PATAN PALACE RESTORATION PROJECT
RESTORATION: FEBRUARY 2002 - ONGOINGsupported BY:
GOVERNMENT OF NEPAL, DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY
US AMBASSADORS FUND FOR CULTURAL PRESERVATION
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
PRINCE CLAUS FUND FOR CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT
THE PRINCE'S CHARITIES
SUMITOMO FOUNDATION
NEPAL INVESTMENT BANK
LAMU AMATYA
LUDWIG KUTTNER & BEATRIX OST
PRITHIVI B. PANDE & PRATIMA PANDE
UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED ARTS VIENNA
The Patan Palace Restoration Project is KVPT's largest program of works to date, encompassing the restoration and conservation of 2 major palace courtyards, 3 tiered temples, 2 Shah-period public buildings, a water tank, a step-well, a rest-house, and a large urban garden. The oldest inscription in the area dates back to a Licchavi monastery from the 8th century, but most of the existing structures were built by the Patan Malla kings in the 17th century. The palace was abandoned by royalty in 1769 when the Shah dynasty captured the Malla kingdoms and shifted the seat of power to Kathmandu. After the great earthquake of 1934, the palace was hastily reconstructed during a period of material scarcity, leaving many buildings in a fragile condition.
Over the course of the 20th century the palace was occupied by various government offices and suffered from neglect, even as it continued to function as a ritual space. In 2006, it was included in the World Monuments Watch List, a list of the world's 100 most endangered monuments. The present restoration project has sought to safeguard threatened buildings and to develop a program of re-use. KVPT and the Nepal government have established a clear management model that will secure a financially self-sustaining future for the palace. The ultimate aim of the project is to transform the palace from a site of abandonment to a vibrant public space that is accessible from Darbar Square.
