As part of Modern Architecture: Echoes + Reflections—a major exhibition dedicated to celebrating the legacy of the New Khmer Architecture movement and its lasting influence— Team Raintree hosted a dialogue to percolate conversation about architecture’s role in shaping Cambodia’s communities. Co-designed with the Vann Molyvann Project, New Khmer - Architecture (NK-A), and the Gentry Hub, this event brought together a panel of architects, designers, and community organisers who explored the nuanced interplay between vernacular traditions and modern architecture practices, all with one shared focus: the people.
The dialogue examines lesser-seen, community-focused projects that reimagine the vernacular in today’s context, spanning spiritual sanctuaries, educational spaces, and community centres. From the intricate brickwork of Hiroshima House to the reclaimed wooden walls of the Project Little Dreams, the vibrant streetscape of Chen Dam Daek, or the wavy façade of the Angkor Market, the discussion tackled the realities of designing for—and with—Cambodia’s diverse communities.
Highlights from the Design Dialogue: Echoes of Innovation, 23 November 2024
Keynote speaker Pen Sereypagna, director of New Khmer Architecture (NK-A) and the Vann Molyvann Project, set the tone with his keynote address, The Architecture of Urgency: Community-Based Modern Vernacular Architecture in Cambodia. Drawing on his celebrated work, including the Genealogy of Bassac, he challenged the audience to view architecture as a layered response to historical ruptures, socio-political shifts, and cultural aspirations.
Tracing Cambodia’s architectural evolution—from the optimism of post-independence modernism to the grassroots resilience of today’s design-build projects—Sereypagna explored how architects must balance the weight of history with the immediate needs of communities. He argued that architecture thrives in its contradictions: as incomplete as it is transformative, as urgent as it is enduring.
Below is the full transcript of Sereypagna’s keynote, delivered at Design Dialogue: Echoes of Innovation on 23 November 2024 at Raintree.
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First, I want to thank everyone who came to today’s talk, and I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Team Raintree for organising this remarkable event.
When I was invited to deliver the keynote for this dialogue, I hesitated. I did not want to impose a sense of harmony between the speakers, as each has their unique body of work. But then Boni asked me for an image to promote the event on social media, which led me to reflect on my previous projects—particularly my work with the White Building’s community.
Pen Sereypagna, ‘White building’s Schizoanalysis’, 2023, digital sticker on plexiglass, 42.5 x 66 x 28cm. Image courtesy of the artist.
Here is the image I shared. This work, “White Building’s Schizoanalysis” demonstrates layers and overlaps of urban ruptures, events, and histories, as well as an overarching sense of urgency. These qualities mirror the state of architectural development in Cambodia: layered with diverse forms, concepts, stakeholders, and purposes—all emerging from the country’s social, political, economic, and cultural changes. This overlapping of different personalities and backgrounds is precisely what I believe we should explore in dialogue.
I want everyone to consider my presentation as incomplete and potentially contradictory. Incompleteness and contradiction, in my view, are fundamental to meaningful dialogue.
In this keynote, I want to look into the discussion around architecture that emerged from a sense of urgency, like my proposed work for the keynote, by examining historical ruptures and architectural developments from the 1960s. I argue that this sense of urgency has shaped built forms unique to the Cambodian context—reflecting its social and political shifts as well as its climate.
A garden in front of the Grey Building, 1960s. Credit: Vann Molyvann Private Collection
In 1953, Cambodia achieved independence. It was a new era of optimism that brought about change from colonial rule to an independent state, with New Khmer Architecture foregrounded modernisation and infrastructural development. New Khmer Architecture, as you know, wasn’t a design movement invented by a single or few architects but rather a collaborative effort by a group of national and international teams of architects, engineers, urbanists, and politicians as well.
After the independence, it was with a sense of urgency that King Norodom Sihanouk called on Cambodian students and intellectuals studying abroad – in various institutes in Europe, the United States, Australia, and the Soviet Union – to return home and re-build the country. The country lacked local experts and specialists, and many felt a deep responsibility to contribute. Architects and engineers such as Vann Molyvann, Lu Ban Hap, and Ung Krapum Pka—whose works are featured in this exhibition—answered the call.
The emergence of New Khmer Architecture, arguably, stemmed from several urgent state-level needs and aspirations at the time: the necessity to build infrastructure to support the scale of modernisation, the quest for a new national identity that was both modern and rooted in Cambodian culture, and the drive to showcase Cambodia’s progress to the world – a bold testament that Cambodia was no longer an agrarian society under colonial rule.
