Richard Register has been tracking many of the dilemmas cities face and has written extensively on the ecocity building approach. Register’s organization the Urban ecology (later Eco city Builders) have organized eleven world eco city summits across the globe which has been effective in advocating the eco city principles, formulating the policies frameworks and standards and identifying the elements of eco city. The summit started in 1990 Berkeley, USA and

have ever since been held in various countries: 1992 Adelaide, Australia, 1996 Yoff, Senegal, 2000 Curitiba, Brazil, 2002 Shenzhen, China, 2006 Bangalore, India, 2008 San francisco, USA, 2009 Istanbul, Turkey, 2011 Montreal, Canada, 2013 Nantes, France; 2015 Abu Dhabi, UAE; 2017 Melbourne, Australia.

Human settlements from the ancient times in history have emerged as a response of mankind to fulfilling its basic requirements and adapting to nature and its diversity. Starting from the Paleolithic (stone age) ages human beings have gradually advanced changing not only the surrounding in which they provided themselves with shelter and comfort but also in the livelihood and consumption patterns using the great potential of the human mind which differentiated them from the other species on earth.

With the industrial development and technological advancement creating unlimited possibilities there has been a further shift in the livelihood and consumption pattern leading to societies largely depending on mechanized systems. In the process there has been a rapidly accelerating gap between the nature and man, and more and more exploitation of natural resources. The air and water pollution is increasing, waste assimilation is becoming more and more complex and burden some with the consumption pattern becoming more and more sophisticated and advanced.

With the increasing population, the land is increasingly being occupied by the human species, expanding in all directions of the globe, driving all the other species to extinction in the process of exploiting the forests and agricultural land and disturbing the other natural ecosystems of the earth creating increasing number of urban ecosystems instead.

With increasing globalization through improved technology, the impact of development on ecological systems have shifted from local to regional to global level threatening the survival of human beings. With growing realization of this increasing impact on a global scale there has been yet another

ARCHITECTURE paradigm shift in the recent years, in planning sustainable settlements and various approaches like the eco city, low carbon city, green city, smart city have been gaining global significance.

It is obvious that urbanization cannot be curbed and cities are bound to grow in numbers and sizes. How we plan our cities and how we manage our urban ecosystems in relation to other natural ecosystems of the world will largely determine the survival or extinction of the human species.

During 19th century, the city planning principles have been guided by abundant use of nonrenewable energy (fossil fuel) combined with new technologies leading to improvement in the quality of life. Access to clean water, centralized sewage treatment, vehicular oriented streets promoting higher and higher speed, increased comfort levels with lighting and heating technologies and increased consumerism, and improved communication technology have been achieved as the society made speedy progress to modernism. The societies became developed leading to the so called developed nations and the developing nations aspiring to become developed nations. However the 19th century models of city planning have in retrospect been very unsustainable models, with over exploitation of natural resources and this realization have brought forward the paradigm shifts in the planning principles in the twentieth and the twenty first centuries focusing more on sustainability issues.

“Sustainable development” has become the new paradigm in global efforts towards economic development since the Brundtland commission published a report “our common future” in 1987 which defined it as “development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

The United Nations conference on human development in 1972 leading to the Stockholm declaration on human environment was the first major international gathering that

discussed on sustainability issues on a global scale. Since then there has been a number of efforts on a global scale focusing on sustainability and climate change and there has been more concerns on considering the ecological approaches in human settlement planning.

The Melbourne Principles for Sustainable Cities is one of the product of the United Nations Environmental Programme International Workshop on Building Urban Ecosystems held in Melbourne in 2002 which were adopted at the Local Government Session of the Earth Summit 2002 in Johannesburg, and known as Local Action 21 or the Johannesburg Call. The vision promoted by the ten Melbourne Principles is to create environmentally healthy, vibrant and sustainable cities where people respect one another and nature, to the benefit of all. Resolution on Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the General Assembly on 25th September, 2015 includes 17 goals which has included all the key elements of sustainable development including fostering inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable human settlements (goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities).

