The Tashichho Dzong and the precinct around it must be treated as the most sacred national asset of Bhutan. It is the abiding image of the country. It is the image of the Royal Government, of His Majesty and of the Royal Family. It is the icon of this Himalayan Kingdom, which all visitors will carry in their memory and each villager will carry in their mind.

The Tashichho Dzong precinct can be landscaped. Special lighting effects can be used to highlight the area at night and these lights can be varied for different festivals and royal celebrations. There can be an amphitheatre and possibly a sound and light show depicting the great history, religious resurgence and the development of the people. The Piazza Del Popolo in Rome addresses a similar issue of directing the imagery of the capital on key monuments. The Capitol Dome in Washington is a similar icon.

The Tashichho Dzong Acts as Thimphu’s Visual Anchor

The issue of the form and the shape of the new administrative structure must be addressed in the plan also. Merely expanding in a repetitive manner the existing plan would destroy the scale of the Dzong and make a mockery of it. What is essential is to understand the “elements of Bhutanese Architecture” and evolve new components and appropriate shapes around those elements in a respectful manner. The Tashichho Dzong is clearly the most important element of the capital and is therefore the most central feature of the plan.

The French handled Versailles in a similar manner, using landscaped parks, gardens and formal gates to emphasize the significance of the royal center of administration. The Champs Elysees in Paris is a good example of employing a boulevard to focus attention on to a monument of national importance.

The Tashichho Dzong

A View of Tashichho Dzong with the Wang Chhu in the Foreground

The Tashichho Dzong Seen from the Traditional Wooden Footbridge