MAP Design

Located in heart of Kathmandu near the Dharahara Tower, a historic landmark of the Capital, the site abuts an important retail street that is a destination for lighting shops. Maximizing the ground coverage, the lower floors, the building podium, leverages retail activities. Organized along an arcade, the street activities are drawn deep into the site, which transforms into an F&B alley skirting around south side of the building catering to much needed services lacking in the locale. Similarly, norther setback area is designated as the corporate drive providing access to corporate lobby and basement parking. These setbacks are treated as a perimeter park where both shoppers and office goers could enjoy the nature in a dense urban neighborhood.

Above the retail podium, the building footprint decreases to create landscape terraces – the spill outs for Meeting venue and co-working spaces. This narrowing of the tower footprint also decreases the shadow impacts on the main street. The double height spaces at the bottom of the tower are introduced to push the office floors upwards, rising above the surrounding buildings, opening the glazed interiors to panoramic views of the city and the hills beyond.

Located in a high seismic zone, the tall structure uses diagonal bracing to reduce column and beam sizes which otherwise would be substantial to counter the building deflection during an earthquake.  These structural components are integral part of architectural expression and identity. The triangular “eye” like openings on the façade created by diagonal bracings at the double height spaces, especially at the apex resembles a lighthouse.

FACTS
Site Area: 14,226.98 SF
FAR: 3.5
Super Built-up: 90,439 SF
Superstructure: 65,274 SF
Substructure: 25,167 SF
Retail Area: 21,600 SF
Office Area: 43,600 SF

Design Director: Kiran Mathema
Consultant Team: Ajaya Mathema, Dipesh Shrestha, Bibek Shrestha, Anu Maharjan, Aastha Shrestha, Sareena Manandhar, Rashid Ahmad, RK Mallik, Umesh Agrawal, Ram Narayan Shah.