The Ryugyong Hotel
The\xa0Ryugyong Hotel\xa0(Chos\u014fn'g\u016dl:\xa0\ub958\uacbd\ub824\uad00; sometimes\xa0anglicised\xa0as\xa0Ryu-Gyong Hotel\xa0or\xa0Yu-Kyung Hotel)[4]\xa0is an unfinished (although\xa0topped-out) 105-story, 330 metres (1,080\xa0ft)-tall\xa0pyramid-shaped\xa0skyscraper\xa0in\xa0Pyongyang,\xa0North Korea. Its name ("capital of\xa0willows") is also one of the historical names for Pyongyang.[5]\xa0The building is also known as the\xa0105 Building, a reference to its number of floors.[2]\xa0The building has been planned as a mixed-use development, which would include a hotel.
Construction began in 1987 but was halted in 1992 as North Korea entered a period of\xa0economic crisis\xa0after the\xa0fall of the Soviet Union. After 1992 the building stood topped out, but without any windows or interior fittings. In 2008 construction resumed, and the exterior was completed in 2011. It was planned to open the hotel in 2012, the centenary of\xa0Kim Il-sung's birth, but this did not happen. A partial opening was announced for 2013, but this was also cancelled.[6]\xa0As of 2018, the building remains unopened[7]\xa0and has been called the tallest unfinished building in the world.[8]
Our theme song was written and performed by Anna Bosnick. If you\u2019d like to support the show on a per episode basis, you can find our Patreon page here. \xa0Be sure to check our website for more details.