Since it is offical now that the tower is U/C again and we've the evidence on a shot i thought it is time to open a new thread for the tower.

Data:

HEIGHT: 330m/1082ft
FLOORS: 105 floors
USE: Hotel

latest construction shot from flickr, ( did you take the pic imre? )

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3252/3110001633_92b09b2e60_b.jpg

bigger version: http://www.flickr.com/photos/imresolt/3110001633/sizes/o/


from a recent article:

Orascom is also reportedly funding construction work on the 105-storey Ryugyong Hotel, a Pyongyang landmark suspended for nearly 20 years because of funding problems.

omg I don't believe this :lol:

that hotel needs to be imploded, how safe is that hotel?

omg I don't believe this :lol:


Me too.

What happen with the concrete quality?

another news from Imre:


got today from the Koryo Tours:

Ryugyong Hotel construction continues apace – Well known to lovers of unusual architecture as well as DPRK watchers in general the 105 floor pyramid-shaped Ryugyong Hotel in central Pyongyang is one of the most recognizable buildings in the North Korean capital. As mentioned in a previous newsletter, work resumed in May 2008 after a 16 year hiatus as a contract was signed with Egyptian company Orascom to make the building functional, if anyone knows how to build a pyramid it’s the Egyptians and although it looked at one stage as if total construction time would rival those at Giza, the Ryugyong has recently been undergoing a growth spurt with glass cladding spreading across two sides of the structure, and even the rare sight of electric lights inside being seen in the evenings as work goes on. Planned opening date for the hotel is April 15th 2012; the 100th anniversary of the birth of President Kim Il Sung, massive events will obviously be taking place at this time so book a tour now! Of course Koryo tours will have a full range of trips on offer at that time.

no, I didnt , I have got from the Koryo Tours

and Emaar here as well:)

http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/5025/0609453698460100060su6.jpg
http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/1364/86162243vd2.jpg

Dubai, a symbol of emaar (Buzz of Dubai), the North Koreans participate in the reconstruction Ryugyong Hotel? - United Arab Emirates company, the company acquired on the cell phone

United Arab Emirates (UAE) investment company in the mobile phone business in North Korea, a subsidiary of Telecom acquired a ohraseukom said.

The mobile phone business in North Korea and Egypt in ohraseukom Telecom's subsidiaries, one of the best to come (OrasInvest) to the company's investment last month, the United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Investment Company (Abu Dhabi Investment Company) to 180,000,000 U.S. dollars in Tossed Radio Free Asia said.

Telecom's investment in the country ohraseukom director Mohamed El-side "about the current financial crisis and in order to survive in the fierce competition in the communications business was to come in to clean up the best," he talk "mobile phone business in North Korea, we do not have any problem , "He said.

Best in the United Arab Emirates at the invitation of the ADIC acquisition live, "ohraseukom Telecom, the mobile phone business in North Korea right now, but is not involved in an argument after a tough time to discuss the issue," he said.

He's come in telecom ohraseukom Best of the cell phone tower construction and maintenance projects, including the need for the operation of the plant parts and packaging, and delivery to the cell phone, saying that the company has been involved in business in North Korea.

United Arab Emirates state-owned real estate development company of the mine exploitation rights in return for the cost of reconstruction supported Ryugyong hotels, he said.



If the United Arab Emirates state-owned real estate development company, or yimareu nakhilinde

Le's forehead Ha ha

Now, to the North Korean capital in Dubai? This is the good news is South Korea and the United Arab Emirates maetneungeot deep image!

bigger pic:

http://i41.tinypic.com/2gwf5fn.jpg

Wow, this is surprising, to say at least.

Just when I thought there is no way this building will be finished... And seconding guzm@n, what about the concrete? Are they going to reinforce it somehow?

With windows looks better

this building is just beautiful

Me too.

What happen with the concrete quality?

seconding guzm@n, what about the concrete? Are they going to reinforce it somehow?

I love how everyone 'knows' the exact quality of the concrete of the premier construction project in the world's most secretive state. Where did you guys all read the surveyor's report?

We have no idea the quality of the conrete, and can't know, that information will never leave the upper echelons of the state construction firm never mind the country.

Clearly however it is good enough quality for the North koreans to continue construction - and the North Koreans aren't stupid. Likewise, the foreign firms bankrolling this are also happy with the quality.

Wait a second... what's the date? 1st of April? Nope... so this must be true. :crazy:
The shiny glass placed below the 30th floor looks strange at first sight, when you've seen the brown skeleton on pics so many times.
I wonder if the old crane on top can be used for this... or has it been replaced by a new one already?
And are there any renderings? I guess the result could turn out to be very nice.

It's a joke of history to see Ryugyong Hotel back u/c after 16 years right now, while many projects worldwide are struggling for their financing... but of course a 330m tall present at the 100th anniversary of a former leader is more important than the banking crises :hammer:... On the other hand, if this project also stands for an opening of the political system of North Korea towards the rest of the world, all the people there could have a benefit. :)

Why everybody fears about concrete quality ? If EMAAR is willing to take such a titanic risk, then it means that the building is of substantial quality and stability. I read that North Korea's economy is about to enter a booming period. Since I have seen many documentaries about this country, I have absolutely no idea of how this is going to happen, but if its true, then its very good for the people there.

As far as I know, all the talk about the concrete being too poor of quality are just unsubstantiated rumors based on wild guesses.

Yes, it's an ambitious design. And I kind of like it. But I think the real question is this: How are they ever going to fill it to capacity? Most North Koreans can't afford to stay in a place like that, and N. Korea isn't exactly flooded with foreign tourists.

2012, hmmm. Good year to do Trans-Siberian journey and to Pyongyang. :banana: I'm willing to take a risk :lol:

i'll be an optimist and say concrete is holding well despite of being on all weather changes during last 16 years...
i hope they cover it soon... i believe they are finishing it for 100 years celebration :D

@webeagle12...
me too :D

I dont believe they cladding the whole building. It looks like they use only the base up to the 30th floor. Or the fill this builing in diffrent phases. Step by step. This country is to poor to complete this project.

I dont believe they cladding the whole building. It looks like they use only the base up to the 30th floor. Or the fill this builing in diffrent phases. Step by step. This country is to poor to complete this project.

did u ever read this thread? :ohno:

Wow. Firstly I thougth it was a joke. It would be nice to see this hotel finished. I guess everybody thought they will never finish it. That's a surprise :cheers: I wish them good luck!

No way!
I believe they have more urgent things to spent there money on!

Just a fact. You cant even make a phone call with your mobile phone in **** north Korea because there inst even a network and you get the dead sentence as punishment.


Can't you *** just READ!

