Phnom Penh: Architectural Guide

Founded in the fifteenth century, planned and rebuilt by the French, and then modernized and expanded in the era after independence, the city of Phnom Penh displays a diverse mix of styles.

Here, early religious and vernacular buildings, the glittering structures of the Royal Palace, and colonial buildings of the French Protectorate (1863–1953) coexist with the gems of the ‘New Khmer Architecture’ of the 1960s. After the destructive period under the Khmer Rouge, the city went through a rebirth. It has seen rapid modernization and economic development in recent years, and its urban landscape is transforming at a breathtaking pace. This guide offers a comprehensive overview of Phnom Penh’s built heritage, highlighting its ­history and architectural layers. In addition to covering better-known masterpieces, it also takes readers through the city’s ‘everyday architecture’, revealing places off the beaten track. Illustrated with contemporary photographs and historical images, the book presents more than 140 works that illuminate the four major phases of development in the city’s ever-changing urban history. It thus makes an important contribution to current debates on heritage preservation in the booming metropolis. Interviews with local experts present their individual perspectives on the city and place the buildings in a broader context.

Moritz Henning is an architect, independent researcher, and writer based in ­Berlin, Germany. He studied at the ­Technische Universität Berlin and is a ­registered architect with the ­Berlin ­Chamber of Architects. Over the last 20 years, he has worked as a freelance ­project manager for a number of ­Berlin-based architectural firms on a wide range of projects, such as schools, hotels, and office buildings. Moritz ­Henning also develops symposia, workshops, discussions, books, and magazines and writes for architectural journals such as ­Bauwelt, ­Modulor, and dbz. He is particularly interested in the legacy of post-independence architecture in ­Cambodia. Since his first visit to the country in 2007, he has written numerous articles on Cambodia’s post-­colonial architecture and its planners, such as Vann ­Molyvann or Lu Ban Hap.

Walter Koditek is an urban planner and urban development expert ­currently based in Hong Kong. After graduating from the Technische Universität ­Berlin, he worked as a chartered urban planner at urban consultancies on various design and planning tasks in German ­cities and regions. In 2000, he returned to academia as an assistant professor at the ­Brandenburg Technical ­University Cottbus, where he conceived and conducted design projects, seminars, and joint international studios in Europe and Asia. From 2007 to 2010, Walter lived in Cambodia to work as a technical advisor for urban planning in Battambang City, seconded by the German Development Service (DED). After three years in ­Cambodia and a four-year intermezzo working at the Ministry of Construction in Hanoi, Vietnam, Walter returned once more to Cambodia, where he worked as a freelance consultant for Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) from 2015 to 2016.