Nepal Patan Palace- The Restoration of Sundari Cok (2006-2016)

Preface Established USA the first only non-profit organization exclusively preservation of Kathmandu architectural heritage, the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust repaired restored than 42 structures in Patan Kathmandu since 1991. of restoration projects identified such Kathmandu Darbar Initiative (1998-2004); others attempted safeguard significant and early typologies, projects under banner "Buddhist Kathmandu" (1996 Building successful multi-building ambitious "Paran Royal Palace Restoration and Conservation Project." encompassing more than dozen structures and targeting fundraising goals greater than time, was identified in 2005.

KVPT always maintained its site office focus repairing Individual monuments threatened buildings and around the Darbar World Heritage Site, it 2004 the palace complets itself emerged as the most worthy needy focus. was that time that ongoing planning fundraising effor, ominated by UNESCO before, finally fizzled out. Nepal's most intact Malla-period complex in shocking state of time, example, decrepit palace wings were being dormitories house police firewood for cooking!

rtunately, the Trust's endeavor managed attract the attention SHRH The Prince Wales, hosted gala launch 2006 for expanded fundraising Through unique combination Nepalese, American, international, private, and public funds, Trust ahead and managed to fundraise parallel ongoing construction achieve 90% completion the funding 2015, with the successful curating and opening the Architecture Galleries April 2014, extension within major palace courtyard buildings.

the beginning, the intention was restore and rehabilitate entire palace complex including diversity palace quadrangles GT palace towers marking shines below, opes loggias d pand the lies of the rear or garden, and the en fountain or Tuth Hin of Sandari Coke qonaght when When the Trust arrived with es fan expert missly Patan Palace in May 2000, expectations were high. The seas of architec dreamt of turning the raise palace in an architectural muscam including development of the extensive green space in the market as the Ancharological Garden. The principal exhibits would be the rich courtyard architectum of the palace padrangles, while the spare nearly utilitarian interiors wuld be used as simple ruletin spaces. While the architectural goals were largely met, management disputes herwen the Patan Municipality and the Deparment of Archaeology sherred delay work in the garden for decades, so the vem decided in limi the project's focus to the bounded courtyard arras directly behind the palace and in defining the Bhandarkhal, the impressive man made po with its architectural pavilion in itone The Architecture Gallenes The idea of developing Architecture Galleries so showcase and explicare the particulars of Newat building craft and philosophy, along with the presentation of the restored structures themselves, dated from earlier discusinta in the 1990's. The concept of an architecture museum as homage to this local Newar school of architecture grew rather naturally out of the collaborative discussions of the three professionals engaged by Patan Conservation and Development Programme in 1992: Gatschow. Theophile, and Hagmüller, all architects from abroad choosing to spend their life working in this tiny, but fascinating aninic culture. Although hatched at that time with even a few exhibits of architectural spolia identified from the collections of the Department of Archaeology, the museues project would have to wait for the proper venue, which was finally offered in 2011 by the hired quadrangle of the Paran Palace's Mal Cak Mulcok's Architecture Galleries benefited from the generosity and curatorial leadenship of Nicks Gunschow, whose contributed exhibits and pedagogical texts became the backbone of the collection. The galleries we opened on the public in Summer 2013, along with access to the Bhandarkhal Tank and the Tusha Hiti, rwo landmarks of palace water achine that had been inaccessible to the public for over a decade. The damage the complex from the 2015 pke which c de emporily has been Tarply red.

The imionating 2010 pate of the expundo Pause Mem The 10-your online and in 2006 edhe abit Even cese spins ben den och ples pops in Nepal. But the sofistic in surpass expectations and the pove In the coming yes, fe rample, all achievements will dude the real the Karghar, 19 the convenion of the Bake Shah Nehwing world-clas meeting places and the region of the spound the Bandahal nan pen all stage for a variety of culture, KVP's pass have produced all chinical reports with a very limand disbution Project funds supponed whiutal documentation (primarily d drawings, but detailed por documenting and analyzing the myriad tragies, deisons and interventions imed in soch propers were beyond the scope of the Trur Funding for activities beyond the actual brick and monar has always been-and mains today-only limind, and KVPT has relied on donated expertise for mack of in projet develops wervation consulting, and himerical sank.

The persent Sundari Cok Report is for Nepal and VPT the first ever o document the lengthy process in great detail, from inception in 2006 completion in December 2016.

**Contents and Sample Pages**