GIA Tower is a high-rise mixed-use building on Koh Pich (Diamond Island) in Sangkat Tonle Bassac, Khan Chamkarmon. It’s best known in Phnom Penh as a Grade A office tower, but it also has a limited number of residential units on the upper floors, so the overall feel is more “business tower with some condos” than a pure residential complex.
Location and surroundings
GIA Tower sits on Mongkul Sopheak Street on Koh Pich, which is effectively the modern CBD extension of central Phnom Penh. The building is surrounded by other landmark projects, convention space and riverside developments, and it looks over the Tonle Bassac and Mekong rivers.
From the tower it’s only a few minutes’ drive to key city spots such as AEON Mall 1, Orchid Koh Pich Hospital, the Independence Monument and the traditional city center around Norodom and Sihanouk boulevards. A travel time of roughly 3 minutes to AEON Mall and Orchid Koh Pich and under 10 minutes to the Royal Palace and Russian Market.
Day-to-day, residents and tenants have quick access to cafés, small restaurants and convenience stores on Koh Pich itself, plus the entertainment and dining strip along Sothearos Boulevard and the Tonle Bassac riverside.
Building profile
GIA stands at around 43 storeys and was completed in the early 2020s, with construction substantially finished by mid-2020 and full operations following afterwards. The project is often referred to as “Garden in the Air” Tower, reflecting its focus on integrating greenery and outdoor space into a high-rise office environment.
Key building characteristics include:
- Grade A office specification with stratified (individual) units and floor plates of about 1,270 sqm in a 43-storey tower.
- Approximately 350 units in total and around 700 car parking spaces, which is a relatively high parking ratio compared with many older Phnom Penh buildings.
- Mixed-use programming that includes office space, hospitality and a smaller residential/condo component.
The developer has been reported as Chao Ting International Real Estate Co., Ltd., a local firm that has been involved in other large projects on Koh Pich, which helps explain the level of finish and the focus on landmark architecture.
Design, architecture and “garden” concept
Architecturally, GIA Tower follows the modern glass-and-steel style of the wider Koh Pich cluster, but with a few design features that make it stand out:
- A strong emphasis on greenery, including vertical green walls and multiple sky gardens. The main lobby contains what the building markets as Cambodia’s largest indoor waterfall and a large vertical garden, giving a more “hotel-like” arrival experience than a typical office block.
- Three dedicated sky gardens at different levels of the tower, designed as breakout and relaxation areas with views over the city and rivers.
- A double-height main lobby and a secondary lobby, both finished to a five-star standard, with extensive use of stone, glass and timber.
The “garden in the air” branding is not just marketing language; each office floor includes its own balcony/green space and a small pantry, so there’s some outdoor spill-over even at mid-tower levels.
Residential / condo component
Although GIA Tower is primarily an office building, several high-floor residential units have been fitted out and are being marketed or rented as large condos. Four-bedroom units around 300 sqm on the 41st floor, with four to five bathrooms and a layout aimed at families or shared living for working professionals.
These residential units typically feature:
- High-floor positioning (40th floor and above) with broad city and river views.
- Large open-plan living and dining areas, sized more like penthouse-style apartments than mid-market condos, reflecting the building’s focus on corporate tenants and high-budget occupiers.
- Direct access to the building’s shared facilities, such as swimming pool and fitness center, plus all common lobbies and sky gardens.
Because the condo component is relatively small compared with the office stock, the residential part of GIA Tower feels more exclusive but also more “corporate” than in a conventional residential condo project. In practical terms, residents share lifts, lobbies and building rhythms with office workers and business visitors during the week.
Facilities and services
Beyond the basic “unit + view” story, GIA Tower’s main strength is the range of shared amenities that come from being a Grade A commercial tower. Based on the official building specifications, notable facilities include:
- Sky and lifestyle facilities – 3 sky gardens, rooftop / high-level viewing areas, and landscaped terraces for tenants and residents.
- Wellness facilities – a swimming pool and gym/fitness center, plus shower rooms on an amenity floor (in both office and residential sections).
- Business and meeting space – conference halls and several VIP meeting rooms, largely designed for corporate tenants but available within the same building for residents who also run businesses or host meetings.
- Lobbies and circulation – two main lobbies with security desk and access-control gates, 14 elevators serving different zones of the building, and shared restrooms and pantries on each floor.
- Parking – large multi-level parking with around 700 car spaces plus dedicated motorbike parking. Typical lease information references structured monthly fees for car and motorbike parking, reflecting the managed, Grade A approach.
- On-site retail and F&B – small food and beverage outlets and service shops at the ground floor level to serve both office tenants and residents.
Overall, the common areas and service levels are closer to international Grade A standards than to a typical residential condo lobby in Phnom Penh.
Operations, management and technical standards
GIA Tower is run as a fully serviced Grade A building with 24/7 operation. The key operational points are:
- 24/7 building access, security and maintenance
- On-site building management office operating six days per week
- Access-card entry system, including mobile-app options and flap barrier gates
- Multiple fibre-optic internet providers and mobile signal boosters to ensure consistent connectivity
Climate control is handled by a central Daikin chiller system, with operating hours tuned to standard office schedules but the building itself remaining accessible at all times.
For life-safety, the building states compliance with British and US fire and safety standards (BSEN and NFPA), with sprinklers, fire alarms, emergency generators and public-address systems installed throughout. This is typical language for Grade A towers in the region but still notable compared with older stock in Phnom Penh.
From a cost perspective, there are separate management and housekeeping fees per square metre along with structured parking charges, which gives a sense of the ongoing service environment residents can expect, even if exact figures can change over time.
Living in a condo inside GIA Tower – practical considerations
Because GIA Tower is primarily a commercial Grade A tower with a smaller residential component, day-to-day life here is a bit different from a normal condo block:
- The building is busiest during office hours, with a noticeable flow of office workers and visitors in the lobbies and lifts on weekdays.
- Facilities such as conference rooms, VIP lounges and sky gardens are designed with both corporate and residential users in mind, so the overall atmosphere leans toward “business lifestyle” rather than resort-style leisure.
- On the other hand, the building’s location, level of security, 24/7 operations and high technical standards can be attractive for residents who value professional management and easy access to Phnom Penh’s central business and government districts.
For a condo listing, it makes sense to position GIA Tower clearly as a high-floor residential option inside a landmark Grade A tower on Koh Pich, with strong views, large unit sizes and extensive shared facilities but also with the understanding that it is not a pure residential community and that the overall rhythm of the building reflects its role as one of Phnom Penh’s main office towers.
