Page 94 - JCAU-7-3

Journal of Chinese

Architecture and Urbanism

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Khmer shophouses: From Chinese origins to the

present day

Carlo Santoro *
1
1 Department of Architecture, American University of Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Transcultural Dialogues in Architecture and Urbanism:
Intersections Between Chinese Architecture and Global Influences)

Abstract

In Cambodia, Phnom Penh’s architectural history reflects a complex interplay of local
mythology, trade networks, and colonial influence. Since the pre-Angkorian period, it
has undergone significant transformations shaped by cultural, economic, and political
forces. Notably, the contributions of Chinese mercantile communities and the impact
of French colonial urban planning played a pivotal role in these changes. This paper
examines the architectural evolution of Phnom Penh’s shophouse typology, tracing its
development from pre-colonial trade settlements to its contemporary manifestations
in satellite cities. The Chinese merchant shophouse, introduced in the 19 century,
th
*Corresponding author: played a pivotal role in shaping Phnom Penh’s urban fabric, blending Chinese,
Carlo Santoro Khmer, and later French influences. During the French colonial period (1863 – 1953),
(carlouni2@gmail.com) the shophouse evolved into hybrid forms, integrating French design elements
Citation: Santoro, C. (2025). Khmer while maintaining its traditional mixed-use functionality. Post-independence, the
shophouses: From Chinese origins shophouse further adapted to modernist architectural principles, influenced by
to the present day. Journal of
Chinese Architecture and Urbanism, Soviet urban planning, giving rise to larger multi-story blocks that accommodated
7(3): 5410. increasing urban density. In the post-war era, the shophouse re-emerged as a key
https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.5410 component in peri-urban expansion and satellite city development, reflecting
Received: October 22, 2024 Phnom Penh’s rapid economic and urban growth. Its adaptability to technological,
economic, and social changes underscores its continued relevance in shaping Phnom
1st revised: January 8, 2025
Penh’s urban landscape. Through fieldwork and literature review, this study provides
2nd revised: January 22, 2025 a typological analysis of shophouse variations, exploring their role in defining the
Accepted: February 11, 2025 city’s architectural identity. The findings highlight the shophouse’s resilience as
an adaptable urban form, preserving architectural traditions while responding to
Published online: March 11, 2025
modern urban challenges.
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s).
This is an open-access article
distributed under the terms of the Keywords: Mixed-use typology; Urban development; Socio-spatial organization;
Creative Commons Attribution-
Non-Commercial 4.0 International Cambodia
(CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits all
non-commercial use, distribution,
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited. 1. Introduction
Publisher’s Note: AccScience Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, has an architectural history deeply rooted in a complex
Publishing remains neutral with interplay of local myth, trade, and colonization (Osborne, 2008). The city’s origins can be
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional traced back to the legend of Lady Penh and the establishment of Wat Phnom in the late
th
affiliations. 14 century (Igout, 1993), but urbanization in the area extends much further, with pre-

Volume 7 Issue 3 (2025) 1 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.5410