Phnom Penh's Vattanac Tower - symbol of hubris ?

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Phnom Penh's Vattanac Tower - symbol of hubris ?

Post by Anchor Moy »

Interesting article from the Guardian on Vattanac Capital Tower - Cambodia's tallest building.
A monster of ego or a sign of foresight ?
Image
Inside Phnom Penh's empty new skyscraper: 'This is only for excellencies'

The Vattanac Capital tower – the tallest building in one of the world’s poorest countries – has an occupancy rate below 30%. Customers at its high-end boutiques are likely to be ‘excellencies’, members of Cambodia’s ultra-rich elite of business tycoons and MPs.
So, what is the point of such a building?
...
The man behind Vattanac Capital is Sam Ang Vattanac, the son of tycoon power couple Sam Ang and Chhun Leang. Little is known about them. “Information on the owners of the Vattanac Bank, like many of Cambodia’s business figures, is hard to come by,” said Strangio. “Likewise, their activities and relationships with those in government are opaque. Many business deals are cut behind closed doors and are shielded from public view by layers of corporate masks.

... Despite the lack of a national building code, Vattanac said it has employed “international standards” for safety, but Phnom Penh’s under-resourced emergency services are only equipped to deal with fires in low-rise buildings. And safety standards in the construction industry are notoriously poor.
http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/ ... ac-capital

Among other questions: how do they clean their windows ? :Search:
Nobody seems to know.
How will the windows be cleaned? It’s a touchy subject. “Ask them,” said Scott, referring to Vattanac Capital. “Nothing to do with me. That’s a question that a lot of people ask.” Vattanac Capital’s general manager, Reno Mueller, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
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Re: Phnom Penh's Vattanac Tower - symbol of hubris ?

Post by willyhilly »

The 1938 built New Market is a far more practical and attractive building than the gumboot. I remember some of the Poms that we're building the tower used to have site meetings at that sports bar in 282? Bunch of self important tossers. It took over a year to repair all the broken glass.
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Re: Phnom Penh's Vattanac Tower - symbol of hubris ?

Post by finbar »

At least the building itself has merit, unlike the monstrosity next door.
Didn't they make their initial money on import-export, Coca-cola at one time, if I remember, I could be wrong? Certainly "crony capitalists" in any case.
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Re: Phnom Penh's Vattanac Tower - symbol of hubris ?

Post by timmydownawell »

finbar wrote: Tue Jan 30, 2018 9:18 am At least the building itself has merit, unlike the monstrosity next door.
Didn't they make their initial money on import-export, Coca-cola at one time, if I remember, I could be wrong? Certainly "crony capitalists" in any case.
Next door... the Exchange Square building? That looks like an office block from the 70s or 80s. I didn't care for the Vattanac Capital tower to begin with but it's grown on me. I have a nice view of it from my place.
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Re: Phnom Penh's Vattanac Tower - symbol of hubris ?

Post by SockPuppet »

the broken glass before they opened for a big "facepalm" moment I remember
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Re: Phnom Penh's Vattanac Tower - symbol of hubris ?

Post by that genius »

Strangio has such a hard-on for the guys at the top here, I wonder if when he wrote this Theresa may's govt and the Grenfell Tower crossed his mind?

A 30% occupancy in a building, wow.

What's next, parking spaces?

A poster on The Guardian website, Saiful07 posted this:

'20% live in poverty' and there is this ostentatious building in Cambodia - SHOCK HORROR. In the UK (where the lower middle and the poor are saddled with paying the debt whilst the 1% enjoy the fruits of a conservative government favouring them) luxury homes seem to pop up everywhere in London targeting the super rich whilst neglecting its own people who require homes in the city. There is abject relative poverty in London.

Anyway, I seem to always read a comment like this where a poorer country can't show its wealth by building an opulent building. I've seen it in articles about Brazil, India and China. What's that French saying about peering in to other windows when your own windows aren't clean...
Last edited by that genius on Tue Jan 30, 2018 9:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Phnom Penh's Vattanac Tower - symbol of hubris ?

Post by Duncan »

Anchor Moy wrote: Mon Jul 20, 2015 1:49 am Interesting article from the Guardian on Vattanac Capital Tower - Cambodia's tallest building.
A monster of ego or a sign of foresight ?
Image
Inside Phnom Penh's empty new skyscraper: 'This is only for excellencies'

The Vattanac Capital tower – the tallest building in one of the world’s poorest countries – has an occupancy rate below 30%. Customers at its high-end boutiques are likely to be ‘excellencies’, members of Cambodia’s ultra-rich elite of business tycoons and MPs.
So, what is the point of such a building?
...
The man behind Vattanac Capital is Sam Ang Vattanac, the son of tycoon power couple Sam Ang and Chhun Leang. Little is known about them. “Information on the owners of the Vattanac Bank, like many of Cambodia’s business figures, is hard to come by,” said Strangio. “Likewise, their activities and relationships with those in government are opaque. Many business deals are cut behind closed doors and are shielded from public view by layers of corporate masks.

... Despite the lack of a national building code, Vattanac said it has employed “international standards” for safety, but Phnom Penh’s under-resourced emergency services are only equipped to deal with fires in low-rise buildings. And safety standards in the construction industry are notoriously poor.
http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/ ... ac-capital

Among other questions: how do they clean their windows ? :Search:
Nobody seems to know.
How will the windows be cleaned? It’s a touchy subject. “Ask them,” said Scott, referring to Vattanac Capital. “Nothing to do with me. That’s a question that a lot of people ask.” Vattanac Capital’s general manager, Reno Mueller, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

b]Among other questions: how do they clean their windows ? :Search:
Nobody seems to know.[/b]

I know,,, First you buy a skyhook at a 7/11 shop. Next ??? I dont know.
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Re: Phnom Penh's Vattanac Tower - symbol of hubris ?

Post by Kammekor »

that genius wrote: Tue Jan 30, 2018 9:53 am Strangio has such a hard-on for the guys at the top here, I wonder if when he wrote this Theresa may's govt and the Grenfell Tower crossed his mind?

A 30% occupancy in a building, wow.

What's next, parking spaces?
Reminds me of Canary Wharf in London during it's early days.

They would switch on lights in unoccupied rooms after sunset to pretend to have a higher occupancy. Do they do this at Vattanac too?
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that genius
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Re: Phnom Penh's Vattanac Tower - symbol of hubris ?

Post by that genius »

I don't think many buildings in the world have different methods.

You get into a trolley or hook up to an abseil hook, and off you go to clean the windows.

The windows at the Intercontinental Hotel here don't open, maybe get cleaned twice a year?
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Re: Phnom Penh's Vattanac Tower - symbol of hubris ?

Post by username »

Anchor Moy wrote: Mon Jul 20, 2015 1:49 am Among other questions: how do they clean their windows ? :Search:
Nobody seems to know.
I realize this thread is two and a half years old, but I saw the window cleaners at work there around Christmas times. If my memory doesn't fail me completely, they used a platform and crane from the top, just as you'd expect.

Edit: just saw Duncan's pictures, and I believe they used that method even on the main building
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