Vann Molyvann

Vann Molyvann was born on November 23, 1926, in Kampot. Winning a royal scholarship to study at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, Molyvann returned to Cambodia in 1956. Appointed State Architect by Prince Norodom Sihanouk at age thirty, he spearheaded the visual modernization of the newly independent nation.

Molyvann created 'New Khmer Architecture', ingeniously synthesizing European Corbusian modernism with traditional Angkorian temple moats, natural ventilation, and elevated stilt living. His iconic masterworks include the Independence Monument (1958), the 60,000-seat National Olympic Stadium (1964), the Chaktomuk Conference Hall, and the State Palace. Returning from Swiss exile in 1993, he directed the APSARA authority protecting Angkor.