Preah Khan in Angkor, Cambodia

D.B. Kim

Interior Design
April 3, 2009

“The space of the living world is filled with our activities. The space in a photograph is free of the multitude of phenomena.” –Richard Pare

Entering the site of Preah Khan in Angkor, Cambodia is like the experience of entering an abandoned treasure site, akin to what one might have seen in a Hollywood adventure movie. I am not sure if anything like this exists anywhere else in the world.

The temple site was built in the 12th century for King Jayavarman VII. The planning is based on Buddhist rectangular shapes and houses rich carvings and architecture similar to other temples in Angkor. Preah Khan is famous for its invasions of life, or collisions between nature and architecture. As I hope you will observe from the following images, these beautiful “damages” are quite spectacular. Although one might consider the results to be weathered and aged, I would interpret it as stunning—a rare treat for an ancient architectural site.

The forceful willfulness of nature is so amazing that even a sacred temple cannot stop its growth and willingness. What I loved most is the balance between nature and the architecture components: yin and yang. Some of the compositions seem so stunningly calculated that I became curious about the future of their relationship, considering the existing trees and what is left of the architectural site.

The venerability of both nature and the temple architecture showcases beautifully at Preah Khan, and suggests many questions to the visitors. For me, I ask, “How long will this exact moment last?” It also became clear to me that we evolve every moment, as does our architecture within the nature and time in which we live.