Hurrah!!! A great building! :banana::banana::banana:
Yeah it's just some cladding for now, but really it's symbolic, just in these times of crisis... really goes to show how crisis is only a result of western speculation... China for one will very possibly gain from this situation.

WOW
gr8 news.:cheers:

yes great news, finally. looks great too.
thanks imre

did u ever read this thread? :ohno:

Sorry, I read this thread!!

And the only thing i found was that they want "to make the building functional". In my eyes it not stands for completing the whole structure.

Also with the 100th anniverery of the north corean state founder they dont need so much hotel space...(who of the north coreans have the money to stay a night there?).

I think they complete only the base for a smaller hotel and make the top resistant against bad weather.

Glass looks nice! I must say, the commo housing blocks reflecting off it will certainly add some jazz to the city haha



I would love this to be completed, not another 20 year stalling!
Didnt this always get photoshopped out of pictures?

wow, 2012...i'm gonna get my citizenship by then...Pyongyang, here i come...

i wonder if Dear Leader would still be around for the opening...

I am wondering, how the building looks inside ? Are there any pics from inside ?

It probably looks like this ...:lol:

http://7grad.org/Exkursionen/Westwall/Bunker_Aachen_Stadtwald_Gut_Entenpfuhl__April_2005_019.jpg

This building is a waste of money. I cannot understand what are those commie leaders thinking? Instead of resurrecting this beast, they could use the money for more appropriate purposes such as improving the ppl's living condition at a time of crisis like this. No really, how many tourists come to Pyongyang each year?? How many percent is the hotel usage there?

Nice to see this tower back on track again. :okay:

lol, how did yall get these pictures? arent cameras illegal?

It's good they're finally working on it after all this time.....

WELL, Pyongyang first supertall!! welcome!! They need happy!! :)

Great pic! This is how it's meant to look after completion:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3230/2862020257_d6b3c5ee86_o.jpg

This whole thing scares me... :runaway:

lol, how did yall get these pictures? arent cameras illegal?

only one photo was released and that was on the first page... everything else is speculation :)
guys please refrain from politics...
here we wait for some more news from RY hotel... i hope we won't wait long for next photo :cheers:

I love it, it looks very futuristic.

This is a good sign that maybe North Korea is moving away from communism.

wow, the rendering on the sign looks great... im curious to see if anyone could sneak in shots from the construction firm. if they did that it would be great :P

I love it, it looks very futuristic.

This is a good sign that maybe North Korea is moving away from communism.Or maybe that the rest of the world is moving away from capitalism (see the return of Keynes and the "bailouts") and state-driven economies start to improve :)

Here is the same pic with a few tweaks, to bring out more detail:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/3110001633_c8c8c5efc9_o-1.jpg

wow, the rendering on the sign looks great... im curious to see if anyone could sneak in shots from the construction firm. if they did that it would be great :P

that would be very nice... and pretty exclusive for ssc :)

Notice the scaffoldings on the slopes - looks like they are repairing those small landings, the only part of the building where the concrete looked slightly damaged in the pics previously published. :banana2:

It took a while, but they'r finally going to finish this. It looks awesome!

Although I know that the majority of architecture lovers hate this building, suprisingly I like it. It has some elements that make it unique.

Wow, the idiots who praise this project is some disgusting qink (obviously) or some Arab who like N. Korea for some nuclear deal.

Finally the glass facade. I think it will look beautiful and elegant, also because of its pyramidal shape... Nice pic !

OMG, so its really happening, I can't beleive it!

Great pic! This is how it's meant to look after completion:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3230/2862020257_d6b3c5ee86_o.jpg

Cool rendering :)

great to see the building back on track .
If orascom and emaar are involvved at any level it means that the structure is still safe .

i m glad to see this building back on track and guys maybe it is a sign that the country is willing to open it s market and join the the global economy .

i don,t think that this is propaganda not anymore they cant afford it it was a matter of time before N.K decides to open to the global market .

The render is amazing really the whole complex is a piece of art it s unique in its own way ...

Merry Christmas!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/2gwf5fnxmas.jpg

Wow, the idiots who praise this project is some disgusting qink (obviously) or some Arab who like N. Korea for some nuclear deal.

Watch your mouth or you'll get nuked to the stone age.

I'm excited that this thing might get completed! Looks fantastic in the render and I've always disagreed with the negativity surrounding it. It's a classic design that's hard to criticize unless you think the pyramids are atrocious. :lol:

I wonder if birds have nested in the concrete windows over the past couple years?
Anyhow, I am interested in seeing it completed.

Before the construction restarted, when I see the Ryugyong's exterior up-close, it looked very low-budget and I saw some cracks in it. And it looked like a portion of the concrete chipped away. And in the photos of the restarted construction process, look closely when I ask you what are those white tiles they're putting on the building before they put the glass in?

Yep, looks North Korean to me. Interesting shape...

from flickr

http://i42.tinypic.com/2ebbvgy.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/2qnp2iu.jpg

Whatever it that as they are putting on the face of the building is certainly going up quickly! Of course no one can get close enough to see what it is or how it's being applied. Based on the fact it's going up so fast and it appears the windows are being cut in afterwards maybe it's just a foam underlayment in preparation for the final layer?

Wow. That skin is going up at an amazing speed!!

Wow I can't believe they are building this, that render looks great!

WOW!

Wow, I guess the Emiratis are teaching North Korea about construction speeds, given the pace high rises are built in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Its about time that this hulk gets finished anyway.

BUT THAT BUILDING HAD A STRUCTURAL PROBLEM,,, DIDN'T IT???'

from flickr

http://i42.tinypic.com/2ebbvgy.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/2qnp2iu.jpg

great progress.
Actually the design itself is very nice, IMO.

For those who were concerned about the quality of the concrete, I think the only problem had been the balconies. Now look at the balconies in the new photo's: fresh concrete is evident there.

BTW, the floors are also marked :)

damn this thing looks older then the empire state building. how safe is this building really, the concert has to be over ten years old.

Wow, I guess the Emiratis are teaching North Korea about construction speeds, given the pace high rises are built in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Its about time that this hulk gets finished anyway.

yeah they building them so fast they forget to pay for them. Dubai about to go billy up.

BUT THAT BUILDING HAD A STRUCTURAL PROBLEM,,, DIDN'T IT???'

There was something about inferior concrete quality. But even then, most of the other building is pyongyang are about the same quality. Aside from the Ryugyong hotel, there were other highrises built (like the koryo hotel and the huge commieblock projects on Kwangbock and Tongil street). I'm assuming construction standards were basically the same for all of them (shoddy by western standards) but they are still standing nonetheless.

:banana:

One of the most awesome designs in building history! It will look great once completed, cant believe this is happening!!!

