UMASEEMA CULTURAL CENTRE, Janakpur

Uma Shankar Shah and Seema Sharma Shah have recently initiated the creation of a cultural centre in the heart of the Mithila heartland, Janakpur.

The duo are working with leading Nepalese and Indian organizations to create a space located in the rural area to help preserve traditional visual and performance art forms.

An Architect’s note:

Janakpur’s rapid development has resulted in increasing loss of greenery and open spaces, along with mindless construction through thoughtless designs.

This building addresses these deficiencies. Featuring a single basement with twin parking facilities, topped by lower four floors of rental spaces and upper five floors of residential spaces (apartments /hotel), divided by a spacious open-to-sky green space in between, all accessed by two panoramic lifts, besides generous spaces for display of art and craft at each flight of a grand staircase fully glass enclosed but naturally ventilated.

The sky lounge also features large surfaces for artistic works that continue down to the sidewalk level.

All in all this building is an Artist’s response to the deterioration of his home town caused by excessive mercantilism all around.