Phnom Penh at dusk, looking southeast from the old French quarter to the Chamkarmon district. A rash of high-rise construction has changed the cityscape in the past 15 years, and many heritage buildings have been lost. Photo: Huw Watkin

A provincial elegance reminiscent of southern France, the most diverse architecture in Southeast Asia – how much has changed as Cambodian capital has developed

Huw Watkin
16 Jul, 2019

"It was, wrote American historian David Chandler, a resident in the 1960s, “a somnolent, handsome city … with wide, almost empty boulevards bordered with flame trees and bougainvillea. It had a sunstruck, provincial elegance that reminded some visitors of southern France.”

"“The 1960s were a golden age for Phnom Penh, with an established and prosperous middle class appreciative of the built environment,” says Jean-Pierre Celotto, architect and design director at LBL International, who has worked in Cambodia for 20 years. “There is no question that Phnom Penh had the most diverse architecture of any Southeast Asian city.”

"By the end of 2020 there will be an estimated 520,000 square metres of office space, and 550,000 square metres of retail stock. Oversupply is even more pronounced in the residential sector, with six delayed projects coming on stream in 2019."

"“That’s b*******,” said a Malaysian construction engineer who has worked in Phnom Penh for three years. “Occupancy rates on average are more like 20 per cent, 30 per cent tops,” he says. “Take a look at these buildings at night. None of the lights are on.”

"“I think it will take a very long time for attitudes in Cambodia to match those of places like Singapore, which has taken care to preserve architectural heritage and to incorporate it into new developments,” he says."

Full https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-cul ... -penh-high

Thanks for posting these articles - very interesting - appreciated