Wow, they moved on?! I wonder how they plan to monitor the visitors of the hotel, maybe with camera's in every room. The top levels would be a nice spot for the Korean secret service, from here they can spy on the guests on little screens and also oversee the whole city.

OMG
cladding is very fast.

yea..very fast
now it gave me excitement to follow the process already
i really like it BTW, and IMO

^^ I'll be so pissed if this finishes and becomes the tallest building in the KOREAS.

But its good news for the North Korean government because it shows people that they're capable of doing something other than starving their people.

looks like there's new build construction at the base, too. I actually think this'll be pretty nice when its finished.

Guys I don't know how the hell this project can be considered good or as "good news".

The only thing it's doing is to take the already horribly weak funds of the nation and put it into that wreck of a building that might collapse if used. It isn't helping the starving people, it's only worsening their situation.

Most of the world has hit the credit crunch and heres North Korea showing how its done. It might be a down and out country but atm my home City has come a near total stand still on high rises.

The only thing it's doing is to take the already horribly weak funds of the nation and put it into that wreck of a building that might collapse if used. It isn't helping the starving people, it's only worsening their situation.


Well, this is an architecture forum, not a politics forum. While I don't think there is anyone on here who would agree with the behaviour of the North Korean government, that argument (you can't spend on X, as there are starving people) is a somewhat dubious argument that can and has been used against developed countries. There are people homeless and starving on the streets of Washington DC, why waste money on the space programme? There are people losing their homes in London, why waste money on the olympics?

Besides, everyone knows that the only other place in North Korea this money would have been spent was weapons programmes. I think a hotel, which may in the end make a profit, who knows, is a better way to spend their money.

EDIT: Thinking about it, investing in these sorts of business, infrastructure and industrial projects is the only way the North Koreans will be able to break the cycle of poverty, starvation and foreign aid. Their usual blackmail tactics have preserved the government and state (but not, of course, people) for twenty years now, but its about time they looked beyond that.

Well, this is an architecture forum, not a politics forum. While I don't think there is anyone on here who would agree with the behaviour of the North Korean government, that argument (you can't spend on X, as there are starving people) is a somewhat dubious argument that can and has been used against developed countries. There are people homeless and starving on the streets of Washington DC, why waste money on the space programme? There are people losing their homes in London, why waste money on the olympics?
I fully agree with you on that one, but with the horrible situation this country is in it's a whole different case than Washington DC and other cities/countries in the western world. There's no such thing as homeless people in North Korea. People are either willing to live in Pyongyang and serve the government or... Something a bit more... Let's just say controversial.

Besides, everyone knows that the only other place in North Korea this money would have been spent was weapons programmes. I think a hotel, which may in the end make a profit, who knows, is a better way to spend their money.
I think they've got more than enough money left for weapons programmes and they could easily hide it from the western world if they had to. Regarding profit from this... Let's hope so. But with the corruption of this country, do you really think the general public in the country will benefit from the funds in any future? I'm more likely to believe that all of the money will go to private pockets within the government.

Regarding profit from this... Let's hope so. But with the corruption of this country, do you really think the general public in the country will benefit from the funds in any future? I'm more likely to believe that all of the money will go to private pockets within the government.

yes, certainly. But that would be the case whatever the North Korean elite decided to do with their money, at least they're spending it here in what could be thought of as a 'constructive' way. The problems the North Korean people face won't change until the government does.

And if they're building this hotel, they clearly intend to fill it. That may mean opening up a lot more than they previously have. Which can only be good for the North Korean people.

Wow nice cladding progres.

And if they're building this hotel, they clearly intend to fill it.
By filling it, I assume that would be people from outside North Korea.

If that happens, let's just hope it will be done in a decent sense.

Will this be like the other skyscrapers in Pyongyang that are empty because of construction problems? Just for propaganda?

Honestly, where do all you people hear this stuff?

While we are all speculating without facts, let me add my opinion. Until I see more than only cladding staged on the site, the is just putting lipstick on a pig.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2ebbvgy.jpg
Now looks better

i am curious how old that rendering is...it looks like it was done in the 70's on ms paint. there are other tall buildings around as if this was their vision when the actual building was to be completed when it was supposed to. if the completion of this building is a new project wouldn't they have posted a better more realistic rendering??

or is it the type of rendering the commie's wanted posted?

ooo now i want to see if any people who have been to there have taken more photos :)

Great pic! This is how it's meant to look after completion:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3230/2862020257_d6b3c5ee86_o.jpg

If it turns out looking anything close to this, it will be incredibly gorgeous!

I'm also wondering if what we're seeing in the final skin or something else. The render doesn't show holes cut out for the windows like we're seeing in the real photos.

but in north korea is no turist ,why then will be this hotel for?

If it turns out looking anything close to this, it will be incredibly gorgeous!

I'm also wondering if what we're seeing in the final skin or something else. The render doesn't show holes cut out for the windows like we're seeing in the real photos.

The cladding looks very similar to the render to me. They are putting the windows in last. Once the windows are in, they are virtually indistinguishable from the rest of the cladding. Look at the most recent photos.

^^ To attract turists?

Is true that this hotel is already 25 years "in progress"?

damn this thing looks older then the empire state building. how safe is this building really, the concert has to be over ten years old.Man if that's a problem then I'm done for, the concrete in my house is over 50 years old!

Wow... this building attracts a lot of attention.

Amazing they're finally finishing this structure! But shouldn't status be changed to T/O?

OMG
cladding is very fast.

probably the fastest cladding i've ever seen :)

Im going to join in with the crowd that says "I like this building's design," and "Wow, that cladding is going up amazingly fast," as well as those that say "I can't wait for it to be done, because the render looks great with all that glass."

anybody can see this forum in North Korea? If yes , please write something:)


from http://ryugyonghotel.com/:

The construction of the 330 m tall tower in Pyongyang, North Korea began in 1987. It has a total 360,000 m² (3.9 million ft²) floor space and 105 stories. The building should have been opened in 1989, by that time it could have been the tallest hotel in the world and the 7th largest skyscraper. North Korea have spent ~$750 million or 2% of the country's GDP on the Ryugyong Hotel. The hotel was designed to have 3,000 rooms, 7 revolving restaurants, casinos(!), nightclubs(!) and Japanese lounges. In 1989 -the original completion date- they had several construction method and material problems therefore the opening was delayed, but in 1992 the construction came to a complete halt due to funding problems, electricity shortages, and the prevailing famine.


In 2006 the hotel was still not finished (it had reached its full structural height though) and left alone with a crane on the top. The building is completely empty, there is no facade on the tower either. The Ryugyong Hotel with the current structure will never be opened. The Government of North Korea was trying to find new investors to build a new structure, they would need ~$300 million for this. The tower is still by far the tallest in Pyongyang (the capital city) and in the whole of North Korea.