Since the earth summit sustainable development has gained recognition and been adopted by many prominent international organizations like the world bank, monetary fund, world trade organisation including the private sectors. The private sector has adopted it in the form of corporate social responsibility and several voluntary initiatives have been directed towards sustainable development including World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Global Compact, Equator Principles, Global Reporting Initiatives, and Extractive Transparency Initiative including international NGOs like WWF, Oxfam International and Friends of Earth.

Since Register several others have propagated the concept of Eco city, David Engwicht being one of them who published Towards an Eco-City (1992), (later as Reclaiming our cites

and towns, 1993) in which he talks about how building more roads, shopping malls, gutting communities and increasing dense traffic, the city planners and engineers have greatly reduced effective human interaction.

A city is “an invention for maximising exchange and minimising travel”. He advocates ‘eco-cities’ where people can move via foot, bicycles and mass transit and interact freely without fear of traffic and toxins . The five principles of an eco city according to Prof.

Sudarshan Raj Tiwari are a) green city, b) wet city, c) cool city, d) disposability and e) living with other beings.

“Greening a city is about maintaining harmony with nature and its air, water and land cycles while at the same time using materials and methods that respect and work with nature. The other indicators of a green city are cool and processes that keep things moist, cool and green are natural ways to deal with present urban state which is dry, hot and grey. Thus humans can live in harmony with other life forms.”

Several new paradigms in city planning have been propagated in achieving sustainable development on a global scale all of which having similar objectives such as eco cities, sustainable cities, healthy cities, safer cities, cities without slums, smart cities, energy conscious cities, clean cities, and green cities, healthy communities, appropriate technology, community economic development, social ecology, the green movement, bioregionalism, native world views, low carbon city, zero carbon city, zero energy city, zero net energy city green capitalism, slim city, compact city, solar city etc.

With commitments on global agenda on sustainability like the SDG goals, Habitat III agenda etc. the government of Nepal has shown a keen interest in the issues of sustainable development which is commendable. In the recent years planning initiatives in the context of Nepal is also seen to be guided to some extent by the principles of sustainability and concepts like food green cities and smart cities have been propagated. However there is a need to formulate proper guidelines as to how these concepts are implemented in the years to come. n

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ART

Eternal Visions and Contemporary Forms NEWAR REPOUSSÉ INSPIRES A NEW MATERIAL SYNTHESIS sufficient to deter contemporary artists from consideration of the potential of these practices for applications in their own work by their own hand.

And though commissioning traditional artisans is always a possibility, here considerations of cost act as a deterrent. To the extent this is true, it is also lamentable, as the living soul of any culture can most immediately and viscerally be experienced through its unique cultural approach and interpretation of material culture.

TEXT & photos : Maureen Drdak

T

oday the traditional material arts of Nepal are universally celebrated for their beauty, technical mastery, and spiritual relevance. This is especially true following the wake of the 2015 earthquake when surviving Newar master artisans were recognized as indispensable for the rebuilding and repair of Nepal’s temples and related art, and re-established their critical importance as custodians of Nepal’s patrimony. Today these master artisans share the spaces of cultural production and with a dynamic Nepali contemporary arts 64 / SPACES SEPTEMBER 2017

scene, one which freely references both East and Western paradigms and concerns. Yet, in my experience, this conversation concerns itself primarily with issues of concept, social relevance and politically informed criticism, often overlooking the protean potential for contemporary application inherent in the material aspects of traditional practices, and how deeper study of these techniques might benefit the contemporary artist.

Warranted, the technical disciplines of these traditional arts present the demands of long apprenticeships— the maddening dedication alone is

Among these endangered art practices of Nepal, Newar repoussé metalwork (thwojya-majya) deservedly holds a special place. Repoussé, as it is called in the West, is the art of producing three dimensional form from sheet metal through the use of anvils, hammers and chisels. No less than Nepal arts scholar Dr. Mary Slusser describes Newar repoussé as an “art of the cognoscenti,” i alluding to the uniquely challenging and formidable aspects of this material practice. Existence of the global practice of repoussé dates from the third millennium B.C.—in Nepal evidence of the earliest work is generally dated from the 11th century.

