PYONGYANG | Ryugyong Hotel | 330m | 1083ft | 105 fl | T/O

[Woonsocket54]

Originally Posted by CrazyAboutCities

I just looked closer to these tower constructions pictures from the link above here... These towers under construction have many cracks and it doesn't look safe to live in at all. I feel bad for these North Koreans that have to live in these towers when it completes.

image hosted on flickr

Looks like they've decided to put concrete bricks in place of the windows/balconies. Someone along the way realized that the quickest way out of N Korea is at 9.8m/s^2.

[600West218]

Originally Posted by Woonsocket54

image hosted on flickr

Looks like they've decided to put concrete bricks in place of the windows/balconies. Someone along the way realized that the quickest way out of N Korea is at 9.8m/s^2.

Why is that a problem? As long as the structural slabs are strong that is fine.

I see new concrete buildings in NYC that are built the same way and we never seem to have a problem.

[Blizzy]

You might want to check out what great quality their prefab blocks are in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuzuJ...layer_embedded

[bgdrewsif]

Originally Posted by CrazyAboutCities

I just looked closer to these tower constructions pictures from the link above here... These towers under construction have many cracks and it doesn't look safe to live in at all. I feel bad for these North Koreans that have to live in these towers when it completes.

Agree 100%... The work looks very shoddy and haphazard... Do any of these construction workers have any actual construction education? Do they have structural engineers or inspectors? The Ryugyong had major structural issues with the concrete that required outside intervention after a decade of sitting incomplete to resolve that project and these buildings do NOT look safe at all...

[testdrive]

Originally Posted by Blizzy

You might want to check out what great quality their prefab blocks are in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuzuJ...layer_embedded

It is hard to comprehend even after looking at it how people still think and behave that way. Even understanding the psychology of it all when you see it it just is hard to identify with it in any way

[bgdrewsif]

Originally Posted by testdrive

It is hard to comprehend even after looking at it how people still think and behave that way. Even understanding the psychology of it all when you see it it just is hard to identify with it in any way

It is brainwashing at it's finest.... I doubt that there has ever been any society in history (on a national level, religious sect/cults don't count) that has been so completely brainwashed... Germany under Hitler does not even come close to North Korea's level of insanity... I don't think anyone in Germany actually believed that Hitler's moods caused the weather...

I have been watching a lot of North Korea videos on youtube lately and the sheer absurd insanity of what goes on there completely defies any rational or logical explanation...

Just watching the videos of all the people "crying" over their 'dear leaders' death is ridiculous... I have yet to see one image where anyone has any tears coming from their eyes, but they all keep pushing and shoving over each other to scream, flail their arms, throw themselves onto the ground, and perform other wholly absurd and obviously fake displays of remorse... I have seen better acting from the first grade kids at my school in their elementary plays on the cafeteria stage at 10am on a Tuesday... Does the North Korean government actually believe that anyone outside of North Korea would believe that footage for even one second? Anyone? Anywhere? Do they have any concept of how pathetic and ridiculous this funeral display they have been broadcasting for the world's enjoyment makes all of them look?

[hmmwv]

Actually after watching the video I have to see some of those building may be built better than several 1990s high rise apartment blocks I've seen in China. I still have more faith in North Korean construction worker than many shoddy contractors in China.

[Blizzy]

Originally Posted by hmmwv

Actually after watching the video I have to see some of those building may be built better than several 1990s high rise apartment blocks I've seen in China. I still have more faith in North Korean construction worker than many shoddy contractors in China.

Then you should look more closely at how old and crumbling that beam they are putting in place looks like, because you obviously missed it.

[600West218]

Wow, the building they are throwing up are pretty massive. They are definitely going to have an impressive skyline.

As to the people here talking about shoddy construction, I think they have no idea what they are talking about. The structure for this hotel is already more than 20 years old. If it was so poorly made why is it still standing intact?

What I am seeing in those pictures is just typical construction.

[Maggern2k]

I visited DPRK myself this summer (must have been one of the last bunch of visitors to visit the country before Kim Jong Il's death).

As mentioned, these buildings, along with large infrastructure projects, lined the river and where quite comprehensive. It's all part of the celebration this year. I think the guides mentioned the goal had been to provide living space for up to 200 000 people throughout the country, with much of it focused on Pyongyang.

And those of you who haven't been there, stop pretending to know -anything- about how that country works. You'd be surprised.