2008 Update: After 16 years Ryugyong Hotel is starting to get back to life. Egypt's Orascom group has recently begun refurbishing the top floors of the tower. The company has put glass panels into the concrete shell and installed telecommunications antennas. South Korean estimations say that it would cost $2 billion to finish the hotel and make it safe, that is the same as 10% annual GDP of North Korea.

and What on earth is Orascom doing there anyway.

^^ Controlling a virgin mobile phone territory that in a decade might have millions of subscribers.

The cladding isn't going up fast... the first picture is a couple of months old.

So this building has resumed construction lately, but we don't know for how long already, right?

This will be very interesting to witness, but I'm guessing the flow of information will be very limited. :(

Wow... this building attracts a lot of attention.

well it is a supertall that just been left empty:lol::nuts:

The continuation of the construction of this building represents the stubbornness of the N. Korean government, something might have happened there as Mussoda stated that urged them to resume the construction for propaganda reasons. Also it would be more symbolic if the SOUTH finished this building after reunification.

Maybe Kim-Jong-Il is dead, left behind lots of private money and ordered as a final wish to use the money to finish the building and dedicate it to him.

^^Interesting theory that makes some sense. Especially given the date that is being given as an opening date. I'm sure like most dictators he had lots of money stashed!

Holy shit!
Time to get rid of US passport so I can visit this thing!!

I love how everyone 'knows' the exact quality of the concrete of the premier construction project in the world's most secretive state. Where did you guys all read the surveyor's report?

We have no idea the quality of the conrete, and can't know, that information will never leave the upper echelons of the state construction firm never mind the country.

Clearly however it is good enough quality for the North koreans to continue construction - and the North Koreans aren't stupid. Likewise, the foreign firms bankrolling this are also happy with the quality.

You're probably gonna curse me out about this, but the state construction firm may probably discover that the concrete floorplates aren't as unstable as previously thought.

Also, I hope somebody builds some elevators in this building if it gets completed.

And kingsc in his post had "concert" instead of "concrete" :lol:

Won't there be something like 5 rotating restaurants in the top? That makes me laugh.

Either way I think it looks nice. Not sure if I'd stay there, but it looks nice and I'm sure that is what their government is going for.

When this one is done it's gonna look great.

I don't really get what all the fuzz is about when it comes to money and politics in Korea. It is a skyscraper forum and it's just a great building imho

About cladding speed:
This picture http://flickr.com/photos/kernbeisser/3117212145/ is from December 18, this (http://http://flickr.com/photos/imresolt/3110001633/ from November 19, this (http://flickr.com/photos/kernbeisser/2787000038/in/set-72157606931193062/) from June 22. So nice speed, but not miraculous.

^^ its miraculous especially for it coming from North Korea.

In rendering/poster ^^^^ looks great

Man if that's a problem then I'm done for, the concrete in my house is over 50 years old!

Well only if the concrete in your house is very cheap. This thing been opean to the elements for to long. I don't trust this project, I see this thing falling apart under to much stress. But who am I don't know what might happen.

Some interesting theories I found on the caption of the december 18 photo

An Egyptian firm, the Orascom group, has ventured to restore the hotel. Pyongyang watchers, however, have some doubts about it. It is difficult to imagine why a foreign investor should want to waste his money on this folly. Orascom also helped the North Koreans to launch a third generation mobile phone network which was proudly inaugurated earlier this week. Maybe the reconstruction of the hotel was the price they had to pay for some more profitable operations in Korea. Or maybe this mockup hotel is just a huge tax evasion project?



and this was one of the comments:

It is an optical effect. I believe they found some money from somewhere to put glass windows up, so it wouldn't look like ugly evil dungeon that it looks like.

But that is good that they are at least trying to improve it. Make it look like something more.


i find both theories to be plausible

Considering the shortages of electricity in North Korea I wonder how they'll keep the lights on in this place. If they can't even operate traffic signals how will their electrical infrastructure support such a beast?

i think its great that this hotel is going to be completed,will it be the tallest hotel only biulding in the world ?

i think its great that this hotel is going to be completed,will it be the tallest hotel only biulding in the world ?

no, the Rose Tower in Dubai is 333m tall :)

Do you guys have bridges and highway overpasses in your countries??? Aren't they exposed to the elements as well?

One thing is for sure (judging by the experience from my former-comunist country): When it come to such things, subpar quality is a no-no and means a certain death verdict in case of accident. There was a tall railway bridge in my country that was build with a much higher spec concrete than the plans just to have their arses covered.

I cant believe that they working on it again. The final design is awsome!

New design is great!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3280/3117212145_40b0cd5868_b.jpg
from kernbeisser

I cant fucking believe they are finally finishing this!!

Before, I thought the building looked like a giant-hulking piece of shit... but now it actually it starting to look nice - pretty impressive!

My reasoning (has nothing to do with the possibility of being a redneck from California) for thinking the concrete was of sub-par quality, was that when there is smoke, there is usually fire (as another forumer put it in the previous thread). Most of the time, that is actually a quite intelligent approach but this is further complicated by the fact that this monster is in such a secretive, reclusive country. While there was no concrete proof of the shitty concrete quality, I had never seen anything that would make me think otherwise either. I assumed that the inside of this structure could have problems as well, on top of the pics I had seen online years ago which I can no longer find (how convenient) and hearing all of these rumours through time. But I highly doubt Emaar would be involved if the main superstructure looked like it was going to completely fail.

Most people on this forum are forgetting structures all over Europe that have been standing the test of time for 500+ years, exposed to the elements as well.

Without starting another war here I want to ask... What can they do to repair concrete in a bulding like this (for the damage that we did see)? Do they just set forms back up over the exisiting walls and floors and pour over them?

Without starting another war here I want to ask... What can they do to repair concrete in a bulding like this (for the damage that we did see)? Do they just set forms back up over the exisiting walls and floors and pour over them?

Good question. My guess would be that, for some repairs, they cut or jack hammer out the bad concrete far enough back until non-corroded steel is exposed, weld new rebar to that, place new forms, then pour the new concrete. Seem like that would work for floor slabs, but I don't know about load-bearing walls.

I did a little searching and found the following link interesting. Who would have guessed that electricity can be used to repair concrete...

http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/concrete/concrete.htm

:)

Most people on this forum are forgetting structures all over Europe that have been standing the test of time for 500+ years, exposed to the elements as well.

Well constructed structures left exposed to the elements might be around for a millenia but a shoddily built building might only last a few years in an exposed state. I know of several abandoned houses that are now only foundations despite having been built only a dozen years ago and were only abandoned about three years ago. They were built cheap and when left alone with no maintenance they just disintegrated over a couple of winters.

