COMPETITION BRIEF

  Design a spectacular and unique building in the heart of Battambang. The building must be inspired by Cambodian architectural heritage whilst looking to the future.

  The building will be used a start-up hub for social enterprises and as a cultural centre. It should inspire the next generation of Cambodian entrepreneurs and artists to create something extraordinary and improve our world.

  The building should be partially or fully constructed using sustainable and/or local materials.

  The building should become an architectural landmark for the city and for Cambodia.

Applications are open to all Cambodian architects

Deadline for applications EXTENDED: 15 January 2021

The winning design and 5 special mentions will be notified in March 2021 and all entries will be exhibited at the grand opening of The Bang scheduled for 2022

Building Requirements

  One large open co-working office space

  Space for an art gallery / community center

  Office for PKO management

  Restroom facilities

  Location (indoor or outdoor) for 3m x 3m x 3m feature sculpture by Sopheap Pich - see images - please note images are of model, actual sculpture will be made of bronze

‌  Optional: Artist residency space (studio / bedroom, bathroom)

  Budget $500,000 USD

  Site information can be downloaded HERE and HERE

  • THE SITE

    Project Location

      Street 100, Krong Battambang, Cambodia
  • THE JUDGES

    The Judges

    Sir David CHIPPERFIELD

    Architect

    British architect Sir David Chipperfield is one of the most eminent and successful figures in contemporary architecture. Since 1984, he has been at the helm of David Chipperfield Architects, an award-winning firm with over 180 staff at offices in London, Berlin, Milan, and Shanghai. His projects include the restoration and new extension of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, the renovation of the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, the Amore Pacific HQ and Museum in Seoul, the Jumex, Museum in Mexico City, the Hepworth Wakefield Gallery in the UK and the Neues Museum in Berlin.

    PICH Sopheap

    Artist

    Pich Sopheap is one of the leading artists in Cambodia known for his biomorphic and geometric sculptures in rattan and bamboo that evoke memory and his relationship to nature whilst responding to inspirations from his country of birth. His artworks have been shown in many major exhibitions such as Documenta and the Venice Biennale and collected by numerous museums internationally such as the Guggenheim Museum and the Metropolitan Museum in the USA, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, France and the National Gallery of Singapore. He was educated at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has lived and worked in Phnom Penh, Cambodia since 2002.

    Dr LIM Sophea

    Exectutive Director of Puthi Komar Organisation
    Co-Founder, The Bang

    Dr. Lim Sophea is Executive Director of Puthi Komar Organization (PKO), an education NGO which runs over 40 schools teaching over 10,000 students in Cambodia. He is the President of Educam Group, founder of Battambang Education Support Team (BEST), and Chairman of the Board of Directors of several Cambodian NGOs. Previously, Sophea worked at various NGOs including Enfants Refugies du Mond (ERM) a pre-cursor of PKO.

    Dr. SISOWATH Men Chandévy

    Architect and urban planner, expert in the conservation and restoration of Heritage Buildings
    Vice-rector and Professor at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism and the Faculty of Archaeology of Royal University of Fine Arts, Phnom Penh

    Dr. Devy began her professional career as curator of the Khmer Arts collections at the National Museum of Phnom Penh in 1998. After completing her studies at the the École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Toulouse in 2007 she became the Director of The Heritage Center, a public establishment under the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts in charge of documenting, safeguarding and overseeing the renovation and restoration work on heritage buildings from the late 19th and 20th centuries. She completed her doctoral thesis on "The vocabulary of Khmer architecture, Illustrated dictionary - Khmer- French and French- Khmer lexicon". Dr Devy has also worked as a project manager and consultant for various architectural conservation, restoration and research projects in Cambodia. Most notably, she is in charge of the restoration of heritage buildings at the Royal Palace of Phnom Penh.

    Nick Buckley WOOD

    Co-Founder, The Bang

    Nick Buckley Wood has over 10 years of experience in the art industry in Asia and is currently the Asia Director of Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery, one of the largest commercial art galleries in Europe. Nick founded The Bang with Lim Sophea to explore a new model for art, architecture and traditional culture to make a tangible impact on local communities and the environment. Nick serves on the board of the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art in the UK.