Repoussé experienced periodic bursts of flowering in the West, but is rarely practiced today. Though its tools and techniques are disarmingly simple, one is quickly apprised of the level of skill and talent required to raise the Beautiful Form. The unfortunate evidence of the elite technical demands of repoussé is today’s ever-dwindling numbers of practitioners—of even middling stature.

The sole remaining epicenter of its contemporary practice lies within the city of Patan in Nepal’s Katmandu Valley, and its most celebrated practitioners are undeniably the grandsons of Nepal’s historic master, the Newar Kuber Singh Shakya of Okubahal in Patan.

ART

When in 2005 I first beheld the opulent forms of repoussé that grace the high architecture of the Valley, they immediately evoked associations with painting, an impression that remains with me today; the passing of the light over their sumptuous surfaces reveals opulent patinas, highlighting the golden tissues of what was once heavy fire-gilding. It was this sensorial illusion, together with my astonishment at the transformative ferocity of modernity on Nepal’s culture and environment, which led to my envisioned synthesis of repoussé and contemporary painting and The Prakriti Project, my 2011-2012 Fulbright work in Nepal. Realizing I would need to apprentice myself to a master, my subsequent research inexorably led me to the home of Rudra Raj Shakya and his three sons, Raj Kumar, Rabindra and Rajendra.

To connoisseurs of Newar metalwork, the family of Rudra Raj Shakya of Okubahal needs little introduction.

Yet at the time of my first visit to Rabindra’s atelier in 2009, it was my curious experience that a significant number within Nepal’s cultural community were still largely unaware of the historic significance and venerable legacy of this family—and its protean capabilities. Today the family’s eminence and reputation precedes it, amplified as it is by their recent achievement of their repoussé colossus of the Buddhist saint Padmasambhava in Bhutan.

Spearheaded by Raj Kumar Shakya, who designed and directed its creation, this achievement arguably rivals that of the American Statue of Liberty. Following the completion of this project in 2014, two new larger ateliers have been added to the

original family atelier in Imodol, which is now operated by Rabindra as Image Atelier; they are the On Metal Atelier, operated by Raj Kumar, and Creative Atelier, operated by Rajendra. The three Shakya brothers maintain a growing international clientele, and though each atelier has its specialty, they collaborate as commissions necessitate, making them today’s undisputed premier force in this elite material practice, and a national living treasure for Nepal.

As my Fulbright work in The Prakriti Project evidenced the potential of repoussé for dynamic new expressive applications, it also illuminated these master practitioners. As a result of Nepal’s historic seclusion the unique traditions and practices of this elite art have been available for study by foreigners for less than seventy years.

The lineage of my guru Rabindra Shakya includes artists and scholars patronized and decorated by the Malla and Shah Kings, commissioned

by Buddhist leaders, and traceable back to Abhaya Raj Shakya, founder of the Mahabouddha Temple in 1564; members of my teacher’s family still serve as priests to this temple. As scions of the famed repoussé master Kuber Singh Shakya the family continues the legacy of their illustrious ancestry; their creation of the repoussé colossus of Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rimpoche, in remote Takela, Bhutan is undoubtedly the family’s greatest achievement to date.

With a total height of one hundred fifty seven feet, the copper colossus itself measures one hundred and fifteen feet in height, it easily hold with comparison to Frederic Bartholdi’s Statue of Liberty. The project was designed and directed by Raj Kumar Shakya, eldest of the three brothers, with the entire family’s participation.

Surmounting formidable logistical challenges and made entirely without the aid of computer input, it was completed and consecrated in 2014.

Yet in the face of continued success, Raj Kumar Shakya expresses concern for the future of the practice; the demanding nature of repoussé, the diminished interest of the younger generation in this practice; growing Western influences and social change are all challenges to its survival. By Rabindra’s recollection, their family atelier has seen only four foreign SEPTEMBER 2017 SPACES / 65

ART

weight, its malleable response to fire and manual force, it feels alive in the hands of the artist. Under the blows of the hammer its voice steadily rises ever higher until it almost cries out to be softened by the annealing fire.