Well constructed structures left exposed to the elements might be around for a millenia but a shoddily built building might only last a few years in an exposed state. I know of several abandoned houses that are now only foundations despite having been built only a dozen years ago and were only abandoned about three years ago. They were built cheap and when left alone with no maintenance they just disintegrated over a couple of winters.

Are those houses you mentioned made out of wood? Because concrete and wood are different things you know. I also want to say that concrete is getting denser and stiffer as time pases, due to the chemical reactions in it. If the steal bars inside are intact there is absolutelly no problem. The external walls are of no importance and can be replaced. The problem with this building isn't the fear of colapsing, but the point of making it in the first place, in a country that can't have the traffic lights on, due to electricity sortages (there are no cars anyway...)

I think it's funny so many people are reflexively defending North Korea. Tell you all what, why don't you all go live in that "paradise on earth" and help them achieve their Juche ideal. If they don't execute you as a spy right away then maybe one day they'll let you out of the slave camp and send some information out about how great everything there is......of course you'll have to include some obligatory praise for the Dear Leader..

And why don't you pay all your debts to the rest of the World and we'll see who's the "richest" and most "powerful" country in existence and how "pleasant" would be to leave there.

Bottom line: You are also living in utopia.

I am the only one in this forum to have grown up and spent 18 years in a country almost as reclusive as North Korea is now and I can understand way better then any of you "experts" how life might be there.

Are those houses you mentioned made out of wood? Because concrete and wood are different things you know.

[sarcasm on]Don't they use wood everywhere to build houses? Also concrete is used ?... WOW, you learn new things everyday [/sarcasm off] :lol:

i really like this building they should finish it

Well constructed structures left exposed to the elements might be around for a millenia but a shoddily built building might only last a few years in an exposed state. I know of several abandoned houses that are now only foundations despite having been built only a dozen years ago and were only abandoned about three years ago. They were built cheap and when left alone with no maintenance they just disintegrated over a couple of winters.


Biodegradable buildings? :lol:

is there any inside pics please?

is there any inside pics please?

If you ask me, we'll be lucky if we have any progress photos at all. I am sure that most of the photos that came out of there are hand checked by half a dozen party officials... Hope the regime we'll soften as the country opens to the world, something that will inevitably happen

we all should be optimists and hope for the best... hope the concrete is ok... and hope that building will hold on its weight... and i hope for updates at least one in a month... hope that DPRK officials know about us :D

^^ It is confirmed that there's traffic from North Korea on this website (true). If Kim himself or someone else, that we don't know. :D

there is one picture i posted on first page i think showing it from different angle... it's just a crane up there with korean flag... there is no statue...

EDIT: nope, it was in another thread...
i remember i found the picture some six months ago on DPRK fansite... back then i was surprised to see crane up there and wanted to share it with you guys but all threads about Ryugyong were closed so i save it for some later time...
here is that picture taken probably around April this year:

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/8994/ryughotelyy7.jpg

EDIT2:
found another newer picture taken on their September trip to DPRK... shows crane but still no cladding whatsoever...
that means their progress is going pretty fast in these two months...
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/5622/sep00000128io6.jpg

thank you, shoulda been obvious thats what it was... oh well, sometimes i shock myself with my own space-cadet-ness

Most of you might have seen this, but I don't think its been posted here again.
It is a few years old, with cheesy music

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0r0fM31BXKk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0r0fM31BXKk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Most of you might have seen this, but I don't think its been posted here again.
It is a few years old, with cheesy music

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0r0fM31BXKk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0r0fM31BXKk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

By this video the glass windows are only a cover up. No one will ever use this hotel as long as KJI is in power.

There's been photos posted before I think, zoomed ones, showing parts that are all broken and virtually starting to fall apart.

^^Images of which probably started the speculation about bad concrete in the first place.

this site is interesting: http://ryugyong.org/
don't know who made it but it has very nice 3d models of building...
seems like you can buy some parts of future hotel... didn't quite understand on site, but it looks like it...

finally rissing

hmm its was done rising for a while :nuts:

Wow! This is truly shocking. I figured once the regime fell, someone would finally get around to tearing this down. I never thought they would actually continue to build it.

And I agree with others, although I'm happy to see any building going up (especially during this economic crisis here in the U.S. that has stalled out other supertalls), whatever crisis we have here is nothing compared to North Korea. Get your priorities straight, loonies!

I have thoughts that north korea must have borrowed money from CHINA to continue the construction of this hotel. Otherwise this building would've stalled for centuries (nothing would've resumed with north koreans them selves)

^^
It's a Saudi Arabian developer according to sources earlier in this thread.

^^ Saudi Arabian? :|

i'll just quote a text from independent.co.uk site with a little bit longer explanation:

A hotel in Pyongyang once described as "the worst building in the history of mankind" is back under construction after a 16-year break.

According to foreign residents, the Egyptian conglomerate Orascom has just begun refurbishing the top floors of the pyramid-shaped Ryugyong Hotel, whose 330m (1,083ft) frame dominates the skyline of the capital of North Korea, which is one of the world's most reclusive and destitute countries.

The firm has put glass panels into the concrete shell, installed telecommunications antennae – even though the North forbids its citizens to own mobile phones – and put up an artist's impression of what it will look like. An official with the group said its Orascom Telecom subsidiary was involved in the project, but gave no details. The hotel consists of three wings rising at 75-degree angles capped by several floors arranged in rings, which are supposed to hold five revolving restaurants and an observation deck. A creaky building crane has for years sat unused at the top of the 3,000-room hotel in a city that tourists are only occasionally allowed to visit.

"It is not a beautiful design. It carries little iconic or monumental significance, but sheer muscular and massive presence," Lee Sang Jun, a professor of architecture at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, said.

The communist North started construction in 1987 in a possible fit of jealousy at South Korea, which was about to host the 1988 summer Olympics and show off to the world the success of its rapidly-developing economy. A concrete shell built by North Korea's Paektu Mountain Architects & Engineers emerged over the next few years. A proud North Korea put a picture of the hotel on postage stamps and boasted about the structure in the state media.

According to intelligence sources, the then North Korean leader, Kim Il-sung, saw the hotel as a symbol of his big dreams for the state he founded, while his son and current leader, Kim Jong-il, was a driving force in its construction. But by 1992, work was halted. The North's main benefactor, the former Soviet Union, had dissolved a year earlier and funding for the hotel had vanished. For a time, the North airbrushed images of the Ryugyong Hotel from photographs. As the North's economy took a deeper turn for the worse in the 1990s, the empty shell became a symbol of the country's failure, earning the nicknames "Hotel of Doom" and "Phantom Hotel".

Mr Lee and other architects said there were questions raised about whether the hotel was structurally sound, and a few believed completing the structure could cause it to collapse.