However, the modernist era was disrupted by the Cold War’s ideological battles between the two blocs: the East and the West. The Vietnam War was a testament to this profound impact: in 1965, Cambodia severed diplomatic ties with the U.S., and between 1965 and 1973, over 500,000 tons of bombs were dropped on Cambodian territory. Political upheavals followed, with the overthrow of King Norodom Sihanouk in 1970 by the Lon Nol government, backed by the U.S., leading to civil war and the eventual takeover by the Khmer Rouge in 1975.
Sites Bombed by the U.S. Art Force in Cambodia 1965-1973. Credit: Taylor Owen
In 1975, the Khmer Rouge took over power; urban development ceased completely. Phnom Penh was evacuated, and the population was forced into rural labor camps. Under the Khmer Rouge regime of over three years, there were no significant architectural projects besides the irrigation systems built through forced labor, amidst widespread starvation and genocide.
Left: School for Communist Party in Phnom Penh. Photo courtesy of Vietnamese Association of Architects. Right: Theater in Koh Kong in 1988. Photo courtesy of Koh Kong Provincial Administration.
After the Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodia faced a decade of isolation and poverty from 1980 to 1990. The country was under Vietnamese occupation from 1979 to 1989 and was not recognised as an independent state by the international community. When the international community imposed an embargo on Vietnam, it automatically extended to Cambodia. During this period, Cambodia's economy relied entirely on aid from the Soviet Union, East Germany, and Vietnam—provided under the banner of "solidarity." With funding from the Soviet Union and Vietnamese government, civic buildings were constructed throughout Phnom Penh and provincial towns, including schools, administration offices, and monuments. These buildings promoted socialist ideology and served the state's pressing needs and functions. Vietnam supplied the architects, engineers, skilled workers, and construction materials for these projects.
Choeung Ek Genocide Centre, 2014. Photo courtesy of Rob Young (CC BY 2.0). Right: Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, 2009. Photo courtesy of Christian Haugen (CC BY 2.0).
Among these buildings are monuments and memorials dedicated to Cambodians killed during the Khmer Rouge regime. These structures respond to an urgent need to preserve historical memory, address generational trauma, and raise awareness of the lasting impact on Cambodian society through architecture.
Hiroshima House, Phnom Penh. Photo courtesy of GA Japan Magazine.
As an architect, I cannot think of any contemporary projects that capture this essence more succinctly than the concrete and brickwork of the Hiroshima House, with its broken walls and twisted columns —a topic Yuki will explore in greater detail later today. The building embodies the unfinished nature of trauma from genocidal acts that continues to affect both Cambodians and Japanese through generations to come.
After the war, in the 1980s and '90s, there was an influx of people migrating from the countryside to Phnom Penh for three main reasons. First, the 1980s government implemented a "come first, get first" policy to encourage city settlement. Second, the closure of Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand during the 1990s led many to relocate to the capital. Third, limited job opportunities and educational institutions in the provinces drove more people to seek better prospects in Phnom Penh.
Left: Former Manolis Hotel, 2011. Photo courtesy of Antoine 49 (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). Right: Former Pasteur Institute, 2015. Photo courtesy of the Vann Molyvann Project.
This influx led to the informal occupation of public buildings, commercial buildings, and religious sites throughout the city, such as the former Manolis Hotel, former Pasteur Institute, and the Chen Dam Daek community.
Here is Chen Dam Daek urban block. In the colonial and Sangkum Reastr Niyum periods, this block was an area of religious triangle, including a Chinese temple, a Catholic church, and Buddhist monastery, all co-existing in harmony. After the war, people began to move in, occupying spaces inside these religious buildings and the areas surrounding them.
Chen Dam Daek Community. Photo courtesy of Khmer Architecture Tours
Urban communities like this often face eviction threats under the guise of city beautification—as seen with the White Building. It's crucial that we collaborate with these communities to improve their living spaces while demonstrating to authorities how on-site development can succeed without displacement. Today, Kagna from the SEANNET program joins us to discuss her team's project with the Chen Dam Daek community, focusing on their process of participatory-community engagement.
The 1990s marked a turning point. Following the Paris Peace Agreement in 1991, international collaborations resumed, and architects who had fled during the conflict returned to Cambodia. Figures like Vann Molyvann, Mea Outey, Khun Neay, Mom Sophana, Ros Borath, Uk Sameth, and Ly Chintong brought fresh ideas and a renewed sense of urgency to revitalise the nation to its glorious past.
Vann Molyvann's hand-sketch concept of Archaeology Museum, Siem Reap. Courtesy of Vann Molyvann Private Collection.
Among the repatriates were architects from the Sangkum Reastr Niyum era, including Vann Molyvann, who served as government advisor for culture, education, and development. He later established the APSARA Authority to oversee Khmer temples and artifacts in Siem Reap, and designed several projects—including the Archaeology Museum, which is on display at this exhibition.
