At Raintree, we have always held a firm belief: progress is a team sport built on shared knowledge. We have a soft spot for good design, but we also know that in Cambodia, design books and specialised resources often live behind closed doors—tucked away in private studios, high-walled institutions, or personal collections beyond the reach of the typical student. Even our own library at Raintree, while beloved by our residents, has remained a curated retreat rather than a truly public resource.
Today, we are thrilled to witness those doors finally swinging open.
In a landmark act of community-minded placemaking, our long-time residents HKA + Partners and BROWN Coffee—together with community partner New Khmer Architecture (NK-A), co-curator of Modern Architecture: Echoes + Reflections—have inaugurated the country’s first public architecture and design library. It is a quiet but radical victory for those who believe that access to a city’s history is a public right, not a private privilege.
The Library: A Room with a View
Housed within the brutalist bones of the late architect Vann Molyvann’s former residence (now home to BROWN Mao Tse Toung), the space does more than store books; it activates a legacy. The collection juxtaposes Cambodia’s architectural history with global monographs—a necessity, because great design requires designers to have one ear to the ground and the other to the sky.
A quiet corner for design thinking, with a view for a better designed future. Photo: Living Structures.
The shelves hold more than 500 titles, but it is the curation that commands attention. Beyond global monographs and deep dives into architectural history of the Mekong region, you’ll find the "holy grails" and “rare gems” of local architectural history: the foundational Building Cambodia: New Khmer Architecture (1953–1970), the evocative Cultures of Independence, and the Genealogy of Bassac. Together, these volumes map a city constantly in flux, repeatedly shaped by political and economic shifts — from the imperial grandeur of the past, to the modernist optimism of the mid-20th century.
The real draw: the 'lost' volumes and limited-circulation titles. Photo: Living Structures
The Collection: Built by Community
Architecture is rarely a solo endeavor, and this project is a testament to that. It bears the literal fingerprints of the community. While the archives of HKA + Partners, Re:Edge, UAD Architecture, NK-A, and UNSW in Sydney provided the foundation, the heart of the collection is human-scale. Donations have arrived from academics and practitioners such as Aita Flury, Eva Lloyd, Walter Kotidek and even Pu Chhoeun—the late Vann Molyvann’s long-time driver. It is a poignant reminder that a city’s story is written as much by those who navigate its streets as those who draw its blueprints.
An inaugural collection of over 500 titles, built by community, for community. Photo: Living Structures
Living Structures: The Centenary Anchor
This library serves as the heartbeat of Living Structures, a year-long programme marking the centenary of Vann Molyvann. The initiative is built on four pillars: a community library, an architecture competition, art grants, and a modern architecture exhibition, all designed to bridge the resource gap for young Khmer talent.
This centenary celebration builds on two vital resources introduced at the House last year:
The Gallery: Three physical models of Molyvann’s projects that distill his complex urbanism into tangible, bite-sized lessons.
The Archive Room: A vault containing over 800 previously unseen documents, ranging from delicate conceptual sketches, to architectural blueprints, to construction photographs by Vann Molyvann and his close collaborators.
Vann Molyvann: “Life, Work & Architectural Nationhood,” a must-see for anyone interested in exploring the extraordinary impact of Vann Molyvann's work.
The Catalyst
Hok Kang, representative of ISI Group, and Sereypagna Pen, director of NK-A and curator of Living Structures, at the inauguration event. Photo: Living Structures.
In a post-conflict society like Cambodia, where public funding and facilities for education, cultural preservation, and civic programs remain limited, this project stands as a poignant example of private-sector–facilitated placemaking. Supported by ISI Group, the partnership demonstrates that when businesses move beyond the bottom line to invest in cultural infrastructure, they can create something far more durable: a shared ground for community co-creation.
Join the Village
It takes a village to start, and a larger village to grow.
The organisers extend an open invitation to architects, students, educators, researchers, artists, and urban planners. Whether through rigorous research, archival contribution, or simply your presence, the future of this library, and the Living Structures initiative as a whole, depends on your engagement.
This space is a physical manifestation of what a creative community can achieve when it chooses to share. We look forward to seeing you there.
Patio reading for all. Photo: Living Structures
Plan Your Visit
Location: BROWN Mao Tse Toung (Google Maps)
Hours: Wednesday–Sunday | 9 AM – 6 PM (Closed 12 PM – 1 PM for lunch break)
Admission: Free Entry
Follow The Vann Molyvann House to stay updated on the collection, new arrivals, and upcoming events.