Preservation of Selected Monuments in Patan Durbar Square

Within the framework of the UNESCO International Safeguarding Campaign for the Kathmandu Valley, the UNESCO/Japan Trust Fund Project 536/NEP/70 was originally intended to restore a range of monuments in Durbar Square, but was subsequently restricted to work on the royal palace complex.
Patan Palace lies within one of the core zones of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site and is one of the principal historic monuments of Nepal. Until 1767, the palace was the residence of the King of Patan. The palace th consists of four courtyards and two towering pagoda-style temple towers and dates from 1627 until the late 17 century. The palace was severely damaged in an earthquake in 1934, when it suffered partial collapse. Outcomes of the project were presented at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.
In addition, a GIS data base was prepared for the historic houses and street frontages in the Patan core area of the World Heritage Site, utilising total station survey and specific inventory forms for each building. The conservation proposal was comprehensively revised in 2001-2 and restoration commenced in 2008, budget US$ 6 million, following a launch by HRH the Prince of Wales in 2006.

Services:

Overall management of the project in Nepal, including coordination of international and local expert inputs;
Comprehensive architectural survey.;
Preparation of a complete repair specification and a priced bill of quantities;
Analysis of earthquake damage and specifications for earthquake retrofitting;
Organisation and implementation of conservation training workshops.

Dates: 10/1994 –   02/1996; 12/2001 –   07/2002 .
Funding: UNESCO / Japan Trust Fund.
Client: UNESCO .