Vann Molyvann’s house could become yet another skyscraper, expert warns

• 10 September 2020
• Local News
• 3919 Views

Photo by: Courtesy-of-IPS-Cambodia

With the absence of preservation law and high land price, the unique house of renowned Khmer architecture Vann Molyvann might be torn down and replaced with a skyscraper, experts warns.

According to Bloomberg CityLab article on September 9, his house is currently listed for sale at US$7 million.

Since there has no law or regulation to reserve that house as a heritage, any buyer can replace it with a new commercial building or shopping mall, just like the many nearby.

Even though the children of Vann Molyvann prefer a buyer who has preservation in mind, this might not be enough.

Helen Grant Ross, a British-French architect and former Lecturer at the Royal University of Fine Arts, said that the price pressure on the land is so strong that it would overwhelm any nostalgia about the past. Besides, it’s an excellent location for a skyscraper.

In the districts where Vann Molyvann’s home resides, the price is very high. It has tripled from 2006 to US$2,000 by 2010. Then, it tripled again to approximately US$6,000 in 2020.

According to the same source, the idea of putting his house into a museum does not receive any support or fund from both the public and private sector, which makes the house even more vulnerable.

The house is one of the genius and unique architecture, combining new ideas with tradition. Molyvann used to say that the house was his opportunity to express his ideas he didn’t dare use anywhere else.

“One day there will be an appreciation of him, but when that is, God knows. I’m afraid it will be too late by the time they wake up,” said Ms Ross.

Vann Molyvann is one of the all-time great architect in Cambodia with plenty pieces of masterpieces including the independence monument, the Council of Ministers, the National Theater, Chaktomuk Conference Hall, Institute of Foreign Languages, the National Sports Complex, and his own home.

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