Restoration of Wat Bakong completed
Cambodia has completed restoration of Wat Bakong, which is a valuable cultural heritage.
The inauguration of the completion of the restoration held on December 12 was presided over by Deputy Prime Minister Sok An.
“The restoration of Bakong was sponsored by the Holcim company and implemented by Restaurateurs Sans Frontires. The restoration brings back the beauty of Baking,” Sok An told the ceremony.
“It is a great opportunity for young architects and designers of APSARA to gain more experience and also for the Buddhist clergy and the local population to become more aware of the conservation work of historic buildings,” he added.
Holcim executive member Paul Hugentobler said that the restoration and conservation project of the old mural painting of Wat Prasat Bakong is done with a high degree of quality and sustainability.
He added that the restoration of the Bakong Vihara was conducted in three phases, and nearly five years were spent in bringing the vihara back to its former glory.
The first phase targeted the urgent rescue of eleven panels in the gallery and covered a detailed study to identify the right method for structural repairs. It involved constructing a temporary roof over the vihara to prevent the ingress of water and further destruction of the mural paintings inside the vihara.
The second phase was started in 2009, and aimed at strengthening the structure further and in fully repairing the vihara roof.
The third phase was the restoration work on the mural paintings themselves. This was carried out professionally by Restaurateurs Sans Frontieres, led by Robert Bougrain, taking meticulous care to revive the murals to their original beauty and splendour.
The project cost US$391,392 (Bt12.25 million).
