White Building: Thanks for the Memories Van Molyvann
By the way... Who is responsible for the Building's maintenance, and how is the ownership of the building dealt with?
I understand that residents there have property titles to their flats, which is why they have until now being protected from forced eviction. But is there a cooperative or a committee of owners in charge of maintaining the building?
The structure stood all this time but by the look of it, it seems to slowly degrade and eventually be unsafe.
Relocation/resettlement plans have always been a mess. The Chroy Changva area has been developed but it's still far from the city center.
It's a shame for the building to be demolished. Any engineers among us who can give an opinion about the possibility to restore it?
I understand that residents there have property titles to their flats, which is why they have until now being protected from forced eviction. But is there a cooperative or a committee of owners in charge of maintaining the building?
The structure stood all this time but by the look of it, it seems to slowly degrade and eventually be unsafe.
Relocation/resettlement plans have always been a mess. The Chroy Changva area has been developed but it's still far from the city center.
It's a shame for the building to be demolished. Any engineers among us who can give an opinion about the possibility to restore it?
There is no place in the developing Phnom Penh skyline for Boding. I doubt it could be beautified and as it stands now.............is an eyesore sitting on some prime real estate. I hope the flat owners are treated fairly.
Sadly, it is known that Cambodians will spend many dollars to buy/build something, but will not spend one Riel on maintenance. And behind the curtains is the plunderers, aided and abetted by those who only worship themselves and money - bugger the people.
Slowly, but slowly the memories of Van Molyvann are disappearing and I would say due to his closeness and work for the late King.
In the coming weeks/months, the rat/s will come out.
Slowly, but slowly the memories of Van Molyvann are disappearing and I would say due to his closeness and work for the late King.
In the coming weeks/months, the rat/s will come out.
- LTO
- The Internet is my Friend
- Reactions: 1
- Posts: 6412
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2010 9:10 pm
- Location: Srok Khmer
- Contact:
Sounds like its going with a bit more notice than the squatter village that used to surround it, unceremoniously burned to the ground in one of many mystery slum fires that used to herald impending development.
Last edited by LTO on Thu Sep 04, 2014 12:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
- Damn, I just saw my Internet Bill !
- Reactions: 3
- Posts: 4420
- Joined: Sun Dec 09, 2012 3:04 pm
Haha, yeah. You mean the area that is now a "park" which used to have wooden shacks? Used to house prostitutes and the likes until it was mysteriously burned down. I'm with Lone Star: that building has to go one way or another. And to Joon: maintenance is done the same way as any other khmer building... None is done. Why should someone "be in charge of renovations" for that building anyways? People renovate their own flats but rarely work together to fix structural issues or beautify it. In that building's case, they just added bricks in random spots... Hopefully they build up and add car parking or something. It's definitely prime real estate so whoever is going to develop it probably has big plans. Hopefully it won't be some monstrosity.LTO wrote:Sounds like its going with a bit more notice than the squatter village that used to surround it, unceremoniously burned to the ground in one of many mystery slum fires that used to herald impeding development.
- LTO
- The Internet is my Friend
- Reactions: 1
- Posts: 6412
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2010 9:10 pm
- Location: Srok Khmer
- Contact:
My memory is a bit hazy but I think not just that little park. I vaguely recall it extending up Sothearos the length of the white bldg well south of 294, and where there are now new buildings - a club, hotels, restaurants, etc. I was through it a few times and remember it as quite a warren.You mean the area that is now a "park" which used to have wooden shacks?
- Lucky Lucan
- K440 Knight Captain
- Reactions: 761
- Posts: 22525
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:24 pm
- Location: The Pearl of the Orient
No, the part that mysteriously burned down in about 2000, as LTO said already, is the part in front that's now built up with a KTV on the north end and various Korean restaurants etc along Sothearous. There were thousands of shacks and slums in that neighborhood 10 years ago, most of those are just football piches and open land now, but I've read about some developments that are about to go up there soon.LexusSchmexus wrote: Haha, yeah. You mean the area that is now a "park" which used to have wooden shacks? Used to house prostitutes and the likes until it was mysteriously burned down.
