RYUGYONG HOTEL: At 330m high and 105 storeys, The Ryugyong Hotel is the tallest building in North Korea. It's also routinely described as the ugliest building in the world. Originally slated to open in 1989, its construction stalled when the collapse of the Soviet Union deprived North Korea of money and materials. The Ryugyong remained a concrete shell for the next two decades until, in 2008, an Egyptian construction company set about completing the glass exterior. 'Kim Il-Sung's centenary is on 15 April 2012,' says Meuser, 'and it was the leadership's demand that the façade be completed by then. Maybe they'll finish the lobby and one floor of rooms, too. It has 6,000 rooms – but Pyongyang doesn't even get 6,000 tourists in a year'
Pyongyang Architectural and Cultural Guide