It would cost up to $2bn (£1bn) to finish the Ryugyong Hotel and make it safe, according to estimates in South Korea's media. That is equivalent to about 10 per cent of the North's annual economic output. Bruno Giberti, the associate head of California Polytechnic State University's department of architecture, said the project was typical of what has been produced recently by many cities which were trying to show their emerging wealth by constructing gigantic edifices that were not related in scale to anything else around them.

Mr Giberti, when asked about Esquire magazine's comment about the hotel, said: "If this is the worst building in the world, the runners-up are in [Las] Vegas and Shanghai."

and i found a news report few days ago from official news agency of DPRK:

Kim Yong Il Meets Egyptian Delegation
Pyongyang, December 15 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Il, premier of the DPRK Cabinet, met and had a friendly talk with the delegation of the Orascom Telecom Holding of Egypt headed by its Chairman and CEO Naguib Sawiris at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.

On hand were Ryu Yong Sop, minister of Post and Telecommunications, officials concerned and Egyptian Ambassador to the DPRK Ismail Abdelrahman Ghoneim Hussein.

so Orascom is building all of that cause of mobile monopoly that is going on...
i imagine it will have a nice big logo on it underneath the korean flag :)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8e/Orascom_Telecom_logo.png

^^ Saudi Arabian? :|
Or perhaps it was Egyptian? ;)

^^ Same, same

^^ Same, same

Don't you mean "same difference"......:lol:

Anyways, to me this got to be the most interesting project right now. I can't wait to see it completed.

There's something I love about the hugeness and ugliness of this monolith...

I loved it when it was incomplete. It looked very spooky and bizarre in a good way.
Im not sure how I will feel once its complete.

It did look spooky, actually. In my eyes, it appeared to be the world's largest tombstone, memorializing the "death" of the North Korean economy. Perhaps when it is completed, it will be viewed as a monument to the resurgence of the North Koreans.

OMG! this building looks so sinister to me! its a huge white elephant jotting out of the city.

it looks so "evil"! hahaha
http://maochan.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/ryugyong-hotel.jpg

With all the glass on it, I think it could look fantastic.

^^ Yuh it will look great...

To me the building is designed by some 7 year old kid who watches a lot of space cartoons to be honest...

Wow! Look at this thread's replies and views.
This tread have 190 replies for now(with 18927 views)

Ironically, Ryugyong Hotel gets lots of attention here, even though most of replies are bad ones.

Compare to south korean supertall(for examples, Parc1(333m, 3m taller than Ryugyong Hotel) barely got attention here with few replies, Ryugyong is more popular in good ways or bad ways anyway.

To me, Ryugyong Hotel is quite good with impressive height and nice design
Frankly, it is much better than south korean's ugly boxy apartment buildings in Seoul.
Beside north korea, when it comes to bulilding, Ryugyong Hotel itself did nothing wrong.
Please, don't put all blame on it.

picture from Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3194/2986942109_786091c6c6.jpg?v=0

^^ Agree +1

The tower looks great. *not designed by some 7 year old kid who watches a lot of space cartoons :lol: :okay:

To me the building is designed by some 7 year old kid who watches a lot of space cartoons to be honest...

I think you're giving him a lot of credit thinking he's 7, I was thinking it looks like it was designed by a 5 year old! Totally boring design that lacks originality.

I think you're giving him a lot of credit thinking he's 7, I was thinking it looks like it was designed by a 5 year old! Totally boring design that lacks originality.

Lacks originality? Name one building that looks like it.

Totally boring design that lacks originality.

HUH? I musta missed the building it copied. Where is that one anyway?

This is a wicked looking structure, but I like the design and can't wait to see it finished.

^^ I'm gonna laugh if he counters that with "The Great Pyramids". :rofl:

This building is the definition of a landmark! :lol:

Lacks originality? Name one building that looks like it.
No building looks like it because nobody else in the world would want to build a building that looks like it! Very few 5 year olds designing buildings these days except with Lego building blocks, which is probably how this building was designed. :nuts:

There's certainly no high Tech methods of construction used and every child knows that tapering a structure in from bottom to top makes it easier to build and stronger. If you think about it in that way you'll see why I'm saying it's a childish design!

Will this actually be "functional" or just another empty shell?

Whether it's a good design or not, it's pretty pointless cladding glass windows on a decayed concrete. They are doing this as a sign persistence of their failed regime.

This building is the definition of a landmark! :lol:

True, but not in a positive way. :puke:

Whether it's a good design or not, it's pretty pointless cladding glass windows on a decayed concrete. They are doing this as a sign persistence of their failed regime.Yeah, all failed regimes will some day pointlessly clad glass windows on a decayed concrete.

how about the interior decoration wok??

^^ Yeah, i'm pretty curious how the interior will look. :D

Another construction pic from flickr. Its a slightly older one, but it shows the base part of the hotel being constructed.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2ypndiq.jpg

Great building. Congrats to Kim and friends :banana:

do we have name of the guy(s) who is taking photos of this building?

To be honest the building looks very quiet but I wonder how much money workers get paid per day. Certainly lower than burj dubai workers which is 5$ a day init? but we're seeing no strikes...

Shows more....
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3199/3144051654_8cdf5034e8_o.jpg

:banana::banana::banana:

I cant believe this atrocity is being finished :nuts: Do they really want to use it as a hotel? As far as I understand, North Korea isn't really a prefered tourist destination.

^^ not everyone's cup of tea but is for all the Amish people all cross the globe, especially the Americans.

this hotel is enough for the whole country :D

I cant believe this atrocity is being finished :nuts: Do they really want to use it as a hotel? As far as I understand, North Korea isn't really a prefered tourist destination.

Why not? It is for business travels, not leisure travels.

It should have several purposes considering it's size just to keep it in balance....and..I think it's absolute horrid.

building has 3 different sides, and one of those sides haven't been seen by me yet.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3280/3117212145_40b0cd5868_b.jpg

^^ wow! very impressive... I really like this building...

building has 3 different sides, and one of those sides haven't been seen by me yet.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3280/3117212145_40b0cd5868_b.jpg

Love the streets.

Heaven without traffic ^^^^^^^^:cheers:

Don't like this monster building. Look very bad :(

Now the building is in hands of the Saudis, I can stop worrying about the tower's structure and bad concrete and everything else said to be bad about the tower.
i think the building wouldn't look too bad with a spire.

Don't like this monster building. Look very bad :(

Well...it's not exactly a 21st century design. They’re taking something retro looking from the 80's and slapping a new coat of paint on it. The building will definitely look better when competed than it did though. :)

Now the building is in hands of the Saudis, I can stop worrying about the tower's structure and bad concrete and everything else said to be bad about the tower.
i think the building wouldn't look too bad with a spire.

Indeed.

