New Khmer Architecture
The driving force behind the movement was Norodom Sihanouk,[2] King (1953–1955), Prime Minister (1955–1960), Head of State (1960–1970), visionary leader much beloved by his people, composer, writer, poet and lyricist, filmmaker, interior designer, and patron of the arts.
Although the East of Cambodia was badly hit by American bombing with towns such as Kampong Cham and Kampot including their universities and hospitals being razed, many New Khmer Architecture buildings in Phnom Penh and across the country survived the years of war and devastation remarkably intact.
The magnificent Preah Suramarit National Theatre, which partially burned down in 1994 after welding repairs accidentally set fire to the roof and the Council of Ministers, have already been destroyed in the speculative rush to cash in on the rise in the value of land.
Of the two apartment blocks on the Front de Bassac, the so-called 'White Building' was demolished in 2015; the other has been encapsulated in concrete and has lost all its distinct features.
Only a few buildings in the style are in good condition and regularly used; the Chamkarmon Compound (part of the Senate), Chaktomuk Conference Hall and Chenla Theatre, for example.
Vann Molyvann's library at the Teacher Training College (now Institute of Foreign Languages) looks like a traditional straw hat.
The Chaktomuk Conference Hall, also by Vann Molyvann, offers another example of the use of traditional objects as inspiration, with its fan shaped roof and golden spire.
The National Sports Complex and the Teacher Training College (now Institute of Foreign Languages) are prime examples of this approach.
Late colonial architecture, especially buildings such as the Central Market and Phnom Penh Railway Station, had an influence in the innovative use of reinforced concrete.
Two UN experts, Vladimir Bodiansky and Gérald Hanning, provided valuable technical support in the early 1960s to the point that Vann Molyvann said they were his masters.
But it was not until 1965 that architecture began to be taught at the newly established Royal University of Fine Arts, where the most famous new Khmer architect, Vann Molyvann, was hired as Rector.
Other Cambodian architects who played an important role were Lu Ban Hap, Chhim Sun Fong, Seng Suntheng, Ung Krapum Phka and Mam Sophana.
Altogether Grant Ross and Collins (opus cit pp72) identified over 60 architects from many different origins who contributed to the work of the Sangkum Reastr Niyum: Henri Chatel, Jamshed Petigura, Leroy & Mondet, Claude Bach, to mention a few.
In recent years, significant contributions from Japanese experts and contractors have emerged, with Gyoji Banshoya, Nobuo Goto and Setsuo Okada being recorded by Kosuke Matsubara.
