Hong Kong, HK | Singapore, SG | Beijing, CN | Shanghai, CN | Chengdu, CN | Shenzhen, CN | Macau, MO | London, GB | Dubai, AE | Abu Dhabi, AE | Seattle, WA | New Delhi, IN
Chip Mong Tower is a mixed-use development in Phnom Penh, Cambodia that includes a 5-storey retail complex (including a spa and cinema), an 8-storey podium car park, a basement, a 9-storey office building, and a 21-storey Fairfield Hotel by Marriott.
Chip Mong Tower is located on the main road of Russian Boulevard on an elongated site of 7,998 sqm and has become a landmark development and a gateway to Phnom Penh City. The site is accessible from Jawaharlal Nehru Boulevard, one of the main commercial boulevards of the Phnom Penh inner city, and provides convenient access to the Central Market to the East, and to Confederation de la Russie and the International Airport to the West.
The design of the Chip Mong Tower is inspired by the art of rock balancing, where rocks of different sizes are delicately balanced to form a towering structure. This is exemplified by the building’s design where multiple programs are stacked atop one another in the mixed-use development. Each program is contained within a volume and is accentuated by its oblique fronts. The stacking system introduces an indent between the main tower and podium to accentuate the verticality of the office and hotel space in the main volume.
During the design process, the tower placement was defined, evolving from two towers for the hotel and office to a single tower at the south front end. This achieved the desired goal of optimising the view and creating an iconic presence.
The design of the massing volume emphasises program stacking in response to the client's brief, which is then vertically broken into several volumes. Each volume reflects different programmes - hotel guest rooms, hotel facilities, office, podium parking, and retail. Each volume is tapered to create a stronger oblique profile. The transition levels between volumes are where the feature functions are allocated, such as a co-working space with landscaping, a pool deck, and sky bar at the top.
The podium massing is also broken into several volumes, emphasising the nature of the planning behind it, such as the hotel and retail entries, and the introduction of a media wall at the front end of the retail section.
The façade design of the Chip Mong Tower takes into account the climate in Phnom Penh, particularly the trajectory of the sun, which travels directly above the East to West sides of the building. To address this, patterned cladding walls are introduced at the East and West elevations of the building to reduce the amount of heat entering the building. The cladding features a lotus flower motif to add a touch of elegance and soften the look of the East and West elevations. The glass façade is primarily on the North and South elevations, introducing an ample amount of natural light into the interior spaces.
Chip Mong Tower is a striking mixed-use development in Phnom Penh that showcases innovative design elements inspired by rock balancing. The tower's unique stacking system and tapered volumes create a dynamic profile that stands out on the city's skyline.
Status: Built
Location: Phnom Penh, KH
Firm Role: Design Architect
