# Pyongyang: "Worst Building in the History of Mankind" Gets a Face Lift **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 19, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663 "2009-09-19T00:03:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/21 "2009-10-15T12:33:13Z")
I’m in the minority here - I didn’t think it was that ugly. The new look is cool though. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/22 "2009-10-15T12:39:50Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > Who on Earth did they think was going to stay in a 3,000 room hotel in Pyongyang? Who’s “they”? Kim wanted the biggest hotel in the world, and no-one in the entire company was brave enough to tell him it was a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/23 "2009-10-15T12:44:23Z")
Oh, come on! That isn’t even in the running for “Ugliest Building in the World” We’ve had lots of uglier buildings pointed out on this Board. There’s even a current thread on it: > **[World's Ugliest Buildings](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=535965)** > > Portland is Number One! W00t! In your FACE, Seattle! Travel & Leisure: The World’s Ugliest Buildings With the new cladding, it kinda looks like the JLA headquarters, or something. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/24 "2009-10-15T17:21:05Z")
I always thought it looked cool, but the new glass makes it look straight out of Vegas. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/25 "2009-10-15T17:36:03Z")
I dislike modernistic concrete because it’s dreary and depressing, but all-glass is worse, in that it’s oppressively opulent. And I think that as a middle class person, imagine what the peasants think of this glittering example of unobtainable wealth. ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/26 "2009-10-15T19:41:36Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Oh, come on! That isn’t even in the running for “Ugliest Building in the World” We’ve had lots of uglier buildings pointed out on this Board. There’s even a current thread on it: > [World's Ugliest Buildings - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=535965) > > With the new cladding, it kinda looks like the JLA headquarters, or something. And in the thread you linked to, the first post in turn links to an article on “The World’s Ugliest Buildings”, in which the Ryugyong Hotel is… no. 2! 😃 (And they put the SIS building at no. 3. :mad: I think it is truly a thing of beauty.) ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/27 "2009-10-15T20:45:42Z")
Still looks like the agitator column from a giant washing machine. Maybe if they build a spiraling roller coaster around it, they’ll raise occupancy rates. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/28 "2009-10-16T00:43:36Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > Hey, this is awesome! I love the hotel because it is so fuckin’ grotesque. Sort of cool to see it with a makeover. The creepiness level dropped about 50% but it’s still a big tower of fug. Yeah, but the fact that only one side has been fixed up doubles the remaining creepiness factor by 2. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/29 "2009-10-16T00:48:42Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Oh, come on! That isn’t even in the running for “Ugliest Building in the World” We’ve had lots of uglier buildings pointed out on this Board. There’s even a current thread on it: > [World's Ugliest Buildings - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=535965) Right…so the hotel is on that list though, right? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/30 "2009-10-16T03:53:23Z")
Needs anti-aliasing. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/31 "2009-10-16T04:20:26Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > With the new cladding, it kinda looks like the JLA headquarters, or something. You’re on to [something](http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1283/1129930967_8ed770a21e.jpg?v=0). ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/32 "2009-10-16T05:02:20Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > You’re on to [something](http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1283/1129930967_8ed770a21e.jpg?v=0). [Wrong building.](http://images.google.ca/images?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:eo:official&hs=zjK&resnum=0&q=cincinnati+union+terminal&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=N_7XSvX9Ac2ylAfbmdyhAQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=5&ved=0CC0QsAQwBA) ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/33 "2009-10-16T11:37:00Z")
[the Master speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2334/is-the-worlds-tallest-building-in-north-korea) ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/34 "2009-10-16T13:43:37Z")
> [@FlyingRamenMonster](#): > > Needs anti-aliasing. Damn you. I was going to say it looks like an 8-bit version of [this.](http://www.play.vg/games/4-Asteroids.html) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/35 "2012-11-04T09:46:29Z")
Update: Those in the know insist the 105-story Ryugyong Hotel will open next year, run by the luxury Kempinski chain. Story [here](http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/asia/7899175/Pyramid-monster-worlds-tallest). ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/36 "2012-11-04T10:52:38Z")
I liked the previous sandy/grey version better. It had more of a traditional ziggurat look. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/37 "2012-11-04T14:08:50Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Update: Those in the know insist the 105-story Ryugyong Hotel will open next year, run by the luxury Kempinski chain. Story [here](http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/asia/7899175/Pyramid-monster-worlds-tallest). Did they finish the glass facade on all the sides, or is that picture from just the one prettied-up side still? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/38 "2012-11-05T04:48:42Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Did they finish the glass facade on all the sides, or is that picture from just the one prettied-up side still? Dunno. Now that you mention, you _do_ always see only the one side, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/39 "2012-11-05T05:41:21Z")
I always thought that would be a hell of a cool-looking building if they finished it. I actually liked the spookiness of it when it was unfinished, but a building that doesn’t function is not much good. I guess what I’m saying is, the glass gives it one look. It could have worked without the glass facade, though, as it was a very imposing building anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663/40 "2012-11-05T05:46:21Z")
Is it facing south? Maybe it’s a half-assed plot to blind South Korea with reflected light. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pyongyang-worst-building-in-the-history-of-mankind-gets-a-face-lift/510663.md?page=3)