I'm with you both on that too, it's pretty surprising that such a messy-looking structure like that has even lasted so long. It reminds me of a miniature Kowloon or something, an anomaly that has since been wiped off the face of the Earth. I've always had a soft spot for the Building but it was never going to last forever.I'm with Lone Star: that building has to go one way or another. And to Joon: maintenance is done the same way as any other khmer building... None is done. Why should someone "be in charge of renovations" for that building anyways? People renovate their own flats but rarely work together to fix structural issues or beautify it. In that building's case, they just added bricks in random spots... Hopefully they build up and add car parking or something. It's definitely prime real estate so whoever is going to develop it probably has big plans. Hopefully it won't be some monstrosity.
Here's a brilliant cross-section drawing of Kowloon that gives you a good idea about what it's like inside and outside these places, it's too big to post here: Cross-section
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
i heard rumours the squatters will be dumped in Sihanoukville.
In other words, another eviction. This time is the big one. Should I remind that everything started at some point of time at Samlaut and now it comes back to the same spot in the past. Sihanouk is HE, Sam Rainsy is Lon Nol, and the third party is in the making.
There seem to be a lot of westerners decrying they building's demolition (almost auto-reactively?), but the trouble is that when a building has gotten to what here externally looks like a fairly bad level of disrepair then it is hard to argue that it should stay for the sake of history if it becomes increasingly structurally unsound.Lucky Lucan wrote:I'm with you both on that too, it's pretty surprising that such a messy-looking structure like that has even lasted so long. It reminds me of a miniature Kowloon or something, an anomaly that has since been wiped off the face of the Earth. I've always had a soft spot for the Building but it was never going to last forever.LexusSchmexus wrote: I'm with Lone Star: that building has to go one way or another. And to Joon: maintenance is done the same way as any other khmer building... None is done. Why should someone "be in charge of renovations" for that building anyways? People renovate their own flats but rarely work together to fix structural issues or beautify it. In that building's case, they just added bricks in random spots... Hopefully they build up and add car parking or something. It's definitely prime real estate so whoever is going to develop it probably has big plans. Hopefully it won't be some monstrosity.
The calls of outrage come too late, when if we care about them we should be advocating for the early and ongoing maintenance of important buildings so that they avoid getting to this state. (Having said this, of course I'm aware it is much easier-said-than-if-at-all done in Cambodia). Unfortunately, dilapidation is a convenient excuse for developers and development-authorities alike.
(Interestingly, it could also be suggested that the methods and materials used in NKA designs by the likes of Van Molyvann have actually allowed a number of such buildings to stand up quite well to the ravages of time and neglect, considering the abandonment during the DK years due to the evacuation and the overall lack of maintenance in years following.)
The sadder part here will be in how the current residents are treated, as you guys point out. It's too bad that I think we already know how that is likely to play out..
That's an interesting idea mister B, hadn't thought of it that way before.mister B wrote:Slowly, but slowly the memories of Van Molyvann are disappearing and I would say due to his closeness and work for the late King.
Great image, LL! Do you know where it was printed? Japanese source I'd guess, as it's written in Japanese rather than Chinese characters?Lucky Lucan wrote: Here's a brilliant cross-section drawing of Kowloon that gives you a good idea about what it's like inside and outside these places, it's too big to post here: Cross-section
There's an interesting German documentary on the Kowloon walled city that I saw on youtube a little while ago:
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
- 23 Replies
- 5713 Views
-
Last post by kungfufighter
Wed Jan 08, 2020 3:04 am
-
- 19 Replies
- 5561 Views
-
Last post by spitthedog
Tue Jul 02, 2019 4:45 pm
-
- 30 Replies
- 7206 Views
-
Last post by kansaicanuck
Sun Jun 30, 2019 9:53 pm
-
-
Is living in a Highrise Building good ?
by Expatissimo » Sat Sep 11, 2021 10:30 pm » in Houses, Apartments and Real Estate - 25 Replies
- 6461 Views
-
Last post by YaTingPom
Thu Sep 16, 2021 7:58 am
-
-
-
Building a multi-purpose facilites
by nasruddin » Sat Sep 07, 2019 3:12 pm » in Questions and Answers - 1 Replies
- 1207 Views
-
Last post by Lucky Lucan
Sat Sep 07, 2019 8:02 pm
-