The Transformation Of The World’s Worst Building

[n2doc]

Ryugyong Hotel is a 105-story skyscraper in downtown Pyongyang, North Korea renowned for once being dubbed the “World’s Worst Building” after having remained hallow for over 20 years. Construction began in earnest in 1987 and, if it had been completed as schedule in June 1989, would have been the tallest hotel building and the 17th tallest building in the world.

However, Ryugyong Hotel was not completed in June 1989. After the crumbling of the Communist bloc and the deterioration of the North Korean economy, construction halted after the outside of the hotel was complete. What remained for almost 2 decades was a window-less, empty shell of the hotel in the middle of Pyongyang, which media outlets called “The Worst Building in the World”,”Hotel of Doom” and “Phantom Hotel”. Below, one can see how the Ryugyong Hotel stood for these years:




However, in 2008 construction resumed after Orascom — an Egyptian cell phone company — was given the rights to the hotel. After 3 years, the exterior of the hotel is now finished, with work progressing on the interior for a planned completion date in 2012.



http://all-that-is-interesting.com/post/6938332046/the-transformation-of-the-worlds-worst-building

[Fumesucker]

1. Isn't NK officially atheist?

;)

[GoneOffShore]

2. Kim seems to have some size issues.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

11. ...

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CompensatingForSomething

[brooklynite]

3. It will -still- be an empty shell...

...because North Korea will never be willing to admit enough foreign visitors to begin to fill up a building planned for 3,000 rooms. Read any travelogue about Pyongyang, and visitors report that almost every floor in far more modest hotels are empty when they visited.

[sufrommich]

4. Now if they could only find people willing to stay there. nt

[dsc]

5. the building does look amazing

but I can't imagine any way that hotel would be filled.

[BeFree]

7. Rising sea levels?

Gotta move somewhere. There will be millions of coastal dwellers seeking refuge.

[leveymg]

6. Proof positive there are MIB alien escape pods hidden in plain sight, even in North Korea

[backscatter712]

12. If you've seen Team America: World Police, you know that Kim Jong Il needs his escape pod...

BTW, even with glass on the outside, the Ryugyong is still the ugliest building in the world!

[LiberalAndProud]

8. Striking photo. Quite beautiful, in fact.

[NeedleCast]

9. Pyongyang is all about the show

When I was stationed in SK and working as an imagery analyst Pyongyang was the only city in North Korea to allow lights on at night. Most cities has no power after dusk anyway. Many citites didn't have power anytime during the day.

Pyongyang was all about the show. It tried to present a modern, vibrant exterior over what was a crumbling, rotting country.

[KamaAina]

22. Pyongyang is the lone dot at the center of the darkness that is NK

here:

[Atman]

10. The bottom photo is computer-generated architect's rendering...

Read the story...won't be done until 2012. That photo looks pretty fake, but it's still pretty amazing.

.

[LiberalAndProud]

13. I thought the story said work on the exterior was completed.

[Atman]

23. Yeah, but that's beyond "exterior work."

Sometimes a picture can be too perfect. This is one of those cases. No reflections, no ambience, odd lighting, totally perfectly symmetrical. Mind you, it's very cool. I just doubt highly that it is real. Show me a picture of the place from an angle and I might be convinced. But I've seen enough CG renderings to know that there is something not right about that pic.

[LiberalAndProud]

25. I notice that the picture has been replaced.

I didn't doubt your assertion that the third picture was an architect's rendering. I should have made that clear. The second photo is more likely the look of the finished building.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

14. I always thought that the Ryugyong Hotel inspired the Dolphin Hotel at Disney World

Which isn't that surprising, since I've long accused Disney of running its theme parks like a fascist dictatorship....

[hifiguy]

15. Isn't building a hotel, much less a huge one, in North Korea

a lot like building a football stadium at the bottom of the Marianas Trench? Who's gonna GO there? :shrug:

[NeedleCast]

19. Pretty Much - Like Having an Open Air Amphitheater on the Moon

Its pretty cool until the blood boils out of your eyes.

[hifiguy]

20. LOL

:rofl:

I am gonna remember that one! :rofl:

[CJvR]

16. Nice to see...

...a building I always wanted to see completed actually getting completed.

But just what are they going to use it for except hanging portraits of the Ex-leader, the stroke-leader and the fat future-leader from? It is hardly as if the Norks are encouraging tourism so as a hotel it seems pointless. There is no economy interested in office space. I suppose you could use it as a luxury residential block for the ruling elite.

[KittyWampus]

17. doesn't look like there's a traffic problem.

[lunatica]

18. I must admit it. I love it.

[zorahopkins]

21. The Pentagon?

I always thought that the worst building in the world was the Pentagon.

Have I been wrong all these years?

[NeedleCast]

26. I like the Pentagon

Worked there for a few months. its almost a self contained city.

I was working there while stationed in D.C. during the Kosovo dust up. Working night shifts when no one else was there was kinda spooky. Pro: Roller blading inside the Pentagon a 3:00 A.M.

[Liberal_in_LA]

24. It's less ugly now

[WatsonT]

27. Well only because the evil Americans wouldn't let them finish it!

I mean, Dear leader said it was a waste of time so that's why it wasn't finished.

Well actually Dear leader recognized that in advance, so the project was scrapped before it was started and the architect was sent to reeducation camp.

Anyone who claims otherwise will join him.