It swiftly changes color, darkening in response to the air around it, yet after annealing and its acid bath it throws off blackened fire scale shroud, and reveals itself newly born as softly pink as an infant’s skin. The repetition of this process—necessitated many times during the formation of each copper element—becomes a metaphor for the life cycle itself. I work the metal in the biomorphic, or auricular, style; its treatment of form is indeterminate, suggestive of natural forms. The process of allowing the unforeseen to emerge alongside the intended form and immersing yourself in its investigation is one of the most profound pleasures of my work.

students; I am the only one (and only woman) to have extended my study and successfully attained technical proficiency.

Artists carry within us our society’s assumed priorities and cultural expectations. We may hesitate in our departure from these expectations— especially if our path travels into the territory of other cultures and issues of cultural appropriation may arise, leading to further hesitation—but we are impelled to expand our imaginative vision. Ways of knowing, seeing and making are universal in their variability, and are in perpetual dialogue. This has historically always been the case, and today this conversation is truly

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global. And while we must honor our cultural references, we paradoxically preserve them through extending their reach, and in the process, ensure their relevance for the future. My envisaged union of repoussé and painting was inspired by the flickering light-play on the undulating forms, eroding gilding, and changing patination of the magnificent toranas of the Kathmandu Valley. The opulent layered tissues of gold, reds, greens, browns, and blacks on worn metal surfaces, created by the hand of elemental forces and the passage of time, spoke powerfully to me of the surface abrasion techniques I employ in my painting. I experience the plasticity of copper sheet as seductive; in its substance and

Dr. Mary Slusser, distinguished scholar of Nepali art, described my work with Rabindra Shakya as a “fecund collaboration” and “an inspired coupling apparently without antecedents”ii. Describing my resulting work as “astonishing paintings”, she writes appreciatively of my study with Rabindra, expressing her hope that further creative dialogue will be pursued between contemporary and traditional arts. I’ve been privileged to study with Rabindra Shakya, and to work alongside the artisans of his atelier. I’ve come to intimately experience and know firsthand the immense dedication to practice and devotion to technique that is required of any artist aspiring to practice repoussé. When deeply engaged in working the metal, the spirit of these artists is always with me. n Slusser, Dr. Mary. “The Art of Rabindra Shakya and Maureen Drdak: An Appreciation”, The Prakriti Project: Eternal Visions—Contemporary Forms, Siddhartha Art Gallery, Baber Mahal Revisited, Kathmandu, Nepal, February 2012. i

Slusser, Dr. Mary. “The Art of Rabindra Shakya and Maureen Drdak: An Appreciation”, The Prakriti Project: Eternal Visions—Contemporary Forms, Siddhartha Art Gallery, Baber Mahal Revisited, Kathmandu, Nepal, February 2012. ii

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myrepublica.com

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YOUR HOUSE’S FLOORING IS THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR DESIGN AND THE FIRST THING PEOPLE SEE WHEN THEY WALK IN. IT ALSO GETS THE MOST TOLLS OUT OF YOUR EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES AND THUS REFLECTS FIRST OF ALL THE WEAR AND TEAR. SO IT’S ESSENTIAL TO INVEST IN QUALITY FLOORING THAT ALSO ADDS ON TO STYLE AND CLASS OF YOUR HOME. AT RIGHT MOVES- SMART CHOICE, WE TAKE CARE OF ALL THE MUMBLE JUMBLE RESEARCH TO HELP YOU MAKE A SMART CHOICE.

RIGHT MOVES SMART CHOICE FOR

Flooring FEW COMMON TYPES AND CHOICES HARDWOOD FLOORS Hardwood floors come as parquets, wooden planks, or prefinished boards.

