Multimedia

Vann Molyvann’s buildings managed to survive a civil war, American bombing and the Khmer Rouge, but they are now threatened by the rapid development of Phnom Penh. Since 2000, many of his buildings have been demolished making way for commercial developments. In 2009, to encounter this urgent situation, the Vann Molyvann Project was established. It is an international team of architects, architecture students and researchers working in Cambodia to document the buildings of Vann Molyvann through surveying, drawing, photographing and archiving, and to raise awareness of these extraordinary works through collaborating, exhibiting, and lecturing.  This presentation discusses the role of the Vann Molyvann Project in sharing, learning and documenting the work of the prominent Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann in contemporary Cambodia. It will also pay attention to how Vann Molyvann’s work adapts the modern language to Cambodia’s culture, climate, and built environment.