Recent years in Phnom Penh have seen a surge in the construction of sleek, contemporary-style buildings. These boutique projects have added spice to the city’s urban landscape. As land prices rise, developers have been willing to invest more in creating signature properties with high specifications throughout, including in their designs. Vandy Muong sought out new additions to the skyline and spoke to some of those responsible for the capital’s cool new look.

Lumiere Hotel at Chaktomuk

The recently opened four-star hotel on the corner of Streets 228 and 55 rises to a total of 15 floors and offers guests a sky bar atop a unique, thoroughly modern design. The angles of the off-set storeys (right) amplify the Mondrian-like window detailing. Although the hotel was developed by a Singapore-based investor, it was designed and constructed by local Cambodian firms, with the main contractor being SOMA Construction & Development Co., Ltd. SOMA handled the work right from the laying of foundations to the superstructure and finishing works. Construction began in August 2015 and was completed in January 2017.

The Boss building at Tuol Kork

The tapered glass sides of The Boss apartment building, on Street 592 in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kork district, make it look like an ocean liner, an effect made all the more striking by the curvilinear extemities of the upper floors. Finished just weeks ago, it’s reminiscent of the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea, U.K. (pictured below).

The shapely mixed-use development also nods to the art deco style of the 1930s. Developer and current building manager Thong Natsia said the Boss’s nine storeys house apartments, a swimming pool, offices, a convenience store, and a coffee outlet. Angkor Prototype Design and Construction handled the design and build.

Patio Hotel and Urban Resort at Boeng Keng Kang I

Oung Rattana, general manager at the Patio Hotel and Urban Resort, says the hotel was designed by a team that included American, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese architects. The building sits just off Street 51 in Chamkarmon district. Its cuboid details are reminiscent of an apartment block by Le Corbusier. It’s hardly surprising that the great French architect has influenced contemporary urban styling in this former French protectorate.

The resort has more than 40 rooms, a restaurant, a pool, and a spa. The interior design of the eight-storey building boasts a number of pieces by local visual artists. The hotel’s rooftop infinity pool is right next to the resort’s swish cocktail bar.