DOOM AND GLOOM
Inside the £1.6bn abandoned giant ‘Hotel of Doom’ that’s NEVER had a guest and now is used as a giant TV screen
THE skyline of Pyongyang is dominated by a £1.6billion triangular structure that has been under construction since 1987.
But despite taking pride of place, North Korea's Ryugyong Hotel has never opened its doors or hosted a single guest.
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Dubbed the "Hotel of Doom", the 105-storey building was set to be the jewel in the capital's crown in terms of tourist accommodation.
Yet the grand plans for the sprawling skyscraper ground to a halt over three decades ago when the country's economy crumbled.
In wake of the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, North Korea lost its main trading partner and source of aid.
The Ryugyong Hotel was one of the victims of the slump in investment - and workers downed tools a year later.
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Although it reached its full architectural height, the interior of the pyramid-shaped structure was never completed.
It was designed to house at least 3,000 rooms, but the bare concrete skeleton remained windowless and empty for another 16 years.
Battered by the elements for nearly two decades, it is believed that the building was weakened, while the lift shafts were left "crooked".
Touted as the world's tallest unoccupied building, it has been branded a spectacular fail for North Korea and a stain on Pyongyang's horizon.
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The hotel consists of three 328ft long sections, sloped at a 75-degree angle, which join together at the top.
An eight-storey cone-shaped section sits at its peak, which was supposed to house five revolving restaurants boasting panoramic views.
Instead, the "Hotel of Doom" became an eyesore for locals as well as a constant reminder of the country's hardship.
It finally got a much needed makeover in 2008, when Egyptian contractors took on the mammoth project and revived construction.
The Orascrom group made a few cosmetic tweaks, including installing an array of glass panels over every inch of the building - which is 68ft taller than The Shard in London.
There were promises by North Korean officials that the hotel would be completed by 2012.
But the glass facade did little to spur on further development and it has since been downgraded to a giant TV screen for Kim Jong-un to project his propaganda on.
Luxury German hotel group Kempinski announced it would partially open under its management, before pulling out months later.
It said no agreement had been signed because entering the market was "not currently possible".
Plans for the long-awaited grand opening were suspended in March 2013, presumably due to the sheer cost of the construction.
Media reports suggest it would take another £1.6billion to finally complete the Ryugyong Hotel - around five per cent of the nation's entire GDP.
Architect Calvin Chua told : "It’s a very iconic building, but I think it’s important to consider where it sits in relation to the entire city fabric of Pyongyang. It’s like a sort of obelisk."
But Kim Jong-un has decided to make lemonade out of the lemons - and now uses it to promote his political endeavours.
Over 100,000 LED screens have displayed audacious light shows, where government slogans and symbols are the star of the show.
Lighting designer Kim Yong Il created a staggering production on the "Hotel of Doom" in 2018, which played for several hours each night.
It has also provided a backdrop for lavish fireworks displays and the performances of arts troupes.
But its remains way off being ready for its intended function, unless an uber-rich investor manages to convince Pyongyang's city chiefs.
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There have been whispers construction could be quietly continuing behind the scenes.
Yet the building still doesn't have electricity and there is no sign of an expected completion date.
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