About the Foundation
The Foundation supports the preservation, restoration and documentation of arts and heritage of the Kathmandu Valley, and the
intellectuals who work selflessly towards these goals.

The Taragaon Museum
The Taragaon Museum is the starting point for the Foundation’s work towards preservation. Before 1950, there was no documentation on the Kathmandu Valley, which was then the largest and oldest surviving Hindu Kingdom in the world. With the voluntary opening of its doors to foreign aid organizations, came an influx of intellectuals, artists, photographers, writers. The focus of the Museum is to preserve their work, which would otherwise be lost. These expatriates, who spent three decades in Nepal and made it their home, traveling far and wide across this Himalayan country, are now returning home. The Museum is collecting their contributions, which have never been collected, or recognized. The building where the Museum is housed is itself a marvel. Originally built in 1970, it was swallowed by the surrounding jungle over the last 20 years, and has now been restored to its original architectural glory.

Research & Education
This Museum gives us a chance to study the uniqueness of Nepal, and appreciate the Kathmandu Valley’s vast heritage and culture, and also the context of its change. Its focus is on preserving the tangible heritage of the Valley, which is lost due to urbanization.

Archiving
The Foundation has created an archiving center for preservation of original works from the various researchers and experts who have worked in Nepal.
The Foundation is working to archive all its existing exhibits and well as all new materials that it collects. All materials will be digitally scanned and will be available online for reference. All copyright material will be marked and handled as per international copyright standards. All the originals documents will remain in the foundation’s archive, these can only be accessed on request in writing.
The archiving center is currently under construction and it would provide a secure, climate controlled environment with proper storage facilities. The Foundation would collect documents which would be scanned and thereafter stored in the facility for the future generations to have access.
The Foundation will continue to work with expatriates. Donation of such documents and archiving materials would be accepted by the Foundation, and when required the Foundation will also buy certain works to add in the collection.

Publications
The Foundation has been supporting the publishing of various books and research material from various authors who are actively doing research on the tradition and cultures of Nepal.

Preservation & Restoration
The Taragaon Museum was designed by Carl Pruscha, who came to Nepal first in 1964.
In 1970 he designed the Taragaon Hotel and the CEDA building within the compound of the Tribhuvan University. Introducing drum-like
roofing, Pruscha aimed at transforming the traditional brick culture of the Newars, deliberately avoiding cement plaster which since the 1950s guided the aesthetic values of an emerging middle class. The Taragaon Hotel survives as a landmark of 20th century
architecture in Nepal that needs rehabilitation and permanent protection. For city planners in the 21st Century, this Museum is a tool to revisit the past and use the works as a vision for the future.