Nepali Times has knocked architecture off its pedestal and brought it down to the realm of public debate ("The Valley's new fa?ade fad", #52). Ramyata Limbu is repelled by Doric columns in the mansions of Maharajganj, and I am appalled by the indiscriminate use of decorative bricks regardless of subject or context. The tree guards in Durbar Marg are a case in point. Will we now see public toilets designed similarly? By allowing the craftsmen to run amok with their wares, architects can sometimes betray ignorance of subject and a total lack of control over the whole exercise.

Bibhuti Man Singh
Kathmandu