Ryugyong Hotel
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2007) |
39°02′11″N 125°43′50″E / 39.03639°N 125.73056°E
| Ryugyong Hotel | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | On-Hold |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 105 |
| Floor area | Template:M2 to ft2 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Baekdu Mountain Architects & Engineers |
| Developer |  North Korea |
The Ryugyong Hotel (or Ryu-Gyong Hotel or Yu-Kyung Hotel or the 105 Building) is a partially constructed concrete skyscraper that was once intended for use as a hotel in Sojang-dong, in the Potong-gang District of Pyongyang, North Korea. The hotel's name comes from one of the historic names for Pyongyang: Ryugyong, or "capital of willows." Its 105 stories rise to a height of 330 m (1,083 ft), and it contains 360,000 m² (3.9 million square feet) of floor space, making it the most prominent feature of the city’s skyline and by far the largest structure in the country. Construction started in 1987 and ceased in 1992. Had it been completed, it would have been the world's tallest hotel at the time. Esquire Magazine dubbed it "The Worst Building in the History of Mankind" and noted that even the government of North Korea has airbrushed the building out of pictures.[1]
History
Construction on the pyramid-shaped hotel began in 1987 by Baekdu Mountain Architects & Engineers.[2] The reinforced concrete structure consists of three wings, the face of each wing measuring 100 m (328 ft) long and 18 m (59 ft) wide, which converge at a common point to form a pinnacle. At the top is a 40 m (131 ft) wide circular structure which contains eight floors intended to rotate, topped by a further six static floors. A construction crane is perched at the top, and has assumed the role of a permanent fixture. The hotel is surrounded by a number of pavilions, gardens, and terraces. Its walls slope at a steep 75 degree angle.
The building's plan for a 105-story height was reportedly a Cold War response to a South Korean company's completion of the Westin Stamford Hotel in Singapore the previous year. 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."[3] It was added to maps and North Korean postage stamps before it was half-finished.
Construction deadlock
The Ryugyong's planned 3,000 rooms and 7 revolving restaurants were scheduled to open in June 1989 for the World Festival of Youth and Students, but problems with building methods and materials delayed it. Japanese newspapers estimated the cost of construction was US$750 million[4]—equivalent to 2% of North Korea’s GDP. Official pictures of Pyongyang often show the building illuminated at night, but this is due to photo manipulation.
Ryugyong today
The basic structure is complete, but no windows, fixtures, or fittings have been installed, and it has never been certified safe for occupancy. Construction came to a halt in 1992 and has never resumed.
To this day, it is not known why work has never resumed on the hotel. According to some sources, the building is structurally unsound due to a combination of improper engineering[1] and extremely low-quality concrete.[5][unreliable source?] It is reportedly sagging so severely that it is literally on the verge of collapse.[6][unreliable source?] Other sources suggest that North Korea simply doesn't have the raw materials or financing for a project of this magnitude.[7]
Esquire called the hotel a colossal economic failure, likening it to what would have happened had Chicago's John Hancock Center been left unfinished with no prospect of being finished.[1]
The North Korean government is trying to invite foreign investment of US$300 million to improve and finish the hotel. However, if the building is in fact structurally unsound, it will have to be completely rebuilt. In the meantime, it has removed the Ryugyong from maps and stamps and built a newer five-star hotel of more conventional design on the Taedong River.
See also
References
- ^ a b c Hagberg, Eva. "The Worst Building in the History of Mankind." Esquire 28 January 2008. Accessed on 31 January 2008.
- ^ "Companies - Baikdoosan Architects & Engineers". Emporis. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
- ^ Ngor, Oh Kwee (1990). "Western decadence hits N. Korea". The Japan Economic Journal: 12.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ "North Korea builds record-height hotel". Engineering News-Record: 41. 1990.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ North Korea's Secret Hotel. Greg Berg, Damn Interesting.
- ^ Ryugyong Hotel at Roadside America
- ^ http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=2590901
External links
- Ryugyong Hotel on Google Maps Satellite.