White Building Final Days

The White Building project (originally known as the Municipal Apartments) was part of the ambitious Bassac River Front cultural complex that lay on reclaimed land along the Bassac River. Designed by Cambodian architect Lu Ban Hap and Russian architect Vladimir Bodiansky, and inaugurated in 1963, the White Building comprised of 468 apartments, and was the first attempt to offer multi-story modern urban lifestyle to lower and middle-class Cambodians. After forced evacuation during the 1975-79 regime, some of the former residents returned to the neighbourhood and the community grew again as a community of artists. For many in Phnom Penh, the White Building is perceived as an irregular community, cloaked in stigma associated with poverty, drugs, sex work, petty crime, dangerous construction and poor sanitation. However, the White Building is one of the city's most vibrant communities, housing more than 2,500 residents, including classical dancers, master musicians, skilled craftspeople, cultural workers, civil servants, and street vendors. Increasing pressure from developers for this prime location has resulted in the building being condemned, owner residents being compensated, and the White Building scheduled for demolition - to be replaced by a new 21 story residential/retail complex.