Phum Danemark Settlement, 1990s. Photo courtesy of Mea Outey.
Institutions like the Royal University of Fine Arts reopened, fostering a new generation of architects. Many of these architects became teachers at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the Royal University of Fine Arts after it reopened in 1989 with UNESCO funding. They also established their own offices, working on private buildings and NGO projects. Among them was Mea Outey, who designed several low-cost housing projects funded by international donors.
Following nearly two decades of conflict, the 1990s also saw the rise of international NGOs focusing on rural development, especially building housing, health, and education facilities for rural communities in various provinces in Cambodia. These design-build projects often prioritised local materials and vernacular methods. We can see the continuity of this NGO design-build model today through "Project Little Dream," in which James will delve into the project's approach to working with the local suburban community and architectural design that responds to the local climate and vernacular materials.
In 1999, Cambodia became the tenth member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This membership has played a vital role in integrating the Cambodian economy into the region and globally. It also led to an economic boom in the early 2000s, which saw many foreign investments in properties from Korea, China, and the countries in the region.
The booming construction industry inspired many young people, including myself, to study architecture and urbanism majors. It also motivated another group of young people to pursue architecture and urbanism studies abroad through scholarships or family sponsorship. After graduation, many felt compelled to return to Cambodia to help develop the country and transform its architectural industry. This sense of urgency mirrors that of the Sangkum Reastr Niyum period, when Cambodian architects who studied abroad returned home after completing their education. Historian Ashley Thompson termed this phenomenon the "Cambodian auto-ethnographic impulse."
Several architecture firms in Phnom Penh—including HKA + Partners, Re-edge Architecture, and UAD Architects — exemplify this new wave. These firms were established by Cambodian graduates returning from abroad, driven by their desire to develop and modernise Cambodian architecture while honoring local context. Later, we will hear from Mengly of UAD Architects in Siem Reap about the "Angkor Market" project, which focuses on their approach to collaborating with local craftsmen and communities while incorporating locally-inspired materials.
Photoes courtesy of Hiroshima House, Chen Dam Daek Project, Of Architecture, and UAD Architects.
Whether it’s the broken bricks of Hiroshima House, the vibrant streets of Chen Dam Daek, the reclaimed wooden wall of the Project Little Dreams, or the wavy façade of Angkor Market, these projects tell stories. The stories of urgency, resilience, and rebirth. They exemplify a modern vernacular that Cambodians can proudly call their own. Before I end my keynote, I’d like to leave you with a quote from Vann Molyvann.
“That all these students rise and say, ‘We will create our new architecture.’ All these people should be together to create this movement of New Khmer Architecture. No more Vann Molyvann, but the movement of this young generation.”
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This event was more than a dialogue; it was a resource for reflection and a call to action. It invites architects, educators, and the public to rethink what modern vernacular can mean for Cambodia—both as a practice deeply rooted in its cultural context and as a platform for resilient, community-driven innovation.
Our panelists—representing London’s Of Architecture, Siem Reap’s UAD Architects, Phnom Penh’s Hiroshima House, and the Chen Dam Daek Project via SEANNET—extended these ideas with compelling case studies. They examined projects that incorporate traditional materials, local labour, and participatory processes, offering a rich tapestry of approaches to place-making. Their presentations can be viewed below, courtesy of the speakers themselves:
Thnout School, Takeo by James Mak, Principal Architect of Of Architecture
Angkor Market, Siem Reap by Khuth Mengly, Principal Architect of UAD Architects
Chen Dam Daek Community, Phnom Penh by Hun Sokagna, Architecture Heritage Consultant
Hiroshima House, Phnom Penh by Yuki Ogata, Manager of SHO-SEKKEI and Hiroshima House
This edition of the Design Dialogue is part of Modern Architecture: Echoes + Reflections, an exhibition dedicated to the enduring legacy of the New Khmer Architecture movement and its lasting influence, both retrospectively and today. Accompanying the exhibition is a catalogue, which is available to download here.
Stay tuned as we continue the conversation and celebrate the transformative power of design to build not just spaces, but connections. As always, if you have an incredible community event or meaningful dialogue you’d like to bring to life, get in touch with Team Raintree at hello@raintreecambodia.com.
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Pen Sereypagna is the director of New Khmer - Architecture (NK-A) and the Vann Molyvann Project. Co-author of Genealogy of Bassac (UR Terreform, 2021)—recipient of the 2019 Graham Publication Award—he is currently a PhD candidate in Architecture and Urbanism at the University of Hong Kong. His research on Phnom Penh’s urban form and Cambodian modernist architecture has been showcased in exhibitions and presentations across Cambodia, Taiwan, Australia, the United States, and Southeast Asia.