Many `model´ cities, both imagined and physical, have existed throughout history; from the ideal cities of the Renaissance, Urbino, Pienza and Ferrara, to modernist utopias, such as Brasília or Chandigarh. North Korea´s Pyongyang, however, is arguably unique. Entirely rebuilt following the Korean War (1950-53), the city was planned and fully implemented to model a single ideological vision - a guide for an entire state.

As a result, the urban fabric of Pyongyang displays an extraordinary architectural cohesion and narrative, artfully captured in the pages of this book. In recent years, many of Pyongyang´s buildings have been redeveloped to remove interior features or to render façades unrecognizable.

From the city´s monumental axes to its symbolic sports halls and experimental housing concepts, this timely book offers comprehensive visual access to Pyongyang´s restricted buildings, which still preserve the DPRK´s original vision for a city designed `for the people´.

Often kitsch, colourful and dramatic, Pyongyang´s architecture can be reminiscent of the aesthetic of a Wes Anderson film, where it is difficult to distinguish between reality and theatre. Reflecting a culture that has carefully crafted its own narrative, the backdrop of each photograph has been replaced with a colour gradient, evoking the idealized pastel skies of the country´s propaganda posters.


Format Inbunden Omfång 224 sidor Språk Engelska Förlag Thames & Hudson Ltd Utgivningsdatum 2019-09-19 ISBN 9780500343531