Kathmandu, Jan. 29 -- At first glance, they look like ordinary bus stops. But the falcha-style shelters appearing across Kathmandu are part of a wider effort to revive a centuries-old communal space that once shaped everyday life in the Valley.

Also known as patis, falchas were communal spaces where people could sit and rest. "'Fa' means an open space and 'lcha' means to rest; in Nepalbhasa, the term refers to a temporary resting place," says historian and cultural researcher Purushottam Lochan Shrestha, who specialises in Newa culture and Bhaktapur.

Traditional falchas were built using wood, brick, timber and stone, often with raised plinths and intricate wooden carvings. They came in different forms-some were two-storeyed, while other...