[Tom In Chicago]

It seems like half the news articles I've ever seen about this building mention something about the concrete.

And I'm sure it could all be dismissed as speculation or propaganda, but if you look at some of the photos already posted, the appearance of some of the building doesn't help.


That's true. . . but shouldn't be much of a surprise to anyone. . . Marina City, here in Chicago, was left unattended for years (while occupied) and had major 'concrete crumbling' problems. . . I remember walking down Dearborn Street and seeing chunks of concrete along the sidewalk the size of bricks. . . they managed to repair that and get the return the complex to it's original state so I don't see any reason why they can't do that with this building in North Korea. . .

. . .

[Rathgrith]

Maybe checking google earth is the best way to get updates.

Speaking of, heres an satellite image:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Ryugyong+Hotel,+nk&sll=38.942321,130.517578&sspn=9.395751,22.763672&ie=UTF8&ll=39.036236,125.731283&spn=0.004583,0.015278&t=h&z=17

It looks more like a really tall prison than a skyscraper.

[NYC4Life]

Maybe checking google earth is the best way to get updates.


Google Earth's imagery is not updated frequently. One of us will have to risk life and limb to travel to Pyongyang and capture a few good photos of the progress. :tup:

[staff]

I'd love to go and photograph it (and check out the Mass Games at the same time). And Pyongyang is not supposed to be dangerous to tourists at all. Much less so than any place in North America for example.

[kenratboy]

I'd love to go and photograph it (and check out the Mass Games at the same time). And Pyongyang is not supposed to be dangerous to tourists at all. Much less so than any place in North America for example.

Its very safe because you are on 100% guided tours with many, many people surrounding you. You are not allowed to just go and see stuff. I have seen a dozen reviews of trips to the city, and the people all go to the same places and see the same things. Not like you can just go to the building site and see what is up. However, if they were actively rebuilding the tower, they might be thrilled to take you there so you could take pictures for the world to see. I also imagine the foreign construction firms will be encouraged to talk about this project as much as they want if things are going well.

I imagine NK will be making a very big deal about this project to show the world what it can do - assuming its really going to happen.

[Tom In Chicago]

^Yeah. . . seems like everyone that goes to NK ends up at the same places. . . be that as it may, I doubt NK is any more or less dangerous than anywhere else. . .

[jowens]

Speaking of, heres an satellite image:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Ryugyong+Hotel,+nk&sll=38.942321,130.517578&sspn=9.395751,22.763672&ie=UTF8&ll=39.036236,125.731283&spn=0.004583,0.015278&t=h&z=17

It looks more like a really tall prison than a skyscraper.

Pyongyang would be a great host site for a Formula Gran Prix Race. All the streets are already empty! :D

[myshtern]

Pyongyang would be a great host site for a Formula Gran Prix Race. All the streets are already empty! :D
Haha :cheers:

Seriously, only a few cars are seen on the major streets in the google maps imagery

[BVictor1]

That's true. . . but shouldn't be much of a surprise to anyone. . . Marina City, here in Chicago, was left unattended for years (while occupied) and had major 'concrete crumbling' problems. . . I remember walking down Dearborn Street and seeing chunks of concrete along the sidewalk the size of bricks. . . they managed to repair that and get the return the complex to it's original state so I don't see any reason why they can't do that with this building in North Korea. . .

. . .

Probably because they haven't made an attempt of doing so.

Shouldn't they have looked at repairing the structure before resuming construction?

[staff]

Haha :cheers:

Yeah, haha! Don't we all just love laughing at other people's misfortune? North Korean suckers! :rolleyes:

[kalmia]

Its very safe because you are on 100% guided tours with many, many people surrounding you. You are not allowed to just go and see stuff. I have seen a dozen reviews of trips to the city, and the people all go to the same places and see the same things. Not like you can just go to the building site and see what is up. However, if they were actively rebuilding the tower, they might be thrilled to take you there so you could take pictures for the world to see. I also imagine the foreign construction firms will be encouraged to talk about this project as much as they want if things are going well.

I imagine NK will be making a very big deal about this project to show the world what it can do - assuming its really going to happen.

Maybe one could pretend to be from a construction company interested in doing business. This is assuming they would allow such a thing to happen.


They could just dump dirt at the opening to every window and allow the wind to blow seeds in and eventually cover this thing in green. This would eventually happen naturally as leaves and other organic debris landed inside and decomposed.

What they do seems to be all for show. A huge unused building to go with the unused roads that only serve an illusion that there is some sense of civilization there.

[Tom In Chicago]

Probably because they haven't made an attempt of doing so.

Shouldn't they have looked at repairing the structure before resuming construction?

