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

[Sukkiri]

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.

[Brdo]

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

[ssfan]

Originally Posted by ZimasterX

from flickr

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

[scalziand]

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

[kingsc]

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.

[kingsc]

Originally Posted by Sukkiri

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.

[ZimasterX]

Originally Posted by Brdo

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.

[Durbsboi]

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

[Ramses]

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.

[l'eau]

OMG
cladding is very fast.

[HomesickAlienn]

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

[buildmilehightower]

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.

[mediadave]

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

[ZLK]

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.

[andysimo123]

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.

[mediadave]

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.

[ZLK]

Originally Posted by mediadave

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.

[mediadave]

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.

[Wrocl'awianin]

Wow nice cladding progres.

[ZLK]

Originally Posted by mediadave

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.