Ryugyong Hotel

Ryugyong Hotel Information Location Pyongyang, North Korea Status Under construction Groundbreaking 1987 Estimated completion 2012 Height Antenna/Spire 330 m (1,083 ft) Roof 330 m (1,083 ft) Technical details Floor count 105 Floor area 360,000 m² (3,875,000 sq ft) Companies Architect Baekdu Mountain Architects & Engineers Contractor Baekdu Mountain Architects & Engineers Developer North Korea

Ryugyong Hotel Chosŏn'gŭl 류경 호텔 Hancha 柳京 호텔 McCune- Reischauer Ryugyŏng Hot'el Revised Romanization Ryugyeong Hotel

The Ryugyong Hotel (Korean: 류경호텔)(or Ryu-Gyong Hotel or Yu-Kyung Hotel) is an unfinished concrete skyscraper. It is 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. At one time, it would have been the world's tallest hotel.^[1] Esquire dubbed it "The Worst Building in the History of Mankind" and noted that the government of North Korea has airbrushed the building out of pictures. The Christian Science Monitor called it "one of the most expensive white elephants in history".^[2] Over the years, the skyscraper has earned such nicknames as the "Hotel of Doom," "Phantom Hotel," and "Phantom Pyramid."^[3] Construction began in 1987 and ceased in 1992, due to the government's financial difficulties. The unfinished hotel remained untouched until April 2008, when construction resumed after being inactive for 16 years.^[4]

Background

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."^[5]

Construction

Construction on this pyramid-shaped hotel began in 1987 by Baekdu Mountain Architects & Engineers.^[6] 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. It was added to maps and North Korean postage stamps before it was half-finished.

Building deadlock

The Ryugyong's planned 3,000 rooms and seven 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^[7]—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.^[8] There had been some question about whether North Korea had the raw materials, energy or financing for such a massive project.^[1]

Recent history

The basic structure is complete, but no windows, fixtures, or fittings were installed when construction came to a halt in 1992, and it has never been certified safe for occupancy. The concrete originally used to build the hotel was of substandard quality, and at one point, according to ABC News, it was actually crumbling.^[1] The hotel is so massive that it is clearly visible from nearly everywhere in the city, but it is nearly impossible to get anyone to talk about it. It is often seen as a metaphor of the highly secretive nature of North Korea.^[9] Former CNN reporter Mike Chinoy likened it to the giant goiter on the neck of late dictator Kim Il-sung. Like the Ryugyong, the growth was clearly visible despite official attempts to hide it from view.^[1] 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 completed.^[3]

After 16 years of inactivity, foreign residents in Pyongyang noted that Egypt's Orascom Group started refurbishing the top floors of the hotel in April 2008. Though the effect on the architecture has yet to be determined, windows and telecommunications antennae were observed being installed.^[10] The Orascom Telecom subsidiary of the group confirmed involvement in the structure to begin developing GSM infrastructure in North Korea for up to 100,000 initial subscribers.^[11] Only government officials are presently permitted to use mobile phones and the service has been banned from use by ordinary citizens and foreigners since 2002.^[12]

According to a senior North Korean official, the refurbishing and completion of the Ryugyong Hotel will be done in three years ^[13]. The aggressive goal is set to coincide with Kim II Sung's 100th birthday.

On 24 November 2008, photos of ongoing construction at the hotel has been released. The construction was done to install windows up to the 30th floor on 2 of the 6 sides of the hotel.

See also

• Hotel Rossiya
• White elephant
• Cost overrun
• List of Korea-related topics
• Korean architecture

References