Sure. . . but who's to say they aren't in fact doing that. . .

[staff]

:rolleyes:

[Tom In Chicago]

Looks like we need another reminder to the trolls coming into this thread. . . once again we'll remind you that your posts must be on topic and within the guidelines of this forum. . . trolling, baiting, name calling and off topic rants will not be tolerated. . .

[FrancoRey]

:eek: I can't believe they are actually going to start re-building this thing. Does anyone know if this is private investment or if the government decided to start building the thing again after 15 years?

Either way, I do wonder about the state of that exposed concrete. The erosion of the weather and climate on this shell can't be good. I wouldn't trust the structure of this thing any further than I could throw it. Now as for the updated glass facade, it would look great if they ever got to that.

With North Korea entering yet another bad famine (worst since the 90's) I don't think re-starting construction on the RH should be a top priority for this gov't. Glass, or bread? :rolleyes:

[FLBlake]

Architectural Record

Construction of “World’s Worst Building” Resumes?
August 07, 2008

Article (http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/080807Ryugyonghotel.asp)


Does mention the need for frame repair, but not very specific. :shrug:

[Dequal]

Architectural Record

Construction of “World’s Worst Building” Resumes?
August 07, 2008

Article (http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/080807Ryugyonghotel.asp)


Does mention the need for frame repair, but not very specific. :shrug:

The article says that it's a false report that they started construction and it's unlikely they will finish the tower.

[Tom In Chicago]

Ah the power of unsubstantiated reports. . . typical of what you find on these messageboards, "For those fascinated with the “Phantom Pyramid,” as some have called Ryugyong, the rumor might be a case of wishful instead of rational thinking."

I suspect this thread will once again be shelved. . . as it appears this building might well be. . . but then who is shoreing up the top floors? Who installed the panel of glass on the side of the building? Wishful or not, the fact remains that something's going on. . .

. . .

[HomeInMyShoes]

^Hard to tell. The photos could be photoshopped, although multiple sources of pics from different angles make me think they actually did put glass up on part of it. The shoreing up is hard to prove or disprove. It is what is so fascinating about the country and this project. No one really knows the truth about the building and even reasonably reliable news sources seem clouded and jaded in the facts they report on it. There's just so much overall negativity involved with North Korea.

I'm rather surprised this thread has remained unclosed for so long now.

[FLBlake]

The article says that it's a false report that they started construction and it's unlikely they will finish the tower.



The article says the report "appears to be false". This is why the author put a question mark at the end of his headline. Indication of uncertainty.

[Stu]

...but then who is shoreing up the top floors? Who installed the panel of glass on the side of the building? Wishful or not, the fact remains that something's going on. . .

. . .

True. These facts obviously point to construction of some sort going on at the building. That's really all that can be said right now.

[Tom In Chicago]

It looks like people just don't know how to behave. . . gonna shut it down once again until we hear some more news. . .

. . .

[KingKrunch]

Quite a lot of progress visible. This picture was posted on SSC today:

http://i41.tinypic.com/2gwf5fn.jpg

XXL version: http://www.flickr.com/photos/imresolt/3110001633/sizes/o/

[R@ptor]

Looks like they really resumed construction!

As I said before, I think that the end result will actually look pretty decent once the entire structure is clad with black glass.

[MapleLeaf]

This looks so ridiculous. Cladding in the middle of nothing... :koko:

[vid]

That's a weird place to start putting on the façade, but I guess they wanted everyone in the city to see it? The best place to do that would be higher up on the building.

[Aleks]

Wow, this might actually turn out really nice! I like the idea of having the tallest abandoned building in the world but good for NK. The cladding looks more of a dark-green-musky water color to me rather than a black. It could be the lighting. They must've reinforced most of the structure if they wanted to restart construction after such a long time.

[peanut gallery]

Totally lost track of this. Talk about random, look at the pattern of the fireproofing (assuming that's what the white stuff is). Looks like they're working down from this point. Although you can see they have covered the top, so something is happening up there. Time will tell, but I think this will look good once it's clad.

[PhillyRising]

Looks like they really resumed construction!

As I said before, I think that the end result will actually look pretty decent once the entire structure is clad with black glass.

It will make the perfect home for Dick Cheney after he leaves office.

I would scared that the concrete is so bad that it's not really that stable.

[kensmith]

do they fireproof concrete?

[uaarkson]

I wonder if the North Korean government will be as strict with photography of the hotel now that its construction has resumed.

