Siem Reap Gallery: An Everevolving Community Space

Located along Charles de Gaulle Road, Siem Reap Gallery will be home to ULS’ headquarters in Siem Reap, as well as to two ground-breaking showrooms, graduate offices and a theatre.

To plan Siem Reap Gallery, ULS started from a key concept: create a thriving business community hub and a space to inspire, where ideas are exchanged, new businesses are born and friendships can flourish. The result is a 7-story building that exudes an unassuming yet stylish minimalist design while seamlessly fitting with its surroundings.

Siem Reap Gallery encapsulates ULS’ efforts to push boundaries and challenge traditional design. Conveniently located on a spacious 3,000 sqm plot of land along Charles de Gaulle Road—the path leading towards iconic Angkor Wat—this development project combines everything you can dream of, and more: two ground-breaking showrooms, much needed start-up office space, ULS’ new Siem Reap headquarters, two floors of graduate offices, a theater and event space, an experiential tunnel that innovatively showcases ULS’ growing portfolio of projects, a coffee shop, and swathes of outdoor and greenspace dotted throughout.

As a new company in Siem Reap—with an exciting portfolio of developments slated for the city and surrounding areas—ULS wanted to showcase its unique vision in a fresh way, putting a new spin on the usual “real estate showroom experience”. Hence, the new showroom concept envisioned for Siem Reap Gallery, which also serves as multi-functional space for the city’s burgeoning collection of young entrepreneurs and start-ups, matching the community-centric ethos of ULS.

Besides showcasing real estate projects, Siem Reap Gallery’s showrooms will also serve as a multi-functional space for the local community.

Recreating The Showroom Experience

The idea of playing with design and space rather than following the norm lays at the core of ULS’ mantra, and is expressed in the state-of-the-art showroom experience designed for Siem Reap Gallery. There, the innovative first floor is the main focal point, with two lofty 300 sqm adaptable spaces reserved for Showroom 1 and Showroom 2.

The sheer size and flexibility of such dynamic structures allow full-scale models of developments, recreating a living experience for visitors. For example, a three-story property or mock-up shophouse can be set-up, offering potential investors the opportunity to walk through an identical experience as the final product.

The two showrooms can work together or independently, with the ability to close one space for renovation while the other remains fully functional. With many projects in the pipeline all across Siem Reap, ULS plans to put the showrooms to good use.

Vannak Ith, Siem Reap Gallery’s Project Manager, said: “The showrooms are a special highlight: a really dynamic space to showcase our projects. Like in a Hollywood film production, these are stages where we can build one set indoors, show it to the public, pull it down and then build another one. We’ve created a really interactive and ever-evolving showroom experience.”

An Incredible Entry

Another iconic part of the building is the “tunnel” showcase. Created to highlight ULS’ eye for creativity, the tunnel connects the parking and outdoor entrances with the first floor showrooms.

While making their way through the tunnel, visitors are introduced to ULS’ range of iconic development works, which have shaped what contemporary Cambodian living and working means today. A striking view awaits at the end of this exploratory experience, when the tunnel reaches the mobile, ever-changing and utterly unique showroom space.

The tunnel offers an exciting and interactive preview of how ULS is shaping Cambodia’s urban development, including signature projects such as Bakong Village and Rose Apple Square in Siem Reap; and Odom in Phnom Penh. Plus—as ULS is a newcomer to the Siem Reap development scene—the tunnel, together with the showrooms, will also offer a tangible proof of the huge investments made by the company towards shaping the future of Cambodia, for Cambodians.

As Vannak said: “We want to get people excited from the moment they start walking through the corridor until when they finally enter the building, are greeted by the reception and wowed by our showrooms. It is not just about function. We want visitors to have a pleasant walk-in experience, but we also want them to see who we are and why we are doing what we are doing.”

Besides the cafe and the front plaza, tenants may also find inspiration at the rooftop garden, with views over the historical city.

Creative Offices For Creative Minds

Noting a rapid rise in the number of entrepreneurial Cambodian graduates seeking to set up their own company, ULS saw a gap in the market. While several co-working spaces exist in the city, affordable options for start-ups wanting their own space are limited. Seizing the opportunity to cater to this growing demand, ULS expanded the project making it accessible to Siem Reap’s burgeoning young business community.

Spread across the 5th and 6th floors is a selection of creative graduates studios, ranging in size from two up to ten team members. Working in similar fashion to ULS’ spaces at Factory Phnom Penh, they come in three sizes and are perfect for start-ups looking for an affordable platform to get a kick-start in their career.

All come fully-equipped with desks and basic office furniture, shared wi-fi, access to printers and other amenities. This makes it easy for tenants to sign the lease and get set up straight away, without having to invest time and money in finding fixtures and fittings. This also provides a formal lease and ZIP code to companies, helping them have a professional address to begin registering their business. A dedicated toilet, pantry, and small kitchen are also available. With a coffee shop also on site, all tenants need to bring to work is innovation, creativity and a positive attitude.

