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
1
2
3
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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