[build up]

Wow, this might actually turn out really nice! I like the idea of having the tallest abandoned building in the world but good for NK. The cladding looks more of a dark-green-musky water color to me rather than a black. It could be the lighting. They must've reinforced most of the structure if they wanted to restart construction after such a long time. from one of the ugliest buildings in the world to and ok building with cool clading:D :D :D but only because of the clading

[TANGELD_SLC]

I thought this building couldn't be finished cuz it was structurally unstable. Did they retrofit it? Or is the cladding and fireproofing merely for show?

[Lt. Washburn]

It will make the perfect home for Dick Cheney after he leaves office.

I would scared that the concrete is so bad that it's not really that stable.

Nevermind

[wrab]

Here is the same pic with a few tweaks, to bring out more detail:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/3110001633_c8c8c5efc9_o-1.jpg

[Flo Flo]

I think I wouldn' take the risk to sleep in that hotel. I' not sure the structure is really safe ;)

Anyway, even if they finish the work, the hotel will be nearly empty. Maybe there will be 3 or 4 rooms with tourists inside and everything else will be free. I don't really think it will be profitable.....

[wrab]

Merry Christmas!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/2gwf5fnxmas.jpg

[KingKrunch]

Rendering:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3230/2862020257_d6b3c5ee86_o.jpg

[Bergenser]

^Looks nice, much better than the concrete monster it is today.

[canucklehead2]

Good to see work on it being restarted...

[Atomic Glee]

Bizarre. As the Architectural Record article said, something like only 2,000 westerners visited North Korea all last year. No way they're going to be able to make a 3,000 room hotel even remotely profitable.

Also interesting that the article said that Orascom Group says they have nothing to do with the project as was said in that initial bit of news.

[StatenIslander237]

Good to see work on it being restarted...

Too bad North Korea is still a communist sinkhole in the earth. :slob:

[Muskavon]

Too bad North Korea is still a communist sinkhole in the earth. :slob:

Well at least we now know food aid money is being well spent, sigh.

[ethereal_reality]

^^^wrabbit. That's really funny. Thanks for the laugh. :)

[theWatusi]

The glass actually looks kind of good.

[Skyscraper100]

from flickr

http://i42.tinypic.com/2ebbvgy.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/2qnp2iu.jpg

originally posted on ssc

[ColumbusTim79]

Can they finally let that poor woman come down from the crane??

[giallo]

I remember reading blogs from people who had traveled to NK and toured the area around this building. I laughed when I read the part where the tour guide said that this building would be the tallest hotel when completed. I thought "How delusional can one be to think a building that has been on hold for 16 years can resume construction?'' I feel kind of stupid now.
Anyway, I hope it's safe and that the concrete hasn't been compromised.

New pics

http://i42.tinypic.com/2ebbvgy.jpg



http://i44.tinypic.com/2qnp2iu.jpg


from ZimasterX at SSC.

[bbeliko]

I still can't believe this is happening, has to be the most striking news about supertalls of the year, and we're actually liking the building

[KevinFromTexas]

It's interesting to think that this building started construction 9 years before SkyscraperPage was founded. We've all set here looking at the unfinished project and have sort of mocked it. It's strange seeing it actually being worked on after all these years. This thing started construction in 1986! I was 7 years old when they started it.

[Muskavon]

It is a tale of two buildings...1) fun for a skyscraper enthusiast to watch continue to develop in its odd way 2) a devestating blow to most citizens who fight near the passing trains for spilled grains of rice every day.

But #1 is more fun. Let's go with that.

[Jonovision]

WOW! I can't believe I'm actually seeing cladding on this thing! I never thought we would see the day!

[Rise To The Top]

The concrete appears to have been retrofitted or fixed up, look at the closeups of the top of the tower today versus those of years before. Concrete looks alot more fresh than it did before, and it doesn't appear to have any weathering.

[alphawolf]

The concrete appears to have been retrofitted or fixed up, look at the closeups of the top of the tower today versus those of years before. Concrete looks alot more fresh than it did before, and it doesn't appear to have any weathering.

That's exactly what I was thinking. I don't think they would or could afford to let one of their most prominent structures fall apart, especially now.

[scalziand]

The concrete appears to have been retrofitted or fixed up, look at the closeups of the top of the tower today versus those of years before. Concrete looks alot more fresh than it did before, and it doesn't appear to have any weathering.

It's especially noticeable around the edges of the balconies.

[jaga185]

I've always like the building, and now that it is being completed it is looking great. The glass is going to make it look really good.

[Eigenwelt]

I'm kinda dissapointed. I always kinda liked the concrete brutalist bleakness of this thing. Or maybe I just liked hating it. Either way I am oddly sad it is changing.

Couldn't they have just slapped some dinky windows into it from WindowWizards and left the concrete bare? That would be a nice compromise.