They could be installed by nailing or stapled down. While they look and feel the classy, and are extremely durable and warm, they are expensive and require high maintenance. Another reason why people are moving on to other options is because of the fear of termite attacks. Nonetheless, 72 / SPACES SEPTEMBER 2017

they have a great resale value and have been a very popular choice in staircases in the past as well for the fancy touch.

LAMINATE FLOORING They are composed of wood based materials and come in all shades of wood. Made of High Density Fibreboard, they come in thickness of 8mm, 10mm, and 12mm. It’s important

EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE THE LAST THINGS TO BE INSTALLED, THERE SHOULD BE SELECTION AREA FOR ANY REMODELING OR NEW CONSTRUCTION PLANNING. REPLACING FLOORING CAN BE VERY EXPENSIVE. THE REST OF THE DESIGN SHOULD GO WITH YOUR FLOORING AND NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

to understand that higher density boards make the best choices. Their surface is usually printed with different shades of wood and can be chosen as per preference. While the Chinese brand of these kinds of flooring cost from NRs. 80 to NRs. 150 per sq ft, the Swiss brands will cost you anywhere between NRs. 120 to NRs. 170 per sq ft. They can last anywhere from 5-15 years on average.

Engineered floorings are basically Laminated Flooring where the wooden texture doesn’t reflect from print but rather a layer of wood on top. They cost around NRs. 600 per sq ft.

VINYL PLANKS They are PVC planks that are much thicker and are found in width of 6 to 8 inches and length of 3 ft. While they are waterproof, their installation is glue based and thus shouldn’t be used for places that use water - like the kitchen or the bathroom. They can be 2-3 mms in height and cost about NRs. 130 to NRs. 150 per sq ft. You can also choose from the various wooden textures they come in for style. They last you around 10 years on average.

LUXURY VINYL TILES These are PVC planks that are installed with a lock in system and are thicker than Vinyl planks (4.2 to 4.5mms).

Their installation system makes them easy to install, suitable for places that use water, and easy to dismantle and reuse at another place. They also come in all wooden textures to choose from. They cost around NRs. 250 per sq ft and can last up to 10 years.

MARBLES Marbles are usually preferred for their waterproof nature, easy to clean and elegant look. It’s however easy to scratch, reacts with acidic substances in your food or cleaner, and can chip off creating possibility of need for replacement.

Still, they’re a popular choice not just for bathrooms and kitchen but also hallways and even living and bedrooms. They’re available in different styles and textures giving you different decorative schemes.

Especially because it’s natural produce, your marble floor will stand out from others easily. Light color marbles also reflect light, making the space brighter.

They can be Indian or Italian and cost around NRs. 120-200 per sq ft. and will last you anywhere from 10 to 30 years.

TILES Tiles available in the market are usually Vinyl, Ceramic, or Vitrified.

Hospitals use Vinyl tiles for a more serious purpose of maintenance as they don’t have edge depressions that are difficult to clean and might carry germs.

They are also the quieter of the tiles.

Ceramic tiles are made of clay and have a glazed material on the surface making it waterproof. They are fairly easy to wipe and clean and thus a popular choice for bathrooms. Most tiles come in various designs and patterns to choose from and a glossy finish. They come in various sizes and shapes and cost around NRs. 100-NRs. 200 per sq ft. Without Physical damage, they’ll easy last from 10 to 25 years.

Vitrified tiles are made with a process that keep them colored throughout their body making it an increasingly preferred choice. This means even if your tiles chip off, they look the same color as the tile rather than clay.

They are scratch and stain resistant and easier to maintain. They are also stronger than their counterparts making it a better choice for high traffic areas and also commercial buildings.

They cost from NRs. 150 to NRs. 350 per sq ft and last from 10 to 25 years.

PVC FLOOR SHEETS They are the cheapest form of flooring and come in rolls of Printed Sheet,

similar to carpets. Easy to wipe clean or sweep, they are ideal for bedrooms and living rooms. A wide range of selection of designs and quality are available in the market and can be purchased from as low as NRs. 150 per meter to NRs. 1500 per meter. However, the cheaper sheets have life of as low as 3-4 months as they are susceptible to tearing and wearing off. Good quality sheets can however, last you from 4-5 years.

