TEXT & ILLUSTRATION: POUM MEASBANDOL

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Having an education in architecture, I am inspired by the works of Cambodian and foreign architects during the Sangkum Reastr Niyum between the 1960s and 1970s in Cambodia. I started researching and began collecting old photos of Cambodian modernist buildings and sharing my finds with social media. I found out that not many young generations knew about architects in the 1960s. In addition, there was still little research on Cambodian modernism in the country, and this architectural legacy was gradually being destroyed everyday. Witnessing this over the years motivated me to engage with the topic more intensively and to record it in the form of illustration.

In this graphic series New Khmer Architecture, I highlight distinctive elements of buildings designed by Cambodian national architects such as Vann Molyvann, Lu Ban Hap, Mam Sophana, Ung Krapum Phkar, and the works of foreign architects like Henri Chatel, Leroy & Mondet, Georg Lippsmeier, and others.

The creation aims to reminisce great past achievements and represent the unique Cambodian modern architectures in a new and impressive look and feel. The illustrations depict unique elements from each buildings. The result is a great homage to the pioneers of Cambodian modernism, whose legacy is slowly but surely threatening to disappear.

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Poum Measbandol is an architect based in Phnom Penh. He graduated from the school of architecture and design at Pannasatra University of Cambodia.