Biography of Vann Molyvann
By Trudy Vann
1969-71 The Teachers’ Training College for 200 students with a at hall, class rooms, a building with laboratories and one circular library. (Situated on Pocchentong Road, Phnom Penh, this college was funded by France and it presently the International Language Center).
1969-70 Conception and project for new National Assembly (project never begun due to the beginning of the war).
1967 The Jute bag factory at Daun Teav (Battambang).
1967-69 Building of 24 apartments fir the National Bank of Cambodia in Phnom Penh (the so-called “one hundred houses district”, between Tuol Kork and Pochentong, presently occupied by family of the Royal Khmer Air Force.
1966-67 The Police Headquarter at Tuol Kork, Phnom Penh (1 auditorium, floor for the Minister’s Cabinet and 3 floor of offices).
1966-67 The Ministry of Finance, 3 floors of offices and conference halls, on Pochentong, Phnom Penh (presently part of the Army Headquarters).
1966-67 The Preah Suramarit National Theater on the Bassac in Phnom Penh, seating 1200 and intended for large performances. It was the Centre of the National Conservatory for Cultural Performances comprising about 400 artists. In 1994, it was destroyed by fire.
1966 The beer brewery of the SKD in Sihanoukville which produced 300 hl of the beer daily. The complex include one administrative building and staff houses (partly funded by France). It is still in use today.
1966 The State Palace at Chamcar Mon, Phnom Penh, comprised of large lounge, dining hall, two wings of offices, rooms for State guests, and a large open reception hall. (This building, inaugurated on the occasion of the State visit of the France President General De Gaulle, is presently the Senate).
(Note: Chamkar Mon was the Residence of the Head of State, HRH Prince Norodom Sihanouk during the Sangkum period. He lived in villas on the grounds designed by various architects. The halls described above were the first ones to built on the premise of Chamcar Mon for official receptions).
1966 Itinerant Exhibition“Cambodia Today”, successively presented in Paris (France), London(U.K.), Warsaw (Poland), Budapest (Hungary), Belgrade (Yugoslavia) and Havana (Cuba).
1965-67 The laboratories of the Pasture Institute on the peninsula of Chrouy Changvar, Phnom Penh (one administrative building and one building of 3 floors with laboratories). Destroyed during the Khmer Rouge period.
1964 The Capitol Cinema (reconstructed after its destruction by fire).
1964 Exhibition at the Galleries Lafayette in Paris on the occasion of the State visit of the Cambodian Head of State HRH Prince Norodom Sihanouk to France.
1963-64 Exhibition Gall of the achievementChatomuk Conference Hall built for the World Conference on Buddhism, with 800 seats fully equipped for simultaneous interpretation into four languages (Unite States funding). Situated on the “quatre bras” water front in Phnom Penh, this polyvalent hall was the first of its kind and has been used ever since for performances of classical ballet, theater, concert, as well as conferences.
1963 The first airport terminal building at Siem Reap/Angkor (presently used by the Armed Forces).
1963-64 The National Olympic Stadium and sport Complex (area of 40 ha) with a stadium capable of holding 80,000 spectators with 4,000 seats for guests of honor, as well as a sport hall with 6,000 seats and an Olympic size pool with 4,000 seats, plus administrative buildings, tennis court, etc. for all types of competitions held during the 3rd Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh.
1962-63 The building of the Council of Ministers along Pochentong road, Phnom Penh (conference hall and three floors of offices).
1962 The National Club for water sports competitions during the 3rd Southeast Asian Games. The club was situated on the “quarter bras” in Phnom Penh and was comprised of a control tower and wharfs. The main building had shelters for boats on the ground floor as well as offices for the management, the selection committee, the press, and facilities for the athletes. The Club itself, with a bar and large restaurant, was on the upper floor. (The Club was completely destroyed during the Khmer Rouge period).
1962 Conception and Plans for a building of 164 duplex-type apartments on the Bassac river front to houses 2000 athletes for the 3rd Southeast Asian Games. (The construction was supervised by its owner, the Municipality of Phnom Penh. Although the building survived the Khmer Rouge period, the initial conception for natural ventilation, and its general shape were completely destroyed by alterations made in 1996).
1962 Conception and plans for a building of 92 low-cost apartments on the Bassac river front. (The execution was supervised by the Municipality of Phnom Penh).
1962 Exhibition Hall at the International Trade Fair of Brno, Czechoslovakia.
1962 A Reception Hall for State guests at Chamcar Mon comprised of a lounge, a dining room, a patio with a monument in a basin, and a classical Khmer dance and concert hall.
1962 The Roman Catholic church at Sihanoukville.
1962 Transformation and complete renovation of the residence of the Chief of State at Grasse, Mougins in France.
1962 The Khmer Embassy in Saigon (presently the Ho Chi Minh Municipality).
1962 The community Development Center at Anlong Romiet, also called the Anlong Romiet village, comprised of a reception and meeting hall, facilities for preventive medicine, and hall for the cooperative society, Completely destroyed during the Khmer Rouge period.
1962-64 The Exhibition Hall for achievements in the fields of politics, economics, industries, art and crafts during the Sangkum Reastr Niyum. Located along the Bassac river in Phnom Penh.
1961 The Stupas of His Majesty King Norodom Suramarit, Princess Kantha Bopha, and Her Majesty Queen Kosamak(funeral monument within the Royal Palace, area of the Silver Pagoda, Phnom Penh.
1961-66 State Resident in several Provinces (Kampong Cham, Battambang, Kirirom, etc.).
1961 State Resident at the port city of Sihanoukville (Kompong Som).
1960 Exhibition Hall for the International Trade Fair at Osaka, Japan.
1960 Two buildings of 12 apartments each for international experts on Pochentong road, Phnom Penh.
1960 Building for the first automatic telephone exchange (2000 lines) at the Phnom Penh Post Office.
1960 Exhibition Hall on the occasion of the State visit of the Cambodia Head of State, HRH Prince Norodom Sihanouk, to Yugoslovia (International Trade Fair of Zagreb).
1959 The first Children’s Hospital “Kantha Bopha” in Phnom Penh (which has been completely renovated and modernized after the KhmerRouge period with funds raised by the Swiss pediatrician DR. Beat Richner).
1959-60 The Independence Monument, Phnom Penh.
1958 Three floor offices building for General Ngo Hou, originally rented by USIS, The United States Information Service.
1958-66 Illuminations of Angkor Wat and technical organization for light and sound performances for state visits at Angkor, Seam Reap (President Sukharno, President Titio, General de Gaulle, etc.).
1958 Monument with four Nagas, traffic cycle at the Monivong bridge, Phnom Penh.
1957 The pavilions and Temple for the Ceremonies of the 2500th anniversary of the Buddha, Phnom Penh (The pavilions and temples extended over the entire public garden from railway station to the Tonle Sap river in Phnom Penh. They are used to shelter 10,000 monks and were the site of traditional religious ceremonies.
From: Cultures of Independence: An Introduction to Cambodian Arts and Culture in the 1950s and 1960s by Ly Daravuth and Ingrid Muan.