CARPETS Going back to basics, Carpets are cozy, and are pleasant to step on. They’re also easy to sit on and is easy to blend with the curtains in the room. There are wide ranges of price, quality, and design you can choose from as per your comfort.

They’re also quieter, save energy and keep the room warmer. Slip accidents are much rarer in carpeted floors and act as sound barriers. However, they need more time and vacuums to clean.

If you’re using carpets in high traffic areas, use darker colors to save yourself from needing to wash them too often.

Nepali Carpets (Galaicha) have their own charm and are popular in Nepali household as well as in the international market. To maintain them better, don’t place them at floors that receive direct sunlight.

Futsal grounds, cafes, and stores also use grass carpets as flooring for preferred business brands.

Sprinkling salt on the carpet is an effective way to get rid of mud prints.

Keep it on for an hour and then vacuum it up.

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SPORTS AND GYM FLOORING

MOOD, SPACE, AND STYLE

GO GREEN!

You also find special flooring for Sports and Gym which usually come in interlocking mats and can be around 25 mm thick. Basketball courts, TT halls, and badminton courts usually use these to resist the force and tension created during matches.

Once you know your choices serve to the function of the space, select materials with colors that match your style and mood you’re trying to create.

There can be color options even in the type of flooring you’ve chosen- such as wooden flooring. Light and neutral colors create a calm ambience while dark wood colors create a warm and cozy aura. Solid wood flooring looks authentic and premium. Light colors also brighten up dark rooms and can make your room look more spacious.

If you want to be more eco-friendly, go for choices such as bamboo. Apart from being super nice for Mother Nature, they’re also extremely durable and aesthetically pleasing. Even when making other choices, think about how they’re made and how much harm they cause to the environment.

WHAT DO I CHOOSE? Flooring has been slowly moving from luxury to basic of interiors. While most flooring in the past decade was parquet or marbles, there are a lot more options today. When you consider your choice, you might have to factor in a few conditions.

FUNCTIONALITY Consider what you would need the flooring for and where. Your living room might look better with chic flooring, but your bathroom would need waterproof floor. Wooden flooring for example, would lighten up the homeliness of your living room but will warp with moisture content in your bathroom.

Consider the amount of human and animal traffic a floor will have to endure. For a high traffic area like the entrance, passages, and kitchen, choose flooring that is durable, resistant to water, and easy to maintain. Even better if it is resistant to stains, scratches, and scuff marks.

If the space is a high moisture area such as the bathroom, go for waterproof materials such as PVC, marble or ceramics 74 / SPACES SEPTEMBER 2017

Moreover, if your material’s color is natural, it’s easier to blend it in with the furniture and rest of the decor.

SIZE Size (sort of) matters! According to your material, you’ll most likely have an option between skinny, wide, square, or large rectangular tile/plank sizes. The shapes and sizes can be used to trick your eye to see the space that is larger or smaller. Horizontal tiles for instance, can make your space look longer. Larger and wider planks and tiles can make a smaller space look larger.

SOUND Since your floor has the most interaction with people and surroundings, it also produces most noise. If you want minimal noise, vinyl tiles and carpets are your friends.

Don’t make a decision before bringing a couple of samples home to try them out at your houses’ light and your vision for the home. Try the sample at different times of the day.

MAINTENANCE Laminate, marble floors and tiles are extremely easy to clean with a damp cloth and don’t need huge amount of efforts in making them look attractive and pleasing.

Using a doormat on the outside of your entrance can really prevent a lot of dirt from making its way into the house.

