Vann Molyvann considers the design of Chaktomuk Conference Hall a reinterpretation of the roofs of the nearby Royal Palace. The eight gabled roofs, fanned out across Chaktomuk’s quarter-circle plan, borrow the traditional gables seen in its architecture.

Chaktomuk’s three façades—one street-facing, two river-facing—combines these traditional building elements with a modern structural system. Towards the street, the lifted first floor presents thick concrete trusses, carrying the traditional roof gables and their shape through to the first floor slab. The resulting V-shaped truss is repeated throughout the building in other supports as well as cornices and guardrails. Light striking these details creates playful shadows on the broad, curved veranda of the first floor. From the river, one sees a latticework of concrete and glass rise out towards the city. A traditional spire atop the corner of the rear-facing façades speaks to the other rooftops in the area.

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