Vann Molyvann and the New Khmer Architecture

Cambodian architecture is well known for the temples and monuments of Angkor;  but the country is also home to an extraordinary, and imminently threatened, collection of modern buildings from the 1950's and 60's.

Following its independence from France in 1953 to the outbreak of civil war in 1970, Cambodia experienced a renaissance in architecture and the arts.  The buildings of this era have come to be known as “The New Khmer Architecture”.  The foremost architect of the time, and author of some of its finest work, was Vann Molyvann. 

Mr. Vann, who trained at the Ecole Des Beaux Arts in the late 1940's and lives in Phnom Penh today, adapted a modern vocabulary to Cambodia's culture, climate, geography and its vernacular and ancient architectural traditions.  In particular, the buildings elevate what we now call “green” technologies—double roofs, cross-ventilation, brise-soleils, indirect lighting, evaporative cooling, use of local materials—into exquisite architectural form.

The buildings are beautiful, they work, and are in danger of being lost forever.


The Threat

Many of Mr. Vann’s most important buildings, having managed to survive a civil war, American bombing, the Khmer Rouge and the Vietnamese occupation, are now threatened by the rapid and chaotic development of Phnom Penh.  In 2008, two of Mr. Vann’s greatest buildings, the Preah Suramarit National Theater and the Council of Ministers, were demolished.  No comprehensive record of the work exists.  If a building comes down, it is gone forever. 


The Project

The Vann Molyvann Project aims to call attention to one of the most important collections of modern architecture in the developing world; to rigorously document it; and to inspire a new generation of architects--American and Cambodian--to create a contemporary architecture that responds to the demands of context, climate and culture.

We are a  team of Cambodian and American architects and students working in Phnom Penh.  We began work on July 1, 2009 and will continue until September of next year at which point the drawings, models and photographs we generate will be presented at the French Cultural Centre in Phnom Penh.  Publication of a monograph is to follow.  All proceeds from the effort will be used to support architectural and arts education in Cambodia.


Getting Involved

Thanks to all of you who have helped us get this project off the ground.  To find out how you can help please click on the support link in the upper right section of the page.

If you are student or architect interested in participating this summer, or if you would just like to learn more about the project first hand--please contact us at bg@vannmolyvannproject.org

If you find yourself in Phnom Penh, come and visit us.  It's an amazing city--and we would be happy to see you.  Click on the links tab to find other sites about Vann Molyvann and the New Khmer Architecture. 

Thanks

Bill Greaves, Director
The Vann Molyvann Project