In 1953 Cambodia achieved its independence from France and began an unprecedented period of modernisation. Vann Molyvann, a key figure in the new nation’s construction, was a leader of the New Khmer Architecture movement and a pioneer in architectural education.

But when civil war broke out in 1970, he was forced into exile and his work in his homeland was forgotten. This issue explores his unflinching dedication to architecture up until the present day and offers a chronological overview of his career, from his experiences as a student in Paris, to the national projects he directed at the Ministry of Public Works in Cambodia and his activities after the civil war.

In 1953 Cambodia achieved its independence from France and began an unprecedented period of modernisation. Vann Molyvann, a key figure in the new nation’s construction, was a leader of the New Khmer Architecture movement and a pioneer in architectural education.

But when civil war broke out in 1970, he was forced into exile and his work in his homeland was forgotten. This issue explores his unflinching dedication to architecture up until the present day and offers a chronological overview of his career, from his experiences as a student in Paris, to the national projects he directed at the Ministry of Public Works in Cambodia and his activities after the civil war.