FUTURE REPLACEMENT You might want to change the decor of your space in passing of certain time or need to because of the condition of it. Make sure you understand what process you might have to follow if you had to replace your choice of flooring. This means understanding the installation process and cost of it first! n

ARCHITECTURAL ART DIGEST

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FROM THE SHELF

ART AND CULTURE OF NEPAL SELECTED PAPERS Mary Shepherd Slusser with contribution by Gautama V. Vajracharya and Manuela Fuller

This volume brings together in one convenient format a selection of papers devoted to Nepalese culture published over several years in a variety of places. In one of them, for example, jointly authored and published in Artibus Asiae in 1973, the authors make one exiting discovery after another as they unravel various facets of Nepalese history.

The so-called “Sleeping Vishnu� at Balaju turns out to be actually part Shiva and to be a thousand years older than previously thought. In an astonishing reversal of the accepted relationship, it is shown actually predate the image of which it was supposed to be a copy.

With few exceptions, the papers have appeared in Western scholarly journals not readily available in Nepal.

To make them easily accessible to Nepalese scholars

This is not a Book Review; this is just an effort to conveying information to the readers on rare and valuable books on art and architecture. This column aims to give a helicopter view on such books and thus presents the excerpts and illustrations either from the preface, introduction, jacket or main contents of the book from the shelf. This book was kindly provided by Mandala Book Point, Kantipath, Kathmandu (Tel. 4227711).

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and the interested public they have been brought together in this single volume. The chronological order of publication has been ignored in favour of grouping them under specific headings such as painting, sculpture and architecture.

No changes have been made in the original texts but some articles are followed by a short commentary to include new information pertinent to that paper. One commentary, for example, takes into account the critical Jayadeva sculpture whose discovery postdated the planned 1997 publication of this volume. The present work is also fully illustrated with all the photographs included in the original publications. n

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ARTSCAPE

TAKEN 2015 Her performance said about the cruel and insecure moments for the women in the society that has been taken place in their living areas. After the earthquake, people are living in tents and are suffering and even in such problematic situations there were being raped and hassled.

In this performance, she used various materials indicating various meanings such as red flower symbolized innocent and purity. Red tomato symbolized as the fertilizer of nature. And similarly she used hammer as the society. The mirror on the head symbolized the perception of the society.

ASHA DANGOL

SAURGANGA DARSHANDHARI Born in 1980, she did her B.F.A. from Lalit Kala Campus and M.F.A. in Print Making from University of Development Alternative, Dhaka, Bangladesh. She is a lecturer at Fine Art Campus and Sirjana College of Fine Art. One of the founding member of Bindu, a space for artists, Saur has participated in various art workshops and residencies in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Japan, Korea and Bangladesh. She works on various medium such as performance art, print making, painting and installation art.

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Connects 21 Aar Kay Vox Ramshah Path Ph: 977-1-4222332, 4246848 E-mail: gm_agrawal@yahoo.com 48 Aditya Hardware Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. Tripureshwor, Blue Star Complex, Room no. 522 Ph: 9851007818 E-mail: sanjay_kyal@yahoo.com ektakyal@gmail.com 13 Artex Pvt. Ltd. Tirpureshwor (Vibor Bank road) Ph: 977-1-4218274 E-mail: artex@mail.com.np Website: www.artex.com.np 60 Asian Paints Nepal Balkumari, Lalitpur Ph: 977-1-5203045 E-mail: ccm@asianpaints.com.np Website: www.asianpaintsnepal.com.np 27 ATC Pvt. Ltd. 336/21, Ganesh Man Singh Path-2, Teku Road Ph: 977-1-4262220 E-mail: info@atc.com.np 84 Berger Jenson & Nicholson (Nepal) Pvt. Ltd. Berger House - 492, Tinkune, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4466038 E-mail: info@bergernepal.com 82 Bridge Tech International Pvt. Ltd. Tutepani, Satobato, Chapaganu Road Ph: 977-1-5151171, 5151822 E-mail: info@bridgetechintl.com sales@bridgetechintl.com 20 Communication Corner Pvt. Ltd. (Ujyaalo 90 Network) Ujyaaloghar(Behind Central Zoo) Jawlakhel, Lalitpur Ph: 977-1-5000171 43 Everest Bathware Gairigaun, Tinkune Ph: 977-1-4480680 E-mail: harsh@everestnp.com 71 Fashion Furnishing Pvt. Ltd. Maitidevi, Ratopool, Kathmandu Ph: 977-01-4420661/ 4420647 E-mail: fnfurnishing@gmail.com 79 Foto Hollywood Civil Bank Building, Kamaladi Ph: 977-1-4169060 Website: www.fotohollywood.com.np 02 Furniture Land Store Pvt. Ltd. Blue Star Complex Tripureshwor, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4224797 03 Home Saaz Ratopool, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4420661, 4420647 77 International Electronics Concern (P.) Ltd. Harati Bhawan, Putalisadak, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4421991, 4422107 E-mail: market@iec.com.np, enquiry@iec.com.np Website: www.iec.com.np 09 Insight Spaces Private Limited Tara Bhawan, Teku Ph: 9802015888, 977-1-4100235, 4100236 E-mail: spaces.insight@gmail.com 69 Inter-Tech Pipes & Fittings Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4282492 E-mail: itpf@intertech.com.np Website: www.intertech.com.np 83 Marvel Technoplast Pvt. Ltd. Heritage Plaza-II, Kamladi, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4169122/123 E-mail: info@marvel.com.np Website: www.marvel.com.np