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/3056/ryugyonghotelhx6.jpg

ouch! no a spire like that wouldn't be good! actually I think a spire wouldn't fit to the building... It is better like it is NOW!

getting better

A smaller spire then? :D

Come on, don't try to beat Burj Dubaj's 800+ meters with just adding a HUGE spire to that hotel ^^ :lol: to increase the height, this looks ridiculus.:cheers:

Indeed.

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/3056/ryugyonghotelhx6.jpg

Spire? I prefer the crane:crazy::lol:

Only if you take care of it: don't make it wet all the time, unless you paint a water resistant paint on it;

I suppose. I think I do remember seeing pictures of the abandoned Ryugyong Hotel where the building looked to be slightly dilapidated, does anyone have them?

They are already selling Ryugyong goodies!

http://ryugyong.org/?goodies&about

Here are some pictures which show the 'bad' quality of the structure.

http://www.kiwipulse.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/ryugyong6.jpg

http://www.kiwipulse.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/ryugyong5.jpg

But mostly in this picture, the concrete looks horrible:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/61/208906907_2b035f41a5_b.jpg

Large version: http://www.flickr.com/photos/78613556@N00/208906907/sizes/o/

Holy Shit!!!!! This is maaaad!!! I wonder that the building didn't collapse... Well... But it will be better after a year I think...

is that a crack in the bottom middle of the picture? I also thin unless they paint the concrete before putting on glasses, there'll be some very unhygienic things in that building.

Some of those shirts are pretty sweet Dequal.

I think it hasnt collapsed because that's reinforced concrete lol. I also don't think that's a crack but more of a flaking (going from the discoloration)

That concrete just looks horrible. It's cracking, flaking. It looks like really dry skin almost. I just have bad feelings about them finishing this.

hmmm... i think that they do the cladding and when the cladding will be completed i would stand another 25 years... the concrete is completely disaster... the put the cladding and inside will be empty and national propaganda tell people and whole world that they have a luxurious hotel :D

oh and by the way... building is topped out ?

why is emaar doing this?
i will get nothing out of north kore, there are better place to invest.

Poor quality concrete or not, check out how irregularly shaped the openings along the 'spine' of the angled wall are. Also, the whole wall veers left and right as it goes up (especially visible on the restaurant levels in the large version).

Poor quality concrete or not, check out how irregularly shaped the openings along the 'spine' of the angled wall are. Also, the whole wall veers left and right as it goes up (especially visible on the restaurant levels in the large version).It doesn't "veer" anywhere. It's just that the edges are ruined. Most probably superficial stuff.

The concrete isn't nearly as bad as it looks, kids.

If you look closely at the flat surfaces on the corner that is visible it looks like the rebar is exposed in quite a few places. That definitely will cause long-term problems since water will have seeped in a round it and moved via capillary action quite a distance. The resulting corrosion of the rebar will cause weakening of the structure.

On another point, does anyone know if elevators were planned to run up those faces? It's sort of looks like that might be part of the plan, if it is it will certainly be a unique feature.

It doesn't "veer" anywhere. It's just that the edges are ruined. Most probably superficial stuff.

Disagree with you on that. There is a lot of discoloration and spalling on the building, yes, but that can't account for what you see below. Have a look as the entire angled wall moves away and back over a sequence of floors from a set of straight lines I drew in. I used adjacent vertical walls as controls to eliminate lens distortion as the cause of this. I'm not saying it's a safety issue, but it's most definitely an indicator of shoddy workmanship.

http://i42.tinypic.com/254zwja.jpg

Disagree with you on that. There is a lot of discoloration and spalling on the building, yes, but that can't account for what you see below. Have a look as the entire angled wall moves away and back over a sequence of floors from a set of straight lines I drew in. I used adjacent vertical walls as controls to eliminate lens distortion as the cause of this. I'm not saying it's a safety issue, but it's most definitely an indicator of shoddy workmanship.
http://i42.tinypic.com/254zwja.jpgInteresting job you made, but the lines seem to prove me right. It's just the edges and the surfaces that are ruined. I'm failing to see any misalignment of the main wall, all the windows fall in line for how long I stare at them. Maybe one is one inch off, ok.
But If I may, I'd like to ask you and all the other folks who are working so hard to dismiss this building as useless and ugly and unrecoverable and so on, are you sure your energies wouldn't be better used elsewhere? I mean there are tons of specimens out there that are real insults to intelligence and architecture and also incomparably more wasteful in terms of money and resources than this building... and don't tell me this is because "North Korea can't afford it", it's a nonsense. Take for instance the money spent for the Freedom Tower (1 billion dollars from the State of New York in the form of bonds so far) - it could just as well be used to give a home to many of the people who are now living in tents everywhere in the USA. Why don't you go protest about that?

Am so curious to see this monster completed!

Interesting job you made, but the lines seem to prove me right. It's just the edges and the surfaces that are ruined. I'm failing to see any misalignment of the main wall, all the windows fall in line for how long I stare at them. Maybe one is one inch off, ok.


Exactly my point. The vertical walls are fine, showing the picture has not been distorted by rescaling of the image or by a wide lens. The problem I noted is with the face of the angled wall. The angled wall clearly moves away and back from my set of straight lines over a series of floors, as the result of deficient formwork, surveying, quality assurance, or a combination of the above. I don't care where in the world it's being built; I haven't seen any other building even close to this scale where tolerances are so loose that you can spot such deviations from a photograph.

I think people get the idea that its bad concrete by for example looking at far left vertical wall in the picture above, where it shows massive amount of concrete on the surface's been weathered.

Disagree with you on that. There is a lot of discoloration and spalling on the building, yes, but that can't account for what you see below. Have a look as the entire angled wall moves away and back over a sequence of floors from a set of straight lines I drew in. I used adjacent vertical walls as controls to eliminate lens distortion as the cause of this. I'm not saying it's a safety issue, but it's most definitely an indicator of shoddy workmanship.

http://i42.tinypic.com/254zwja.jpg

SCARY! I wonder if the resurfacing that we've seen in more recent photographs could have corrected that type of problem? If not, I'd be hesitant to step foot in the building.

SCARY! I wonder if the resurfacing that we've seen in more recent photographs could have corrected that type of problem? If not, I'd be hesitant to step foot in the building.

They didn't 'resurfaced' it. They are putting cladding (glass) over it, so that won't solve the problems. :bash:

i think its starting to look good.

Are there some pictures about the construction-site of this building from 1987-1992? This would be very interesting.

I actually like this building as a ruin, cladding spoils the fun a bit.

Are there some pictures about the construction-site of this building from 1987-1992? This would be very interesting.

