White Building To Be Demolished?

• 31 December 2015
• Local News
• 3902 Views

The White Building, one of the most famous buildings in Phnom Penh has been the subject of recent controversy over whether or not it has been slated for demolition. The story gained extensive media coverage following an announcement by Phnom Penh Governor H.E. Pa Socheatavong in early September.

According to the Municipality of Phnom Penh in a press conference at the time, inspectors from the municipal department of land management and urban planning had carried out an inspection of the building and deemed it unsafe, though this was disputed by residents who called for an independent inspection.

The White Building was inaugurated in 1963 built during the reign of King Sihanouk. Designed by Cambodian architect Lu Ban Hap and Russian architect Vladimir Bodiansky, it comprised 468 apartments, and was the first attempt to offer a multi-story modern urban lifestyle to lower- and middle-class Cambodians.

Today, though iconic, the White Building is in poor condition and located in an area where real estate values are sky-rocketing.