Latest news with #LEDscreens
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
North Korea's tallest building is an abandoned hotel that has never hosted a single guest. Take a look at the 'Hotel of Doom.'
North Korea's tallest building is an abandoned hotel that has never hosted a single guest. Take a closer look at the 'Hotel of Doom.' Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea, is one of the tallest unoccupied buildings in the world. Construction on the "Hotel of Doom" began in 1987 and has stopped and started several times. One side of the 1,080-foot building has been outfitted with LED screens used for light shows. At 1,080 feet, North Korea's Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang is one of the tallest unoccupied buildings in the world. The 105-story "Hotel of Doom," which is also North Korea's tallest building, has never hosted a single guest. Construction began almost 40 years ago, and it is not yet complete — the cost of finishing the building is estimated to be around 5% of the country's entire GDP. Still, Ryugyong Hotel remains a subject of international fascination. Here's the story behind the abandoned skyscraper that dominates the capital city's skyline. Construction on the Ryugyong Hotel began in Pyongyang in 1987, but halted due to economic troubles in North Korea. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, North Korea lost its main trading partner and source of aid, spurring an economic crisis. The hotel reached its full height in 1992, but the inside was never completed. The Ryugyong Hotel is 105 stories tall and is sometimes referred to as the 105 Building. To this day, it has never hosted a single guest. Despite its aversion to foreign visitors, North Korea does have several functional hotels in Pyongyang. Until the Ryugyong Hotel is completed, the Yanggakdo International Hotel is the city's largest, and the Ryanggang Hotel is widely regarded as the fanciest. Its pyramid shape dominates the Pyongyang skyline from miles away. Each of the building's three sections, which join together at the top, are 100 meters, or 328 feet long, Atlas Obscura reported. At the very top of the building, an eight-story cone-shaped section was supposed to feature revolving restaurants. It remains empty, like the rest of the hotel. More external work began on the hotel in 2008 with the installation of glass panels over its entire surface. An Egyptian contractor, the Orascom group, took over the project and revived construction in 2008, Reuters reported. It would cost an estimated $2 billion to finally finish the Ryugyong Hotel, Reuters reported in 2008, citing South Korean media. North Korea's gross domestic product is around $40 billion, according to the CIA World Factbook's 2015 estimate. That makes the cost of finishing the building around 5% of the country's entire GDP. In the meantime, North Korea has found other uses for the building. Pyongyang celebrated May Day in 2009 with a fireworks display framing the Ryugyong Hotel. It serves as a dramatic backdrop for performances by art troupes. The troupes' performances usually contain propaganda messages. North Korea sent an art troupe to the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. It also provides a backdrop for propaganda messages made up of over 100,000 LED screens. In 2018, lighting designer Kim Yong Il created a light show comprised of political slogans and party symbols. It played on the building's surface for several hours every night. In 2023, banners in front of the hotel marked the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. North Korea celebrates the 1953 armistice agreement as a victory in the "Grand Fatherland Liberation War." The building itself still lacks electricity, and there's no expected completion date, but there have been new signs of construction progress. Alek Sigley, an Australian student who was studying for his master's degree in Korean literature at Kim Il Sung University, posted on X about new signage above the main entrance of the hotel in June 2019. A month later, Sigley was detained for a week and subsequently released after North Korean authorities accused him of committing "spying acts" against the state. He was later expelled from the country. North Korean authorities are reportedly hoping to find a foreign investor to build a casino in the empty space. Radio Free Asia reported in July 2024 that North Korean leadership is seeking a foreign investor to purchase gambling rights and operate a casino at the Ryugyong Hotel as part of a deal to finish the rest of its interior. Authorities hope to replicate the success and profitability of the casino at Pyongyang's Yanggakdo International Hotel, which has proven popular with tourists, the outlet reported, citing an anonymous North Korean source. It continues to live up to its nickname, "Hotel of Doom." The hotel's actual name, "Ryugyong," comes from a historical name for Pyongyang meaning "capital of willows." Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New Street station media screens have been switched off for years - and may be for some time yet
The Bullring says it's 'not in a position' to give an update on when New Street station's LED screens will be turned back on - despite already being off for years. The three digital screens, which all resemble Sauron's Eye, are likely among the first landmarks that visitors notice when arriving into the city by train. Or at least they would be if they were ever switched on. READ MORE: Anger as Birmingham fountains in flagship square switched off for 18 months The media eyes, located at the station's three main entrances, have not generated adverts for years. We understand its has been lights out on two of them since 2023 and even longer for the screen by Station Street, where John Lewis once stood proudly. They join a list of other key Birmingham landmarks - such as Chamberlain Square and Centenary Square fountains - not currently in operation. Both fountains have run dry and The River, better known as the 'The Floozie in the Jacuzzi', is only managing to dribble out water. Hammerson, owners of the Bullring, also own the huge LED screens. It told us earlier this week it was 'undertaking a review of media assets', including the screens, but that it wasn't 'in a position at this stage' to give an update on 'timings' of when they might be switched back on. Network Rail said it is solely Hammerson's responsibility to manage the screens. It is not clear if the screens need repairing. Brummie Reiss Omari has campaigned for years for the media eyes to be plugged back in - telling his followers on social media that "Birmingham deserves better". Referring to the eye closest to Station Street, he said: "Four years since this been turned off." He continued: "It has to be at least two years since the other two screens were on. "Imagine doing doing this in London? I think not." Do you miss the screens being on? Let us know in the comments below
