Ryugyong Hotel, Glass pyramid hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea
The Ryugyong Hotel is a 105-story mixed-use tower in Pyongyang, North Korea, standing 323 meters (1,060 feet) tall. Three angular wings converge upward in a pyramid shape and are entirely clad in glass panels that catch and reflect light across the city.
Construction began in 1987 with plans for thousands of hotel rooms, retail space and dining areas, but work stopped in 1992. Economic hardship following the collapse of the Soviet Union left the interior unfinished for decades.
The tower appears on postcards, posters and official imagery throughout the capital, serving as a recognizable symbol of the city. Locals refer to it by its name, which recalls an old term for Pyongyang meaning capital of willows.
The building is not open for visits and remains unfinished inside, though the exterior shell is complete. You can view it from a distance while moving around the city, as it is visible from many points across Pyongyang.
An Egyptian firm installed the exterior glass cladding in 2008, transforming the bare concrete shell into a reflective surface. Despite this work, the interior remains without functioning elevators or habitable spaces.
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