Tracking Trends: A Study of Post-Earthquake Approaches to Conservation in Patan, Nepal

Abstract

ABSTRACT The earthquakes in 2015 brought Nepal to the centre of attention of the global heritage community. At the Patan Durbar Square and Royal Palace – part of the Kathmandu Valley’s UNESCO World Heritage Site – considerable progress has been made in the conservation and reconstruction of damaged, built cultural heritage, mainly made of brick, timber and stone. Collaborative work between the Institute of Conservation, University of Applied Arts Vienna, the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust and local craftsmen has made an important contribution. An update and review of recent projects in Patan is presented, on the basis of ethical, philosophical and practical approaches. In Nepal, stakeholders in the conservation arena (Department of Archaeology, municipality, community, international actors) pursue widely divergent approaches. While some also apply modern materials and Western-based principles of conservation, others use only traditional, or supposedly traditional, materials and methods. This leads to recurring controversy. In Patan, also owing to the long-term collaboration of Austrian scholars and experts, a balance with remarkable results of earthquake response has been achieved, illustrated here.