[Fabb]

Bizarre. As the Architectural Record article said, something like only 2,000 westerners visited North Korea all last year. No way they're going to be able to make a 3,000 room hotel even remotely profitable.

I suspect that this building will have other uses beside hotel for foreign visitors.

[KingKrunch]

Wow, even more glass. Great to see so much progress.

[Aleks]

Wow! Amazing piece of architecture. This is truly a world landmark. To see this happening after such a long time is simply amazing!

Eigenwelt, I felt the same way too. I liked seeing the building the way it is. It's just weird thinking about it. Now that the building will resume construction there will be no other structure of the kind. I'm sad that this is happening.

Anyways, we always see it from the front. But are there any pics from the back?

[MolsonExport]

I remember reading blogs from people who had traveled to NK and toured the area around this building. I laughed when I read the part where the tour guide said that this building would be the tallest hotel when completed. I thought "How delusional can one be to think a building that has been on hold for 16 years can resume construction?'' I feel kind of stupid now.
Anyway, I hope it's safe and that the concrete hasn't been compromised.

New pics

http://i42.tinypic.com/2ebbvgy.jpg



http://i44.tinypic.com/2qnp2iu.jpg


from ZimasterX at SSC.



Wow. the lack of automobile traffic is shocking.

[JDRCRASH]

^ There really isn't much of any kind of traffic on the streets of Pyongyang.

[ThreeHundred]

^ Read this

http://1stopkorea.com/index.htm?nk-trip1.htm~mainframe

[JDRCRASH]

And you assume based on one person's rare experience?

[alphawolf]

I can't tell if this is a crack, shadowing, or something else.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f171/alphawolf256/2qnp2iu1.jpg

from ZimasterX at SSC.

[bbeliko]

Wow. the lack of automobile traffic is shocking.

The fact that there is a mercedes on NK is shocking.......................or not

[ThreeHundred]

And you assume based on one person's rare experience?

Huh?

[MapleLeaf]

I can't tell if this is a crack, shadowing, or something else.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f171/alphawolf256/2qnp2iu1.jpg

from ZimasterX at SSC.

But those "things" are all over the front... :koko:

[Biff]

I like how so many on here are structural engineering experts able to accurately determine weakness and deficiencies of structures from photographs taken over a kilometer away. I heard it quite often in the Burj Dubai threads on how it is insanely tall and hopefully they have done wind load testing because there is no way it could withstand a sand storm or that it would surely collapse on itself under all that weight.

....the world is full of rouge construction companies running around building structures from a napkin sketch and some concrete.

[FLBlake]

It's interesting to think that this building started construction 9 years before SkyscraperPage was founded. We've all set here looking at the unfinished project and have sort of mocked it. It's strange seeing it actually being worked on after all these years. This thing started construction in 1986! I was 7 years old when they started it.


HA.....I was 5!

[FLBlake]

Anyways, we always see it from the front. But are there any pics from the back?


Nope. That's where the 2x4's are holding up the cardboard.:haha:

[bbeliko]

Nope. That's where the 2x4's are holding up the cardboard.:haha:

:haha: :haha: :haha: :haha: in the link posted above they have a story similar to what you stated, jsut not about the ryugyong

[JDRCRASH]

Huh?

Wait a sec; what exactly were you talking about?

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ It sounded to me like he just wanted us to read that interesting article...

Also, crazy to think that this has been around a good 2 years long than I have...

[staff]

I absolutely love that this building is under construction again!
Such an intriguing tower, and all irrelevant politics aside - there are few building in the world that look as massive and intimidating as this one. I have to say I love it. :)

[Bergenser]

Looks like there is a Mercedes (http://i42.tinypic.com/2ebbvgy.jpg)(Probably just another similar high cost car) in North Korea, I thought they had economic Communism? Is something changing there recently that I don't know about?

[JDRCRASH]

^Uhh, could it possibly be owned by a government spokesman?

[Indescribable]

I'm really surprised this is going forward, given how long it sat as a shell.

[yumiko ^.^]

With the glass, it suddenly reminds me of Las Vegas

[KingKrunch]

A slightly older picture showing construction of the base of the hotel:

http://i42.tinypic.com/2ypndiq.jpg

[Krases]

That 1stopkorea.com site is amazing.

It makes me really want to give a tour to a party of North Koreans and show them around Vegas.

[KingKrunch]

An even older picture. Look at that concrete ... omg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/61/208906907_2b035f41a5_b.jpg

[photoLith]

Looks like a giant drill bit. Its pretty cool theyre actually completing it. Maybe with every room in the new hotel they will have armed guards and video cameras so if any western businessmen say anything bad about glorious leader Kim Jong il... they get shot on site.

