Thomas Kolnberger – University of Luxembourg
17th Conference International Seminar on Urban Form - ISUF
`Behaviours of settlement´: patterns of inertia and change in the history of Cambodia
One hydrological regime by nature, two urban solutions by culture:
- `low density settlements´ (ancient Khmer) - `the compact city´ (French colonialism)
Open waters, spongy surface and porous tissue vs. paved surface, buried water circulation and dense tissue:
- (sub)terranean modernisation and commodification of Phnom Penh´s urban space
A B
Phnom Penh
NE-Monsoon
SW-Monsoon
Morphologies in Cambodia‘s history
Circular earthworks since 3000 BC until now
First polygonal settlements in the Mekong Delta region:
Funan (ca. 1 / 2 / 3 – 7th c.) `Sea-Zhenla´ (7 – 8th c.)
Sacral grid square / cosmic cities Angkor Time 9 – 15th c.
Orthogonal street network since French colonial times (19th c.)
sacral grid square & cosmic cities
6
Angkor Thom and
Vienna, Austria (a comparison)
square of ca. 3 km lateral length
Angkor Thom or
Yasodharapura The `Big City´
Founded by King
Jayavarman VII.
1181 - ca. 1220
8
ca. 146 km² surface
Before the
colonial French masterplan Phnom Penh 1876:
a linear settlement
The Phnom (hill)
Tonle S ap R
iver
Tonle Bassac River
Meko ng
10
Waterfront & waterfrontier of Phnom Penh
16th c. 1866 1867 1914
1920 1926 1928 1968
The Phnom (hill) The waterfront The waterfrontier
12
The production of a new
surface: the ‘système Decauville’
streetgrid by polderisation
14
1920-30s 1963
Thank you!
16th c. 1866 1867 1914
1920 1926 1928 1968
The Phnom (hill) The waterfront The waterfrontier
