An Introduction to Cambodian Shophouses

In the Case of Spatial Organization Transformation

By Sokly YAM, Royal University of Fine Arts and Space for Architecture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Supervised bu Prof. Seo Ryeung Ju, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea

This article is published on Family and Environmental Research Journal, Korea

Title: Transformation of Shophouses in Phnom Penh, Cambodia: In the Aspect

of Spatial Organization

http://www.fer.or.kr/articles/search_result.php

Cambodia and ASEAN nations

Source: Google Maps, (1) :http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/bebeaverbold/files/2015/04/Angkor_from_Lake.jpg (2) https://diogenesii.wordpress.com/tag/khmer-rouge/

(3) http://blog.thecauseofprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/PhnomPenh121230-2159.jpg

Cambodia

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2

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1960s Shophouses 1950s Shophouses

Traditional shophouses

Phnom Penh shophouses:

Traditional shophouses

˃ To document the general morphology and spatial organization of

shophouses of Phnom Penh’s historical districts.

Aims:

˃ To investigate morphological and spatial organization of

shophouses based on the original building form and unit design.

˃ To trace the transformation of morphology and spatial

organization of shophouses.

˃ To explore spatial use pattern of the shophouses

˃ The attempt to address the uniqueness of Phnom Penh’s

shophouses

Researching scope:

The first Chinese districts are selected for study.

Representatives samples are surveyed and analyzed.

Shophouse that built between 1900s to 1960s are selected as the case study.

Commercial-residential archetype of shophouses are the focused cases for the study.

Studied area Historical cities of Phnom Penh

First Chinese district

Third Chinese district

Second Chinese district

Field survey:

Hand survey measurement

Shared courtyard

Photographic documentation

Shared staircase Internal view

Informal interview and voice record

Analyzing framework:

Analyzing Analyzing criteria

Basic configuration

Structure, plot ratio, number of span per block, number of

storey, number of courtyard, type of ownership, roof

shape,

Block and unit

Block: block type, entrances, stair case, corridor,

courtyard/skywell

Unit: unit orientation, space composition (living area,

bedroom, kitchen, toilet, store area)

Urban Development of Phnom Penh

Pre-Protectorate

• Fishing village, traditional planning with different ethnical villages, Khmer, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cham etc...

• Wooden constructions

Protectorate (colonial)

• Modern planned city with grid system • European urban scape and diverse ethnical districts • New brick and concrete construction

Independent

• New government institutes • Vast urban expansion and social housing • More complex archetype introduced as part of urban development • Concrete is wisely available for new construction

Among the 3 periods of urban development of Phnom Penh, shophouses are the main feature and one of the main principles to expanse the city.

Source: Aterlier Parisien d’Urbanisme, Phnom Penh Developpement Urbain et Patrimoine, 1997, P.13

Urban Development of Phnom Penh:

Definition of Shophouses in Southeast Asia

Definition of shophouses

No. Name of Author(s) Content

1. Khmer language Cambodia Pteah Loverng (bay house) is for the city’s row houses. Pteah Tiam (shop house) refers to small detach shop or house in front of a main house and typically used for the rural or a smaller commercial center.

2. French language Goulin (1966) La boutique chinois (Chinese store) “[Another] characteristics of the Chinese store was the same confusion in the local workplace and place of residence.…... The compartment was used to warehouse (store), dinning room, or even garage”

3. Thai language Thailand, Sirikulchayyanont (2009). Ruenrong is a single shophouse that built on the ground and normally belong to the Chinese. Hongthaew is a row of Ruenrong (Row house).

4. English Malaysia (Kohl (1978) & Fels (1994) Terrace house is purely use as one family residence with a wooden partition screen, ancestral hall and shine located near to the front hall. Shophouse is served for both chief tenant and multiple tenants. Singapore, Davison (2010) Shophouse has setback and use as five-foot-way

5. Tieng Viet Vietnam, To (2008) Nhẩ ống (tube house) is unique feature to Hanoi and Hoi An ancient city of Vietnam.

Definition of shophouses

Cambodian shophouses Void and Mass: 2 max (M, C, A) Courtyard/sky-well: 1 max Rear yard: No Front yard: yes but not a must Five-foot-way: yes Roof form: gable roof and terrace Shop: ground floor Dwelling: upper floor Space arrangement: central axis or corridor

Malaysian shophouses Void and Mass: 3 to 4 Sky-well: 2 to 3 Rear yard: yes Front yard: yes but not a must Five-foot-way: yes Roof form: gable roof, jack roof and terrace Shop: ground floor Dwelling: upper floor Space arrangement: central axis or corridor

Vietnamese shophouses Void and Mass: 3 to 4 Sky-well: 2 to 3 Rear yard: no Front yard: yes but not a must Five-foot-way: yes Roof form: gable roof and terrace Shop: ground floor Dwelling: central and rear of ground floor Space arrangement: central axis or corridor

Precedent study on shophouses in SEA

No. Name of Author(s) Content

1. Kohl (1978) Malaysia. Chinese Architecture in the Straits Settlements and Western Malaya. University of Hong Kong (MA) Studied on the general Chinese architectural.

2. Fels (1994) Malaysia Penang’s Shophouse Culture. Place, 9(1). P. 46-55 Studied on socio-cultural and conservation point of view

3. Davison (2010) Singapore Singapore Shophouse Talisman Publishing House Pte Ltd Studied on definition, development of shophouse and the current status of shophouses in Singapore.