Last but not least, spread across the 2nd-to-4th floors are ULS Siem Reap HQs, a new home base for teams overseeing ULS’ variety of local projects across more than 200 hectares of land. This space also serves as an info point and sales center for investors. A branch office for one of ULS’ partners, Belt Road Capital Management, is housed here as well.

The central courtyard is a greenspace within Siem Reap Gallery, designed for tenants to get some fresh air, socialize or take a break, recharging from their work.

Nurturing A Creative Community

ULS is all about putting communities front and center, and Siem Reap Gallery is yet another perfect example of the company’s unique ethos. The building includes plenty of open greenspaces which are perfect to ignite innovation and creativity.

A vibrant outdoor plaza dotted with seating and lush tropical plants is hosted in the front, while ceiling-tofloor windows ensure light floods inside the building throughout. The on-site coffee shop offers indoor and outdoor areas, and the 5th and 6th floors host landscaped gardens, seating and a spacious decked courtyard where tenants can get some fresh air, socialize or take a break, recharging from their work day.

Tenants also have access to the rooop area’s manicured gardens. Home to vistas that include Angkor Wat, the city center, and the newly-opened Angkor Eye—Asia’s third-highest ferris wheel—this is the perfect spot to seek inspiration.

As Vannak shared: “We want to create a community through the café and public areas, designing unique and special spaces for people. We want to bring tenants out of their offices to gather, meet and talk to each other over coffee or lunch. The main focus of ULS is to encourage people to rediscover a true sense of community. We are doing that by building spaces that create neighbors instead of strangers.”

Siem Reap Gallery is also home to a five-story car park for up to 100 cars, with one parking space available for people with disabilities on each floor. Ample parking space for motorbikes and bicycles is available on the ground floor.

Serving Siem Reap’s Community

Rounding out Siem Reap Gallery’s range of facilities is its state-of-the-art theater. A comfortable place to showcase ULS’ projects to investors, also available for private hire.

With a capacity of up to 170 people in cinema-style seating, the theater is kitted out with top-class amenities— including sound equipment, a large screen, stage and lighting—making it the ideal spot to host a sales event, seminar, TEDTalk-style presentation, product launch and other such types of sessions.

ULS concepted Siem Reap Gallery as the new home to a range of innovative and flexible spaces, making it accessible to the wider community seeking somewhere different to host their events. As well as the theater, meeting rooms are available to hire and the rooop terrace is the perfect spot for a special sundowner event. If available, showrooms can also host conferences or private gatherings.

At night, the building takes on a new form as the twinkling façade springs to life. This makes Siem Reap Gallery the perfect place for evening happenings as well: indoor and outdoor spaces can be adapted, and the rooop can evolve into a great aer-hours spot. Aer 6pm, the café can also switch from coffee to cocktails: weekly late afternoon socialising sessions for tenants are already in the works.

Next time you are in town, get ready to snap your best selfie at ULS’ brand new “WejSiem Reap” model! It is right next to the Siem Reap Gallery site.

We Love Siem Reap

Thanks to ULS’ talented team of forward-thinking designers, no plot of land goes unused—and people’s needs are always put first. ULS has added a fun stop-off spot for the public: a statue made of giant letters spelling “We j Siem Reap”. The perfect prop for selfies, and a celebration of the city’s unique identity.

“We j Siem Reap” stickers will also be available on site, allowing visitors to leave love notes to the city, and making the preview and experience of Siem Reap Gallery even more interactive.

Ultimately, as Vannak noted: “We want the area to help generate interest in ULS’ projects while also serving the community and bringing people together. For each of our developments, we make sure there is purpose and meaning in everything. We are always thinking creatively about how to reuse spaces.”

Meet the Team

Project Lead

Vannak Ith, Executive Assistant and Project Manager at ULS, is leading the project implementation of Siem Reap Gallery, in close partnership with Leang Kean– ULS’ Founder. Vannak took his Foundation Year at ITC Cambodia and has a BSc in Engineering from Hohai University (China).

Design & Architecture

ULS and Kite Studio Architecture worked together on the unique concept and design behind Siem Reap Gallery. ULS’ vision of rethinking the showroom space matched perfectly with Kite’s approach to projects, always thinking through the project’s specific use and using this as a launching point.

ARCHITECTURE Kite Studio Architecture (SG)

Kite Studio Architecture offers more than just design solutions. From architecture and interior design, to master planning or landscaping, Kite approaches design challenges with the belief that every work is a fresh discovery of design senses. At Kite, every effort to find a design solution is like an adventure that offers many paths for a journey to that one destination.

More information at:

www.kitestudioarchitecture.com

Financing

Financing services to develop and bring Siem Reap Gallery to life is to be provided by Phnom Penh-based private equity firm Belt Road Capital Management — a frequent and trusted partner of ULS.

FINANCING Belt Road Capital Management

Belt Road Capital Management (BRCM) is a private equity investment firm based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. They invest in small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and real estate in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region. BRCM plays a vital role in helping SMEs from various industries in the region to realize their growth potential through strategic insight. BRCM’s real estate department primarily focuses on investments in the key cities of Cambodia, and partners with leading real estate developers to enrich the local communities through quality and innovative product offerings.