Ryugyong Hotel: Difference between revisions
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===Building deadlock=== |
===Building deadlock=== |
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The hotel was scheduled to open in June 1989 for the [[World Festival of Youth and Students]], but problems with building methods and materials delayed completion. Had it opened on schedule, it would have |
The hotel was scheduled to open in June 1989 for the [[World Festival of Youth and Students]], but problems with building methods and materials delayed completion. Had it opened on schedule, it would have surpassed the Westin Stamford Hotel to become [[List of tallest hotels in the world|the world's tallest hotel]],<ref name="ABC">{{cite news |first=Dan |last=Beckmann |title=Pyongyang: Home to the Tallest Hotel in the World That Could, but Will Never Be |url=http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=2590901 |work=[[ABC News]] |publisher=[[The Walt Disney Company]] |date=2006-10-23 |accessdate=2009-07-05 }}</ref> and been ranked the [[List of tallest buildings in the world|seventh-tallest building in the world]].<ref name=Emporis/> |
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In 1992, after the building had reached its full architectural height,<ref name=Emporis>{{cite web|url=http://www.emporis.com/application/?nav=building&id=130967&lng=3 |
In 1992, after the building had reached its full architectural height,<ref name=Emporis>{{cite web|url=http://www.emporis.com/application/?nav=building&id=130967&lng=3 |
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|title=Ryugyong Hotel|accessdate=2010-02-09|work=Emporis.com}}</ref> work was halted due to a lack of funds |
|title=Ryugyong Hotel|accessdate=2010-02-09|work=Emporis.com}}</ref> work was halted due to a lack of funds <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emporis.com/en/bu/nc/ne/?id=100921|title=News: North Korean mystery solved|last= Gerometta|first= Marshall |date=2003-08-29|accessdate=2010-02-09|work=Emporis.com}}</ref> amid electricity and food shortages.<ref name="doom"/> Japanese newspapers estimated the cost of construction was US$750 million,<ref name="cost">{{cite journal| title=North Korea builds record-height hotel| month=November 15| year=1990| journal=Engineering News-Record| page=41}}</ref> consuming 2 percent of North Korea’s [[GDP]].<ref name="Esquire"/> |
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In a 2006 article, [[ABC News]] questioned whether North Korea had sufficient [[raw materials]] or energy for such a massive project.<ref name="ABC"/> A North Korean government official told the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' in 2008 that construction was not completed "because [North Korea] ran out of money".<ref name="boom"> {{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-boom27-2008sep27,0,7763249.story?page=2&track=rss|title= North Korea in the midst of mysterious building boom|date= 2008-09-27 |publisher=[[Los Angeles Times]] |accessdate=2008-12-14}}</ref> A decade after the start of construction, the [[European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea]] delegated an inspection of the building, where it was concluded that the structure was "[[wikt:irreparable|irreparable]]".<ref>{{cite book|last=Noland|first=Marcus|title=Avoiding the Apocalypse: The Future of the Two Koreas|publisher=[[Peterson Institute for International Economics|Institute for International Economics]]|location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|date=2000|page=82|isbn=0-88132-278-4}}</ref> |
In a 2006 article, [[ABC News]] questioned whether North Korea had sufficient [[raw materials]] or energy for such a massive project.<ref name="ABC"/> A North Korean government official told the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' in 2008 that construction was not completed "because [North Korea] ran out of money".<ref name="boom"> {{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-boom27-2008sep27,0,7763249.story?page=2&track=rss|title= North Korea in the midst of mysterious building boom|date= 2008-09-27 |publisher=[[Los Angeles Times]] |accessdate=2008-12-14}}</ref> A decade after the start of construction, the [[European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea]] delegated an inspection of the building, where it was concluded that the structure was "[[wikt:irreparable|irreparable]]".<ref>{{cite book|last=Noland|first=Marcus|title=Avoiding the Apocalypse: The Future of the Two Koreas|publisher=[[Peterson Institute for International Economics|Institute for International Economics]]|location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|date=2000|page=82|isbn=0-88132-278-4}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 03:23, 22 February 2010
| Ryugyong Hotel | |
|---|---|
| File:Pyongyang-feb-2009-crop-Ryugyong Hotel mod timm.jpg Ryugyong Hotel under construction in February 2009. | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Topped-out |
| Location | Pyongyang, North Korea |
| Coordinates | 39°02′11″N 125°43′50″E / 39.03639°N 125.73056°E |
| Estimated completion | 2012 (projected)[3] |
| Height | |
| Roof | 330.02 metres (1,082.7 ft)[1] |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 105[1] |
| Floor area | Template:M2 to ft2[1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Baikdoosan Architects & Engineers[2] |
| Developer |  North Korea |
| Ryugyong Hotel | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 류경 호텔 |
|---|---|
| Hancha | 柳京 호텔 |
| Revised Romanization | Ryugyeong Hotel |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ryugyŏng Hot'el |
The Ryugyong Hotel (Korean: 류경호텔) (sometimes anglicized as Ryu-Gyong Hotel or Yu-Kyung Hotel[5]) is a 105-floor supertall skyscraper under construction in Pyongyang, North Korea. Its name comes from one of the historic names for the city of Pyongyang, and means "capital of willows";[6] the building is also known as the 105 building,[1] a reference to its number of floors. Construction began in 1987, but was halted in 1992 due to the economic disruptions that afflicted the country. The hotel stood topped out but without windows or interior fittings for the next sixteen years, until construction resumed in April 2008, under the supervision of the Orascom Group of Egypt, which has invested heavily in the North Korean mobile telephony and construction industries.[2]
The hotel rises to a height of 330 metres (1,080 ft), and it contains 360,000 square metres (3,900,000 sq ft) of floor space, making it the most prominent feature of the city's skyline and by far the largest structure in North Korea. Construction of the Ryugyong was intended to be completed in time for the World Festival of Youth and Students in June 1989; had this been achieved, it would have become the world's tallest hotel. The unfinished structure was not surpassed in height by another hotel until the completion of construction on the Rose Tower in Dubai, UAE in 2009. The Ryugyong is currently the world's 30th tallest building, a title it shares with the China World Trade Center Tower III.
