For anyone who has spent even a few years in Cambodia’s capital of Phnom Penh, the changing skyline, fuelled by rapid development and investment, is one of the most obvious changes to the city aesthetically.
There are multiple mixed-development buildings, condos, hotels, and malls which have contributed to changing the characteristics of the expanding city. As Phnom Penh reaches new city limits, what are the tallest buildings in the capital and which are still under construction?
Tall buildings referenced in this article are meant to be enclosed buildings with continuously occupiable floors. The information varies from source to source on the actual height and even the number of floors of the buildings, but we have tried to be as accurate as possible based on the information available.
Which Are The Worlds And Asia’s Tallest Buildings?
There is a sense of competition between nations and conglomerates to own the coveted tallest buildings on the planet as a means of prestige and often results in attracting tourism too.
The international non-profit organisation Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) puts out a list of "The World's Tallest Building" and is regarded as setting the standards by which buildings are measured.
According to CTBUH, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building and stands at 828 meters high! Out of the tallest ten buildings in the world, 8 are located in Asia, and 75 per cent of the 50 tallest skyscrapers in the world are in the region.
China leads the charge with fifteen of the tallest skyscrapers, while the UAE has also several top contenders, and the city of Dubai has the most skyscrapers in the top fifty tallest buildings in the world.
- Burj Khalifa (Dubai, UAE) - 828m
- Merdeka 118 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) - 678.9m
- Shanghai Tower (Shanghai, China) - 632m
- Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower (Mecca, Saudi Arabia) - 601m
- Ping An International Finance Centre (Shenzhen, China) - 599.1m
- Lotte World Tower (Seoul, South Korea) - 554.5m
- One World Trade Center (New York City, USA) - 541.3m
- Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre (Guangzhou, China) - 530m
- Tianjin CTF Finance Centre (Tianjin, China) - 530m
- China Zun (Beijing, China)- 527.7m
Top 5 Tallest Buildings In Phnom Penh
There are currently 8 buildings in the Cambodian capital which surpass 200 meters in height, but there are many under construction (and even many more which never materialised).
As a reference, for many who are familiar with the city, Canadia Tower was for the longest time the tallest building in Phnom Penh, and it stands at 118m high - and now would only just make the top 50 tallest buildings in the city - while the Vattanac Capital Tower was the tallest building in the capital for nearly a decade from 2014-2022, standing at 187.3 meters! This will soon be nearly less than half the height of some projects under construction.
1. Morgan Enmaison 2
Developed by Morgan Group, who also successfully completed the Morgan Tower, Morgan Park Villa, and Morgan Champs-Elysees projects in Phnom Penh, the tallest building in the capital by the close of 2023 stands at 243.8 meters high. The Morgan Enmaison 2 development has 54 floors, includes 4,480 units, and covers 400,000 sqm!
The condo building is located in Chroy Changvar along the Mekong River and some of the features include a yacht dock, helipad, rooftop sky bar and more than 15 acres of landscaped gardens for the residents.
2. The Peak Shangri-la Tower
The 228-meter-tall building was completed in 2022, and The Peak Shangri-la Tower has 55 floors in this mixed-use building located near AEON mall and the NagaWorld complex. The second tallest building in Phnom Penh offers condos, shops & restaurants, office space as well as the Shangri-La Hotel. There are over 1,000 condo units in this Phnom Penh building and two viewing decks for views of the capital.
3. Urban Village Sky Prime Tower
Urban Village Sky Prime Tower is a staggering 225 meters high with 58 floors, and is located to the south of Phnom Penh, along Samdech Hun Sen Boulevard, and is the tallest building along that major road.
Urban Village Phase 2 Sky Prime Tower H is the tallest tower at the residential development from Urban Hub Cambodia and offers a podium viewing deck with a panoramic view of the Bassac River.
4&5. The Peak Residential 1 & 2
Part of the same development as The Peak Shangri-la, The Peak Residential 1 and 2 are listed as separate buildings and contain 55 floors each and stand at 224 meters. Completed in 2022, the Phnom Penh residential towers also include a gym and five floors of retail, a swimming pool, and a sky lounge on the top floor.
Highest Proposed Buildings in Phnom Penh - Cambodia
J Tower 3 was launched late in 2023 and is under construction, while Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has lauded the proposed 555m OCIC project due for development on Koh Norea - although details on that development are still unclear.
There is an unverified list of buildings under construction in Phnom Penh, which indexes as many as 20 properties which could be higher than 200 meters when completed.
J Tower 3 - Condo Over 300 Meters
When completed in approximately 2028, the J-Tower 3 Condominium could be the tallest building in Cambodia and stand at over 300 meters high (planned to be 310.5m) and feature 77 above-ground floors.
Although construction only got underway in 2023, there are some grandiose plans for the building which is located in Tonle Bassac, Khan Chomkarmon. A sky pool and sky bar will be located on the 77th floor, and if completed, it means the J Tower 3 could have the highest outdoor infinity pool in the world. One floor above the pool will be an observation deck with panoramic city views.
OCIC Koh Norea Project - 500 Meters High
The Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation (OCIC) unveiled plans for a monster-sized building in November 2023, which is expected to be over 500 meters high and based in the Koh Norea development area of the capital - which could make it easily the tallest building in Cambodia.
OCIC Deputy General Director, Touch Samnang, confirmed the project but we know over the years that a project being announced does not necessarily mean it will come to fruition.
The building is planned to be constructed on the left-hand side of the Koh Norea Bridge, and the Cambodian PM cited the development, adding,“As I know, Koh Norea is planning to build the tallest building with a 555-metre height. Hopefully, it will be here, not just a high building in Cambodia, but also a high building compared to the region.”
Naga World 3 Tower - 75-Story Hotel
When Naga 3 was first announced, it was going to be the tallest building in Cambodia and stand at 358 meters tall. The 75-story hotel tower and casino project in Phnom Penh was due to be completed in 2025, however, in 2023 it was announced the plans for the project were placed on hold and completion would not be possible before 2029.
The addition of the Naga 3 complex would see the addition of 5,000 hotel rooms across three towers and initial costs were placed at USD $ 3.5 billion.
Picasso 2 - Phnom Penh Condo
The Phnom Penh condo residential property is located in BKK1 and construction launched at the tail-end of 2023 with limited information available. Based on the proposed plans of 56 floors, this condo could be in the mix for making the tallest buildings in the capital when it's completed in approximately 2027.
With an estimated number of 700+ buildings in Phnom Penh exceeding 9 floors, and more than 50 buildings with 40 floors or more, the city continues to rise skywards and it will be interesting to see what buildings stand tallest in the city by 2030 and beyond.
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