Hey! I couldn't find some pics except one, but on this picture it is nearly finished... sorry
http://www.welt.de/multimedia/archive/00613/nordkorea_hotel_sw__613363a.jpg
It is better than nothing... sorry :(
And I found another rendering, if we hadn't this before:
http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/04/gallery_imaginary_cities/pyongyang.jpg
I found 1 video... maybe you havn't seen it... enjoy
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1182375/ryugyong_hotel_north_korea_pyongyang/
UHHH just found another pic, how it would look if it was finished without glass cladding:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Finished_ryug.jpg

I love this bldg actually. It is very distinctive.

Will this hotel be managed by an intl company like Accor, Hilton...(by any chance) ? Will it also be a five-star hotel?

Maybe they're just covering it with glass just for propaganda purposes?

NK allows Orascom to operate in the country if Orascom covers that building with glass?

I wish they would leave it white, blend with the surroundings better (you cannot find one single glassy hi-rise in Pyongyang) lol.

I wish they would leave it white, blend with the surroundings better (you cannot find one single glassy hi-rise in Pyongyang) lol.

To be honest I don't think the colour will make any difference, it's a 105 storey building, it's gonna stick out like a sore thumb no matter what.

The angled wall clearly moves away and back from my set of straight lines over a series of floors, as the result of deficient formwork, surveying, quality assurance, or a combination of the above.

This happens with many highrises, if not all. I believe even one of the Petronas Towers is 1 meter out of line. But this doesn't have to say anything about the actual quality of the concrete.

Concrete can withstand years of punishment. Think about all the bridges, dams, dikes and all. Yes, they are being maintained but as long as water doesn't manages to reach the steel inside the concrete, all should be well.

Its so strange not seeing any workers on these pics... Ore not even a truck on the others...

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/4922/3118037458d49cbeb0bdber5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://i42.tinypic.com/2ypndiq.jpg

It seems as if the Hotel was building itself... :D

maybe all its photoshopped and their is no skyscraper :shifty:

Pyongyang
http://api.tiles.virtualearth.net/api/GetMap.ashx?b=a,mkt.en-us&z=16&c=39.0350599300892,125.732162888521&w=900&h=820
compared with TOKYO
http://api.tiles.virtualearth.net/api/GetMap.ashx?b=a,mkt.en-us&z=17&c=35.1319169617722,136.896686854454&w=900&h=820
Pyongyang looks dead. There are no cars in the streets or bridges. Scary place to be...

THE HOTEL LOOKS HUGE THOUGH.........

That is spooky!

Its so strange not seeing any workers on these pics... Ore not even a truck on the others...

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/4922/3118037458d49cbeb0bdber5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://i42.tinypic.com/2ypndiq.jpg

The first pic scares me!:ohno:

i bet tourist wouldnt even wanna stay there. :lol: the building is nice though but it creeps the hell out of me.

yep... too much offtopic... but thats what happens in lack of info on this...
KIM SEND US ANOTHER PIC MAN! :banana:

^^ right! :lol::lol:....how did they put those glass on the wall..while those walls is actually deteriorating...its no use at all!

Wow, I liked this project, it was interesting just concrete "godzila" standing there alone, like ghost. But now, I'm surprised, they're going to build finish it! I don't know, what about the concrete, but that would be maybe just the top thin layer bad.. they have to hope. I'm waiting for more pictures, hopefully soon I'll see some.

Gretings from Slovakia!

Its so strange not seeing any workers on these pics... Ore not even a truck on the others...

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/4922/3118037458d49cbeb0bdber5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://i42.tinypic.com/2ypndiq.jpg

It is clear from these photos that all the speculation about deteriorating concrete is irrelevant. It's plain as day that whoever is working on this building has resurfaced or replaced the balconies that go along the edges of the building. You can see new concrete on the balconies in the first picture and safety netting on several balconies in the last picture.

Yes, the main surface where most of the cladding goes looks good. Rain didn't make much damage (pointed green). Although the other sides (red) looks relly bad and like sundrop74 said they're renovating them so it looks that everything will be fine.
http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/1676/2ypndiqyq0.jpg

they're renovating them so it looks that everything will be fine.
Great news...

If you can say that about this crazy project... :crazy2:

Ok, I take it moderators do not exist here or can't - won't perform their function. May we start talking sex? Do propaganda for political parties? I have a cell phone to sell by the way.


:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
Sex? as long as it's Korean, at least its still somewhat on topic! :banana:



i bet tourist wouldnt even wanna stay there. :lol: the building is nice though but it creeps the hell out of me.


I would love to experience staying in NK if the country ever does open up more to tourism - even though I'm a redneck californian :)

It would offer an experience unlike any other that you can find on this planet.

I was skeptical for a while about this tower for some very obvious reasons, but I for one can say with certainty that I'm pretty happy as well as shocked to see them resume their efforts on this tower. They even replaced most of the crappy concrete on the balconies on the sides of the structure.

I really wonder what the interior will look like when completed - And I also wonder what solution they are going to use for vertical transportation... maybe one day we will all be able to find out!

I too would think it would be interesting to see this tower in person, and NK for that matter. Just because I think the structure is unstable and a waste of money doesn't mean I don't think it'd be an interesting tourist destination. Besides, it'd be interesting to see how they react to us Redneck Californians. :lol:

Apparently there's no lights on after a certain hour in NK....way f'ed up if ya ask me. I don't know who's gonna stay in the hotel once they get it finished....even if I flew it wouldn't be me.

Well that explains the total blackout except for that one little spot. Most likely Kim Jong Il's palace...

^^ That's Pyongyang

Nice view you've got there. Are you allowed to go to the other side of the river? Or only guided tours probably?

wow PYONGYANG is clean！

I made the hotel for CG.

http://www.neox.to/Ryugyong/Ryugyong_001s.jpg (http://www.neox.to/Ryugyong/Ryugyong_001.jpg)
http://www.neox.to/Ryugyong/Ryugyong_002s.jpg (http://www.neox.to/Ryugyong/Ryugyong_002.jpg)
http://www.neox.to/Ryugyong/Ryugyong_003s.jpg (http://www.neox.to/Ryugyong/Ryugyong_003.jpg)

^^These are amazing! Well done tommyzion. :)

^^ WOW!! It looks so damn amazing...Awesome job man...

good job tommy but there are some heavy modifications there...

good job tommy but there are some heavy modifications there...

True, but I'd say Tommy's design is better than the original! :cheers:

^^ Much better...

amazing pics there tommy,and who now reckons this hotel will look ugly ?

I made the hotel for CG.
^^ Wow, looks great - fits more to Las Vegas than Pyongyang I'd say....

Amazing tommyzion! :bow:

good job tommy but there are some heavy modifications there...Why, to me it looks very similar, anyway great job!

That first hotel pic looks like a big jail to me. Good job Tommy! Your pics looks better than the real thing will I'd bet!