WATER AND ARCHITECTURE (Based on buildings designed by Vann Molyvann)

Article by : Tum Yuryphal

Architecture regulates symbol and style that generally the design always contributes to the form which is the inspiration of religious, society and cultural progressing that created by innovation and revolution from one generation to others. For example, Cambodia in the Sangkum Reastr Niyum in 1960 was the period that leaded by HM King Norodom Sihanouk, he invented the country became a civilized by established the new infrastructure that focused on the development of all departments.   Architecture and education to educate the resources at that time made Cambodia standout and international interested especially in Southeast Asian. Architecture in 60’s had been characterized the identity and unique combined by form of Modern in French and Khmer which is called the New Khmer Architecture. Based on architect Vann Molyvann who was a famous architect in 1960, Architecture connects to modalities such as forming, esthetic, function and comfortability. He established and associated these forms in his buildings and those combined in one apparition called Traditional Khmer Architecture, Vann Molyvann said.  As an architectures represent their imaginations create to the reality forms that could be the buildings, sculpture and decorative ornaments.  In this article, we will address an interpretation of Vann Molyvan’s buildings that we may not notice or be interested in working most of the designs of the virtual constructionist which always integrates “water” components into the architecture. We will catch up two essentials to describe and cite specific examples via some of the artificial buildings of the architect Vann Molyvann at the bottom.

Water of spectacle of architecture

The imagination and reality that combined between the nature of water and architecture created as an attractiveness. Water is an important element in architecture, urban management and life. For example, city arrangement of modes of planning ancient Khmer urban waters, creating water parks and melting contemporaries of France, and the preparation of water reservoirs in the buildings of the virtual architect, Vann Molyvann. The concepts of architects clarified the valuable of water as the main element and operated in master plans and the buildings. The most marvelous, most of architectural researchers and tourists have been admired, the architecture caused nationality and changes in meditation when the architecture is integrated with water which is the water that animated. The animated water is the rainy water that drop from the buildings in Phnom Penh and perform as performing of the nature or waterfall. Priorities like the artificial construction of Vann Mulvvann’s buildings including library, administrative and classrooms of the University of Foreign Languages, National Stadiums, a hundred houses, the Preah Soramreth Theatre, the former Pasture Institute and other buildings, were designed by including “water” into the buildings.   Moreover, the archive facility library of the University of Foreign Languages designed the roof format by including the principle of geometric and Khmer features. Based on speech of architect, he chose the complete shape of a building inspired by Cambodian straw hat Cambodia, and the buildings are giving us clearly the influence of modernity, integrating with nature. The pleat form built by concrete originally procedure a single triangle-shaped suspended around the building. They have functioned important roles as a roof, the columns and aesthetic of the building. Those pleat forms identified the new style and provide proportion of the building and their functions. The private profile of each pillar resembles a palm leaf that demonstrated the conversion of natural architectural formats. The roof’s zigzag is not just an aesthetic, but a place that has been allowed to the flowing.  It is also possible to imagine the rainy season when the profile of the building has varied naturally. The water’s flowing from the roof are actively animated with ground water reservoirs surrounding the building. Students are sitting and reading books from the inside and central parts of the building can crash outside, see the waterfall scene across each of the surrounding pillars. Meanwhile, students who shelter rain under bridges and administrative buildings can also freshly feel distinguish the waterfall as scenes of nature. All these designs clearly emphasize the concepts and values of construction and users, with the purpose of making architecture more efficient and comfortable.

Water of Architecture Safety

Water can easily destroy the construction through water-penetrating water holes or floods derived from rainwater without drain or restored for reuse. Water can lead to creakiness, moss, and decayed buildings if there is neglect on the design or construction of virtual architects, engineers and labors. Instead, the water turned the building more sustainable, when those experts explore thoroughly and with the maintaining of users of the building. For example, the Olympic National Stadium designed with pools surround in the master plan and pond inside the indoor sport complex building which is located at next to four pillars of the building. Architect Vann Molyvann and French engineers of this project won the competition of the design National Sport Complex to host the Southeast Asian Game in 1964. The first award winner was also due to the concept of creating the initial facilities emanating from scribble design of new Khmer architecture, excavation to get land to build buildings and the use of local resources.  The architects were clearly skilled and talented at retrieving water from the surroundings of the pool, all the pools also helped avoid even more flooding during the rains monsoon.  According to our conclusions, the formation of pools around the stadium are also benefice for balancing of ground level and collapsing of any part of the building when rainy and the trembling of the foundations on the surrounding building surroundings.

Water of cool circulation of architecture 

Architects have tried to design buildings by avoiding the sun’s heat and the poisons of downloading natural air intended to create an efficient and comfortable space. To stalk those points, the architects designed buildings with large windows, wings, roofs overhanging and open a direct ground floor space, allowing the airflow from the outside of the building to inside the building. The designs are still not enough as Vann Molyvann, if there is no open hall for cool circulation. Therefore, he always includes the “water” into his buildings. Likewise, he designed an inner pool around the indoor sport complex buildings of the Olympic Stadium and inside the National Theatre. The pool located inside the inner sports hall is a space that converts the hot air from a hot atmosphere to touches the water into cold air and leads into inside of the building. Other examples of the National Theatre, designed by changing interior air vehicles with hot air flow from the outside through underneath the building then touch the water in the pool where at between the stair and convert into cold air, carrying the cold through the space to the upper floor and then moving along the shatter of the roof. Additionally, Vann Molyvann has used the same air conversion mode but in the form and another location, we can be seen at the roof of the Foreign-Languages university. He designed the roof as a honeycomb with a two layers and the shape played a major role in reducing the heat from the sun onto the concrete. ​ The upper layer of the roof has reduced the heat by the cold elements of rainwater, stored for short periods in the lower layer. The rain flows from the top and sticks up at the bottom of the roof, then the hot air flowing along the façade sides converted into a cold air via the water and then flowed cold air into the inner classroom via the shatters of the building. These are effective circulation of the wind that makes every Vann Molyvann’s building have natural ventilation without air con.

Water of Angkor Wat Inspiration

According to our searching, Khmer kings in ancient periods built temples in the destination of religion and always integrated water wives into the design of monuments. Likewise, Vann Molyvann sought and influenced the idea of using water in Angkor Wat temple as a design in his building. Excavations in front of and bridges across the administrative buildings of foreign languages have been developed in an attempt to exploit reflection between buildings and water as similar as welcoming us when we cross the Architectural Dragon Bridge. On the other hand, architect was also influenced by the techniques of using water on the architectural surroundings on his structures, like The Olympic National Stadium and the University of Foreign Languages. The University of Foreign Languages was a former university of teachers training in 60’s. Although, he was not as directly integrated in religion destinations as the construction of Architectural Monuments, but he was an architect who have high ability and intelligent on potential that meets in needs and creativity. 

The idea of creating a water resource, creating a form that allows the flow of water and many other images related between architecture and water are important part that made the architecture of the artificial effectiveness, true architectural value to users and future generations of descent to study. In conclusion, water became one valuable element in architecture, not only Vann Molyvann’s achievement, but water has been inspired by lot architects and it is the popular interest of architecture in over the world, in ancient and contemporary times.