History
Background
The plan for a large hotel was reportedly a Cold War response to the completion of the world's tallest hotel, the Westin Stamford Hotel in Singapore, in 1986 by a South Korean company, SsangYong Group. North Korean leadership envisioned the project as a channel for Western investors to step into the marketplace. A firm, the Ryugyong Hotel Investment and Management Co., was established to attract a hoped-for US$230 million in foreign investment. A representative for the North Korean government promised relaxed oversight, saying, "The foreign investors can even operate casinos, nightclubs or Japanese lounges if they want to."[7] North Korean construction firm Baikdoosan Architects & Engineers (also known as Baekdu Mountain Architects and Engineers) began construction on a pyramid-shaped hotel in 1987.[2][8]
Building deadlock
The hotel was scheduled to open in June 1989 for the World Festival of Youth and Students, but problems with building methods and materials delayed completion. Had it opened on schedule, it would have surpassed the Westin Stamford Hotel to become the world's tallest hotel,[9] and been ranked the seventh-tallest building in the world.[1]
In 1992, after the building had reached its full architectural height,[1] work was halted due to a lack of funds [10] amid electricity and food shortages.[4] Japanese newspapers estimated the cost of construction was US$750 million,[11] consuming 2 percent of North Korea’s GDP.[12]
In a 2006 article, ABC News questioned whether North Korea had sufficient raw materials or energy for such a massive project.[9] A North Korean government official told the Los Angeles Times in 2008 that construction was not completed "because [North Korea] ran out of money".[3] A decade after the start of construction, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea delegated an inspection of the building, where it was concluded that the structure was "irreparable".[13]
International media reaction
After construction came to a halt in 1992, the unfinished building sat vacant and without windows, fixtures, or fittings, appearing as a massive concrete shell.[1] A rusting construction crane at the top, which the BBC called "a reminder of the totalitarian state's thwarted ambition",[4] became a permanent fixture.[14][15]
Even though the Ryugyong dominates the Pyongyang skyline, official information regarding the hotel and its status have proven difficult to obtain. Though mocked-up images of the completed hotel had once appeared on North Korean stamps, the government denied the building's existence for many years, manipulated official photographs in order to remove the structure, and excluding it from printed maps of Pyongyang.[9][3][4] Former CNN international correspondent Mike Chinoy likened the policy to the matter of a calcium deposit on the neck of longtime dictator Kim Il-sung, which was "never photographed... something you couldn't mention."[9] The alleged problems associated with the hotel led some media sources to dub it "The Worst Building in the World",[16][12] "Hotel of Doom" and "Phantom Hotel".[4]
Construction resumes
In April 2008, after 16 years of inactivity, foreign visitors to Pyongyang reported that Egypt's Orascom Group had started refurbishing the hotel's top floors.[17] Glass paneling and telecommunications antennas were observed being installed.[18] The Orascom Telecom subsidiary confirmed involvement in the structure's construction, as part of the development of a GSM mobile telephony infrastructure in North Korea for up to 100,000 initial subscribers.[19] While Orascom denies that the company's exclusive access to the North Korean telecom market is directly linked to the completion of the hotel, it is seen as an act which "builds good rapport with the people," as the company cannot engage in corporate sponsorship in North Korea.[4]
In 2008, an official with the Committee for Cultural Relations With Foreign Countries told the Los Angeles Times that the refurbishing of the Ryugyong Hotel would be completed by 2012, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the birth of "Eternal President" Kim Il Sung. An Orascom official indicated that the goal of the refurbishment was to facelift the structure's facade and make it more visually appealing.[3] On December 22, 2008, photographic evidence of the restarting of construction on the hotel appeared on the Internet.[20] The photos revealed that work had begun to enclose the upper floors in glass.[21] In August 2009, photos appeared showing at least one side of the hotel completely clad in glass, along with the completion of the outside covering of the upper floors.[22] Work on the building's exterior is expected to last until the end of 2010, at which point it will be safe to begin interior work, which will last until 2012 or beyond, according to Orascom chief operating officer Khaled Bichara. The completed Ryugyong will be divided among hotel accommodation, apartments and business facilities.[4]