PS: Some of the concrete of the hotel might have been damaged by sitting in the open for a decade, but I'm sure that they were able to patch that up once construction resumed.

PPS: Koryo Tours is British and handles most of the tourism to the DPRK.

[HenriqueHHD]

Originally Posted by jerseyboi

How was this picture taken? and posted? not any internet access in NK. The population can not access the world wide web. ( not allowed )

is it from a media publication?

This picture seens to be taken at the Yanggakdo Hotel. Looks like that a tourist did.

[HenriqueHHD]

Originally Posted by redbaron_012

are they allowed to leave ?..............must be a terrible place to live, but then people don't know what they are missing hey ?

There are many places telling the stories about "turism in NK", it become increased since 2008. On youtube, tripadvisor and many other blogs you can see pictures, videos and other stuff. There many brazilians from here that go there to discover the "new country", the huge majority of them takes the german office of Koryo Tours to go there.

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by 600West218

Wow, the building they are throwing up are pretty massive. They are definitely going to have an impressive skyline.

As to the people here talking about shoddy construction, I think they have no idea what they are talking about. The structure for this hotel is already more than 20 years old. If it was so poorly made why is it still standing intact?

What I am seeing in those pictures is just typical construction.

Originally Posted by Maggern2k

I visited DPRK myself this summer (must have been one of the last bunch of visitors to visit the country before Kim Jong Il's death).

As mentioned, these buildings, along with large infrastructure projects, lined the river and where quite comprehensive. It's all part of the celebration this year. I think the guides mentioned the goal had been to provide living space for up to 200 000 people throughout the country, with much of it focused on Pyongyang.

And those of you who haven't been there, stop pretending to know -anything- about how that country works. You'd be surprised.

PS: Some of the concrete of the hotel might have been damaged by sitting in the open for a decade, but I'm sure that they were able to patch that up once construction resumed.

PPS: Koryo Tours is British and handles most of the tourism to the DPRK.

After seeing these two posts and some others on this thread, I question if North Korean officials have infiltrated this website just to talk good things about this tower in all aspects.

[Scrapernab2]

Those of us who have not been there should pretend we know that anyone who visits is led around by an official...

SO, to know anything about how the country works, you would have to wander BY YOURSELF, SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE, and spend a lot of time doing that, not just a one or two week visit.

Oh yeah, and go inside the Ryugyong hotel and see for ourselves what the structure looks like.

[Сталин]

As long as the buildings are standing, and people have not yet died from this, its all good. I mean really... Have you ever heard that one of those cracks have actualy killed someone? I think not. And the cracks will get patched up, they wont stay bare like that when completed.

[Scrapernab2]

That's a good point (whatever your name is, my keyboard does not have those symbols! lol) Name a concrete building that has collapsed...

[Swiddle]

Originally Posted by Scrapernab2

That's a good point (whatever your name is, my keyboard does not have those symbols! lol) Name a concrete building that has collapsed...

Here's one. Oddly, I just recently watched a TV show (Seconds from Disaster) about it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampoon...Store_collapse

Of course many, many buildings (concrete or otherwise) have collapsed around the world in earthquakes. I don't know how seismically active Pyongyang is, though.

As for Сталин's name, I don't have those symbols either, but I have copy and paste.

[Сталин]

Originally Posted by Swiddle

Here's one. Oddly, I just recently watched a TV show (Seconds from Disaster) about it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampoon...Store_collapse

Of course many, many buildings (concrete or otherwise) have collapsed around the world in earthquakes. I don't know how seismically active Pyongyang is, though.

As for Сталин's name, I don't have those symbols either, but I have copy and paste.

I've never heard about Pyongyang having earthquakes, or any storms that can cause its collapse. Building apartments that can withstand earthquakes in such an unactive area is just wasting money that the country needs. I don't see any other reason to why they would collapse because of patched up cracks in the concrete, as I say they are safe, economic, and will last a long time.

[Swiddle]

I did a little searching online, and you're right, it's an inactive region (at least in modern times). This document has much information on the historic seismic activity of the Korean peninsula, for anyone interested.

It would be interesting to know how strong of an earthquake Ryugyong could withstand. If anyone has tried to come up with a sound estimate, I doubt we'd ever be privy to it.

[charles54]

Originally Posted by 600West218

Why is that a problem? As long as the structural slabs are strong that is fine.

I see new concrete buildings in NYC that are built the same way and we never seem to have a problem.

which part of the tower is that ?