Licchavi House
Licchavi House
- LOCATION
Kathmandu, Nepal
- CLIENT
Bhrikuti Devi initiative Pvt Ltd
- CATEGORY
Cultural
Spiritual Spaces - GROSS BUILDING FLOOR AREA (Approx.)
1,818 ㎡
- DESIGN YEAR
2019
The site is uniquely located right at the inner sanctum of Boudhanath Stupa. This being a World Heritage monument under UNESCO listing, special attention to architectural design was a prime requirement for the construction of Licchavi House.
Visitors enter the red brick Licchavi House through the traditional shop-front building. Its ground floor is a welcoming open area, housing the reception and information desk. Above it, a gallery of fine arts and crafts occupies the mezzanine floor. Passed the reception area, one finds The Tube, a red colored, square tube-space, 33-meter-long, at the end of which stands a Buddha statue in the Gandhara data-style. The Tube symbolizes the transition from the old Kathmandu to the new. This stunning modern, minimal, and abstract feature provides a stark contrast with the outside world. It is a ceremonial and monumental space dedicated to the Buddha, and it is also serves as the central connection to the rest of the building.
From The Tube, one may turn right to the "Residential" area hosting a café-restaurant on the ground level and, above it, a handful of guest rooms located on upper levels. These are specially designed to offer complete privacy. The large floor-to-ceiling glazing looking into a three-story mural, creates an atmosphere of 'spacious retreat'.
Turning left from the Tube, one reaches the “Forum”, the public space of Licchavi House. On the ground level, 100 people can be accommodated in the auditorium / theater / lecture hall during gatherings, teachings, movie screenings, music events and other performances. Through a stairway one reaches up to the co-working space, yoga studio, and meditation hall on the upper floors. From the meditation hall, visitors have an excellent view of the Stupa and a panoramic view of the city.
Visitors enter the red brick Licchavi House through the traditional shop-front building. Its ground floor is a welcoming open area, housing the reception and information desk. Above it, a gallery of fine arts and crafts occupies the mezzanine floor. Passed the reception area, one finds The Tube, a red colored, square tube-space, 33-meter-long, at the end of which stands a Buddha statue in the Gandhara data-style. The Tube symbolizes the transition from the old Kathmandu to the new. This stunning modern, minimal, and abstract feature provides a stark contrast with the outside world. It is a ceremonial and monumental space dedicated to the Buddha, and it is also serves as the central connection to the rest of the building.
From The Tube, one may turn right to the "Residential" area hosting a café-restaurant on the ground level and, above it, a handful of guest rooms located on upper levels. These are specially designed to offer complete privacy. The large floor-to-ceiling glazing looking into a three-story mural, creates an atmosphere of 'spacious retreat'.
Turning left from the Tube, one reaches the “Forum”, the public space of Licchavi House. On the ground level, 100 people can be accommodated in the auditorium / theater / lecture hall during gatherings, teachings, movie screenings, music events and other performances. Through a stairway one reaches up to the co-working space, yoga studio, and meditation hall on the upper floors. From the meditation hall, visitors have an excellent view of the Stupa and a panoramic view of the city.