Architecture
The Ryugyong Hotel's 105-story structure resembles a flattened and bent ziggurat. The exterior walls, which slope at a 75-degree angle,[1] were to be covered in mirrored glass. The hotel was to contain 3,000 guest rooms, (7,665 according to some sources[23]) and several disk-shaped floors near the top of the building were to feature five revolving restaurants.[24] The reinforced concrete structure consists of three wings, each face measuring 100 metres (330 ft) long and 18 metres (59 ft) wide, which converge at a common point to form a pinnacle. At the top is a 40 metres (130 ft)-wide circular structure which contains eight floors intended to rotate, topped by a further six static floors. The hotel is surrounded by a number of pavilions, gardens, and terraces. Questions have been raised regarding the quality of the building's concrete and the alignment of its elevator shafts,[4] which some sources say are "crooked".[23] construction on a pyramid-shaped hotel began in 1987 by the North Korean construction firm Baikdoosan Architects & Engineers (also known as Baekdu Mountain Architects and Engineers).
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Ryugyong Hotel". Emporis.com. Retrieved 2010-02-09.
- ^ a b c d e "Orascom and DPRK to Complete Ryugyong Hotel Construction". 2008-05-20. Retrieved 2010-02-09.
- ^ a b c d "North Korea in the midst of mysterious building boom". Los Angeles Times. 2008-09-27. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Will 'Hotel of Doom' ever be finished?". BBC. 15 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
- ^ "105 Building, Pyongyang, Korea, North". Retrieved 2010-02-11.
- ^ Funabashi, Yoichi (2007). The Peninsula Question: A Chronicle of the Second Korean Nuclear Crisis. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. p. 50. ISBN 0-8157-3010-1.
- ^ Ngor, Oh Kwee (1990-06-09). "Western decadence hits N. Korea". The Japan Economic Journal: 12.
- ^ Cramer, James P.; Jennifer Evans Yankopolus, ed. (2006). Almanac of Architecture & Design (7th ed.). Atlanta, Georgia: Greenway Publications. p. 368. ISBN 0-9755-654-27.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link) - ^ a b c d Beckmann, Dan (2006-10-23). "Pyongyang: Home to the Tallest Hotel in the World That Could, but Will Never Be". ABC News. The Walt Disney Company. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
- ^ Gerometta, Marshall (2003-08-29). "News: North Korean mystery solved". Emporis.com. Retrieved 2010-02-09.
- ^ "North Korea builds record-height hotel". Engineering News-Record: 41. 1990.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ a b Hagberg, Eva (28 January 2008), "The Worst Building in the History of Mankind", Esquire, retrieved 2009-07-05
- ^ Noland, Marcus (2000). Avoiding the Apocalypse: The Future of the Two Koreas. Washington, D.C.: Institute for International Economics. p. 82. ISBN 0-88132-278-4.
- ^ Kirk, Donald (27 October 2008), "Grand Illusion", Forbes, retrieved 2009-07-05
- ^ Bjerg, Greg. "North Korea's 'Secret' Hotel". April 6, 2006. <http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=490>. Retrieved July 5 2009.
- ^ Herskovitz, Jon (18 July 2008), "North Koreans revamp 'world's worst building'", The Independent, retrieved 2009-07-05
- ^ "Korea: N Korea Resumes Construction Of Luxury Hotel". MySinchew. 2008-05-25. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
- ^ Herskovitz, Jon (2008-07-17). "North Korea's "Hotel of Doom" wakes from its coma". Reuters. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
- ^ "Orascom Using Pyongyang's Ryugyong Hotel for Nth Korean 3G Network". Cellular News. 2009-07-05.
- ^ www.chaoxian.com.cn (2008-12-22). "柳京大厦安玻璃了". Retrieved 2008-12-22.
- ^ Kernbeisser (2009-02). "Flickr: Putting glass on Ryugyong Hotel, Pyongyang". Flickr. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Flickr: Recent images tagged "Ryugyong Hotel"". Flickr. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
- ^ a b Quinones, C. Kenneth (2003). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding North Korea. Complete Idiot's Guides. Indianapolis: Alpha Books. p. 183. ISBN 1-59257-169-7.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Randl, Chad (2008). Revolving Architecture: A History of Buildings That Rotate, Swivel, and Pivot. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. p. 133. ISBN 978-1-56898-681-4.