[gttx]

If worse comes to worse, they could turn the sides into the world's largest water slides.

[JDRCRASH]

Nah, the walls are too steep.:)

[TNTK]

I can't tell if this is a crack, shadowing, or something else.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f171/alphawolf256/2qnp2iu1.jpg

from ZimasterX at SSC.

Looks like a pour line, when fresh concrete is poured on top of semi hardened (few hour old) concrete. Pretty harmless.

[LSyd]

whoa, progress.

-

[TANGELD_SLC]

Is it even safe to build on top of such cracked concrete?

[The Chemist]

What's the statue on the top? Anybody know?

[T1000]

It's a construction crane :)

[gttx]

I wonder if that crane is still operational....after sitting for 20 years. I'd imagine it's rusted just a little bit.

[Phil McAvity]

I really think that the faulty concrete argument was bullshit. While i'm no expert on concrete it looks pretty solid to me, and after twenty years no less. If the concrete were actually faulty, don't you think at least some of it would have crumbled or fallen off?

I've always thought this is one of the coolest looking buildings on earth, I just didn't think it would ever be finished. East Asians aren't really known for their speedy construction projects anyway. Great Wall of China anyone?

[Rise To The Top]

I really think that the faulty concrete argument was bullshit. While i'm no expert on concrete it looks pretty solid to me, and after twenty years no less. If the concrete were actually faulty, don't you think at least some of it would have crumbled or fallen off?

I've always thought this is one of the coolest looking buildings on earth, I just didn't think it would ever be finished. East Asians aren't really known for their speedy construction projects anyway. Great Wall of China anyone?

Do you not pay attention to the Shanghai threads where new 250m+ towers sprout from the ground to top out in a year or so?

[MolsonExport]

I really think that the faulty concrete argument was bullshit. While i'm no expert on concrete it looks pretty solid to me, and after twenty years no less. If the concrete were actually faulty, don't you think at least some of it would have crumbled or fallen off?

I've always thought this is one of the coolest looking buildings on earth, I just didn't think it would ever be finished. East Asians aren't really known for their speedy construction projects anyway. Great Wall of China anyone?

Oh for the love of god, will you stop embarassing yourself?

[Coffeeman]

I really think that the faulty concrete argument was bullshit. While i'm no expert on concrete it looks pretty solid to me, and after twenty years no less. If the concrete were actually faulty, don't you think at least some of it would have crumbled or fallen off?

I've always thought this is one of the coolest looking buildings on earth, I just didn't think it would ever be finished. East Asians aren't really known for their speedy construction projects anyway. Great Wall of China anyone?

Man...you have no clue how difficult to build the great wall even by today's standard. :koko:

[JDRCRASH]

East Asians aren't really known for their speedy construction projects anyway. Great Wall of China anyone?

:uhh:

[muppet]

It takes 3 years to build a supertall in China (in Beijing its 1 and a half years), just over a year to build a skyscraper. A high spec highrise can be constructed in a few months.

This is because of the 24 hr night and day crews, and the army of workers, its the fastest building rates in the world.

The Beijing Capital Airport is in a 500 sq. mile complex with a terminal that is the worlds biggest building by floor space (10.6 million sq. ft) - 17% bigger than all the 5 terminals in London Heathrow put together, and designed to hold 150 jumbo jets at any one time. It took only 4 years to complete from drawing to opening ceremony, thanks to a construction army of 50,000:

http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2008/05/beijingopens.jpg

v/B-R7U5pkDwo&hl=en&fs=1

[QuarterMileSidewalk]

I'm not a structural engineer by any stretch, but I'm just wondering why this building's exposed concrete is supposedly so unsafe after 20-some years in the rain and sun, but we generally don't question the structural integrity of the many (concrete facade) brutalist buildings from the 1960's, built in cities throughout Europe and North America? I know Boston City Hall and Marina City aren't the most popular buildings in the world, but they're not unsafe, right?

Or are we just not sure of the construction methods that put it there in the first place?

...
I'd also like to note that the Ryugyong has always reminded me of the Ministry of Truth. The most evil-looking building imaginable. Now it'll be shiny evil! (I actually like the completion rendering... kinda 1980's futurism?)

Perhaps we could consider the posibility that the NK government only plans to finish the exterior of the tower... It'd be fully clad, but still empty; on the postcards again, and outsiders wouldn't be able to know the difference... truly sinister architecture!

[jaga185]

you know, i was thinking the exact same thing... finish the tower and yet still leave it empty

[muppet]

If they actually finish the tower it will be a money spinner as a hotel