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67 Mercantile Office Systems Pvt. Ltd. Hiti Pokhari, Durbarmarg Ph: 977-1-4440773, 4445920 68 Nagarik - Nepal Republic Media Pvt. Ltd. JDA Complex, Bagh Durbar Ph: 977-1-4265100, 4261808 E-mail: circulation@nagariknews.com 61 Navin Distributor Pvt. Ltd. A.T. Complex, New Plaza, Putalisadak Ph: 977-1-4428196, 4430785 E-mail: ndpl@navindistributors.com Website: www.navindistributors.com 81 Nepa Top Organization Samakushi, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4354117, 4363548, 4387901 E-mail: info@nepa.com Website: www.nepatop.com.np 80 Panchakanya SS Pvt. Ltd. Panchakanya Bhawan, Krishna Galli, Harihar Bhawan Ph: 977-1-5526551 E-mail: info@panchakanya.com 82 Pest Control Nepal House no. 1607, Baburam Acharya Marg, Old Baneshwor Ph: 977-1-4492285 E-mail: sks3p@wlink.com.np Website: www.pestcontrolnepal.com 06 R. I. P. L. International Pvt. Ltd. Teku Road Ph: 977-1-4270730 15 Ratul Enterprises Manbhawan Road Ph: 977-1-5526963 E-mail: eurojindal@gmail.com 19 Rohi International Near Ganeshsthan, Kuleshwor Ph: 977-1-4271760 11 RS Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. Kamalpokhari Ph: 977-1-4363236 ; 9851038680 E-mail: info.enterprisesrs@gmail.com 05 San Ventures (P) Ltd. Tokha Ph: 977-1-4386179, 4388441 27 Skylight Pvt. Ltd. Naxal (Opp to Police HQ), Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4423851 E-mail: info@skylight.com.np Website: www.skylight.com.np 70 Somany Ceramics Ltd. Kathmandu Ph: 9841325986 E-mail: rupesh@somanyceramics.com 42 Subisu Cable net Pvt. Ltd. 148 Thirbum Sadak, Baluwatar Ph: 977-1-4235888 E-mail: info@subisu.net.np Website: www.subisu.net.np 75 Status Trading Pvt. Ltd. Ratopool, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4420661, 4420647 07 Technical Associates Services P. Ltd. 1st Floor, Abhiyan Building, Panchayan Marg Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 977-1-4219999 E-mail: sktulshyan@gmail.com 49 The Carpenter Hardware Center Pashupati Sadak, Gyaneshwor Ph: 977-1-4420202, 4417684, 4420234 04 Worldlink Communication Pvt. Ltd. Jawalakhel, Lalitpur Ph: 977-1-5523050 E-mail: enterprise.support@worldlink.com.np Website: www.worldlink.com.np

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