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Encyclopedia > Ryugyong Hotel

Coordinates: 39°02′11″N, 125°43′50″E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Ryugyong Hotel
Ryugyong Hotel - May 2005.JPG
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl 류경 호텔
Hancha 柳京 호텔
McCune-Reischauer Ryugyŏng Hot'el
Revised Romanization Ryugyeong Hotel

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 boasts some 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. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1628x2124, 857 KB) Summary This is a photo of the Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea. ... Jamo redirects here. ... Hanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. ... McCune-Reischauer romanization is one of the two most widely used Korean language romanization systems, along with the Revised Romanization of Korean, which replaced (a modified) McCune-Reischauer as the official romanization system in South Korea in 2000. ... The Revised Romanization of Korean is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. ... This article is about the construction material. ... For other uses, see Skyscraper (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Hotel (disambiguation). ... Not to be confused with PyeongChang. ... Species About 350, including: Salix acutifolia - Violet Willow Salix alaxensis - Alaska Willow Salix alba - White Willow Salix alpina - Alpine Willow Salix amygdaloides - Peachleaf Willow Salix arbuscula - Mountain Willow Salix arbusculoides - Littletree Willow Salix arctica - Arctic Willow Salix atrocinerea Salix aurita - Eared Willow Salix babylonica - Peking Willow Salix bakko Salix barrattiana... To help compare sizes of different geographic regions, areas between 10 hectares (100,000 m²) and 100 hectares (1,000,000 m²) are listed below. ... For other uses, see Skyline (disambiguation). ...

Contents

History

Initial framing

Construction on the pyramid-shaped hotel began in 1987 by Baekdu Mountain Architects & Engineers.[1] 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 huge 40 m (131 ft) wide circular structure which contains eight rotating floors, 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. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Reinforced concrete at Sainte Jeanne dArc Church (Nice, France): architect Jacques Dror, 1926–1933 Reinforced concrete, also called ferroconcrete in some countries, is concrete in which reinforcement bars (rebars) or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen a material that would otherwise be brittle. ...


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."[2] It was added to maps and North Korean postage stamps before it was half-finished. For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... For the history of Korea, see Korea. ... Swissôtel The Stamford is the tallest hotel in Singapore at 226 metres with 73 floors, and is the sixth tallest hotel in the world. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...


Construction deadlock

View of the P'yŏngyang Ice Rink in 1989, Ryugyong Hotel in background
View of the P'yŏngyang Ice Rink in 1989, Ryugyong Hotel in background

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[3]—2% of North Korea’s GDP—and it is generally assumed construction came to a halt in 1992 due to lack of funding, acute electricity shortages, and the prevailing famine. Official pictures of Pyongyang often show the building illuminated at night, but this is due to photo manipulation. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... A revolving restaurant is a restaurant on a revolving floorplate. ... World Festival of Youth and Students is an international event, organized by the World Federation of Democratic Youth jointly with the International Union of Students since 1947. ... Photo manipulation is the technique of modifying a photographic image by either analog or digital means. ...


Ryugyong today

Ryugyong Hotel (extreme right), towering above Pyongyang; Kim Il-sung Square is at center.
Ryugyong Hotel (extreme right), towering above Pyongyang; Kim Il-sung Square is at center.

The basic structure is complete, but no windows, fixtures, or fittings have been installed, and it has never been certified safe for occupancy. According to Emporis,[4] the building will never open as presently constructed. The concrete used to build the hotel was very poor, making the structure unsafe, and it has worn down even more over the years. The North Korean government is trying to invite foreign investment of US$300 million to improve and finish the hotel. 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.
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1980x1243, 724 KB) Summary Pyongyang, North Korea as seen from the Juche Tower, facing west across the Taedong river. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1980x1243, 724 KB) Summary Pyongyang, North Korea as seen from the Juche Tower, facing west across the Taedong river. ... Kim Il-sung (15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean Communist leader from its founding in early 1948 until his death, when he was succeeded by his son Kim Jong-il. ... Emporis is a real estate data company with headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany. ... The Taedong River rises in the Nangnim Mountains of northern North Korea. ...


See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Ryugyong Hotel

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... A white elephant For other uses, see White elephant (disambiguation). ... This is a list of Wikipedia articles on Korea-related people, places, things, and concepts. ... Korean architecture refers to the architecture of Korea. ...

References

  1. ^ Companies - Baikdoosan Architects & Engineers. Emporis. Retrieved on 2007-04-19.
  2. ^ Ngor, Oh Kwee (June 9 1990). "Western decadence hits N. Korea". The Japan Economic Journal: 12. 
  3. ^ (November 15 1990) "North Korea builds record-height hotel". Engineering News-Record: 41. 
  4. ^ News: Ryugyong Hotel on hold. Emporis Building (2000-07-28). Retrieved on 2007-04-19.

  Results from FactBites:
 
Ryugyong Hotel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (570 words)
The Ryugyong Hotel (or Ryu-Gyong Hotel or Yu-Kyung Hotel or the 105 Building) is a towering, empty concrete shell that was once intended for use as a hotel in Sojang-dong, in the Potong-gang District of Pyongyang, North Korea.
Construction on the pyramid-shaped hotel began in 1987.
The Ryugyong's 3,000 rooms and 7 revolving restaurants were to open in June 1989 for the World Festival of Youth and Students, but problems with building methods and materials delayed it.
Hotel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (1652 words)
Hotels differ from motels in that most motels have drive-up, exterior entrances to the rooms, while hotels tend to have interior entrances to the rooms, which may increase guests' safety and present a more upmarket image.
A number of hotels have entered the public consciousness through popular culture, such as the Ritz Hotel in London, UK ('Putting on The Ritz') and Hotel Chelsea in New York City, subject of a number of songs and also the scene of the alleged stabbing of Nancy Spungen by her boyfriend Sid Vicious.
The Burj al-Arab hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, built on an artificial island, is structured in the shape of a sail of a boat.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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