4. Li (2007) Singapore A Study of Ethnic Influence on the Façade of Colonial Shophouses in Singapore: A Case Study of Telok Ayer in Chinatown. Journal of Asian Architecture and Built Environment, 41-48 Studied on façade decoration elements and its cultural influences.

5. Ju & Osmar (2010)

Malaysia A Typology of Modern Housing in Malaysia. International Journal of Human Ecology, p. 109-119

Precedent study on shophouses

No. Name of Author(s) Content

6. Ly (2012) Vietnam A Critical Regionalist Approach to Housing Design in Vietnam: Socio-Environmental organization of Living Space in Pre- and Post-Reform House Queensland University of Technology (PhD) Studied the different form of living space organization in Pre- and Post Reform (1986).

7. Goulin (1966)

Cambodia Study of Urban Morphology of Phnom Penh Strasbourg, France Studied general history of urban planning of Phnom Penh and included the development of shophouses.

8. Igout (1991) Cambodia Phnom Penh Then and Now White Lotus Publication, Bangkok. Studied general development of urban planning of Phnom Penh.

9. Wakita et al (2010)

Cambodia Spatial Recomposition of Shophouses in Phnom Penh, Cambodia Journal of Asian Architecture and Built Environment, Vol. 9, No. 1, 2010 Studied the remodeling methodology done by the residents.

Secondary material on Cambodia

No. Name of Author(s) Content

10. Weinberger (2012)

Cambodia The Shophouse as a Tool for Equitable Urban Development: The Case Study of Phnom Penh, Cambodia University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Studied and suggesting the typology of shophouses and recommendation on the conservation policies and planning agenda.

11. Tan (2006) La Diaspora chinois du Cambodge. Histoir d’une identite recompe. Institute d’Etudes Politque de Paris. (MA disseration) Studied history of Chinese diaspora in Cambodia from a historical point of view.

12. Osborn (2008) Cambodia Phnom Penh, A Cultural and Literacy History Signal Book Oxford Historical study about general development of Phnom Penh

13. Staurt-Fox & Reeve (2011)

Cambodia Symbolism in the City Planning in Cambodia from Angkor to Phnom Penh Journal of Siam Society, 99, p. 105-138 Studied the relation between urban planning and religious believe in Cambodia

Analysis

Location of cases

Basic Configuration

Overview of cases

Classification of shophouses

Types Content

Shared courtyard Shophouse

(SCS)

Private Courtyard Shophouse

(PCS)

Roof types Types Content

Gable Roof with clay roof tiles is the most common roof

form.

Hip-roof is not a common roof form,

but it is mostly cover the corner

spans.

Flat roof is a common roof form

for later built shophouses

Plot Ratio

Half length unit (HL) Full length unit (FL)

A full length unit, traditionally, is a unit that owned by a family and occupied a full span of a shophouse (both ground floor and first floor) whereas a full length unit for the modern shophouse is a unit that owned by a single family per span per floor (full span). Typically FL unit is either contains only M for NCS or MCA for MCS, PCS and SCS.

A half length unit is a unit that owned by a family that occupied a half span or either owned only for M or A per span of shophouse block. Traditional shophouses does not have any half length unit type.

Type of ownership

Private courtyard shophouses (PCS)

Shared courtyard shophouses (SCS)

Conclusion

Comparison between PCS and SCS

Private Courtyard Shophouses Shared Courtyard Shophouse

Remain most of the characteristics of

early shophouses with extra floor height.

Early SCS contains similar spatial

organization to PCS, except there did not

has wall between bays at the courtyard.

Single bay type Block type with multiple bays

Shop at ground level, living at upper floors.

Early PCS: small courtyard without

staircase

Modern PCS: Small courtyard with

staircase

Early SCS: shared only ground floor

level.

Modern SCS: shared mostly from first

floor and above

Only one shared staircase One or multiple shared staircase

Only one courtyard One or multiple courtyard

Single unit per floor Multiple units per floor

Conclusion

Four types of shophouse are identified:

1. Shared courtyard shophouse (SCS)

2. Private courtyard shophouse (PCS)

Shophouse has gradually increased height which creating a stacked

dwelling, a medium density, that suitable for the dense living architecture.

The courtyard is one of the most element of space composition for the

dense living environment.

SCS is transformed and it is similar to the western multi-family housing

typology, which consisted of double loaded type apartment with an atrium

in the center.

Both PCS and SCS has evolved from two storeys building for a single

family into a multi-storey multi-family building.

Conclusion

The shop area of early PCS and SCS has dual functions such as

commercial use and linking the ground floor and upper floors. Whereas

the shop area of modern PCS and SCS has purely commercial and

community service.

Courtyard of early PCS and SCS served only for ventilation and to gain

natural light purpose whereas the later built PCS and SCS, courtyard has

becoming the main circulation for the shophouse block and community

activities.

Conclusion

The evolution of SCSs shows how shophouses in Phnom Penh were

transformed. SCSs attempted to adhere to the original shophouse lifestyle

even though it adopted new building technique and accepted economic

benefits (practicality) while maintaining the traditional space order of

shophouses (tradition).

Shophouses in Phnom Penh has adopted an imported western type of

architecture, adapted it to the local tradition, and finally invented a new

building typology, this being indicative of the modernization process as it

was gradually accepted by society.

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