Inside North Korea

by Oliver Wainwright

Pastel Dreams
The powerful architecture of North Korea

Erased by bombing during the Korean War, North Korea’s trophy capital of Pyongyang was entirely rebuilt from scratch from 1953, in line with the vision of the nation’s founder, Kim Il-sung. Designed as an imposing stage set, it is a place of grand axial boulevards linking gargantuan monuments, lined with stately piles of distinctly Korean flavor, to be “national in form and socialist in content.”

Under the present leader, Kim Jong-un, construction has ramped up apace―“Let us turn the whole country into a socialist fairyland,” declares one of his official patriotic slogans. He is rapidly transforming Pyongyang into a playground, conjuring a flimsy fantasy of prosperity and using architecture as a powerful anesthetic, numbing the population from the stark reality of his authoritarian regime.

Guardian journalist and photographer Oliver Wainwright takes us on an eye-opening tour behind closed doors in the most secretive country in the world, revealing that past the grand stone façades lie lavish wonder-worlds of marble and mosaic, coffered ceilings, and crystal chandeliers, along with new interiors in dazzling color palettes. Discover the palatial reading rooms of the Grand People’s Study House, and peer inside the locker rooms of the recently renovated Rungrado May Day Stadium, ready to host a FIFA World Cup that will never come.

This collection features about 300 photographs with insightful captions, as well as an introductory essay where Wainwright charts the history and development of Pyongyang, explaining how the architecture and interiors embody the national “Juche” ideology and questioning what the future holds for the architectural ambitions of this enigmatic country.

“A fascinating photographic tour of North Korea’s colourful and bizarre interiors which resemble Wes Anderson movie sets.”
— ​Daily Mail, London

Genres: Nonfiction, Photography, Art, Politics, Architecture

241 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 2018

Reviews

[Casper Veen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay book, but only features Pyongyang with pretty predictable, oft-shown images

[Diogo Pontes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with amazing photography, shame it only focuses on Pyongyang and not other parts of the country that are now more common tourist locations

[Sebastian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought it because I'am a bit fascinated by North Korea and the way it's insulated and isolated from the rest of the world. The book is sturdy and well made, but that is something I have come to expect from Taschen books. And unlike some of their other books, with this one they just once made the mistake of printing images across the fold with the most important thing in the middle (and thereby obscuring it because it's in the fold). I would have hoped for the book to contain more pictures about the everyday life of someone in NK but unfortunately, the focus of the book is rather narrow. You might argue that there are no pictures in the book that would have to be taken clandestinely. All of the pictures can probably be taken on a regular, state-organised tour. Not quite what I hoped for.

[Alicia Chapple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great photography with interesting comments and context. The photos are almost too perfect, walking into a Wes Anderson type dystopian world with symmetry and patterns. Sterile in the sense that there’s hardly any people in the photos, highlighting that these buildings and transport links are just for the elite. The commentary was meaningful and succinct. I would’ve loved more discussion on the intricacies of North Korea outside of the capital, though this is hard to accurately do given the strict guidelines tour.

[Kamryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no idea how this book compares to the actual reality of North Korea, but the image it portrays is definitely interesting and borderline apocalyptic. Despite some of these buildings being relatively new, the photos make them look almost abandoned. The few pages of detailed information at the beginning was certainly useful too, as I’d have had no idea what I was looking at without that context.

[Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't read the text to this but looked at the pictures which were stark and sterile images of the urban areas and buildings in this hidden country. Beautiful in a kind of barren way. You can almost tell by looking at the pictures that this is not a free country.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I read a new book on North Korea, I learn something new - and this book is amazing because it really gives you a sense of North Korea through its architecture. It’s simultaneously a lot more modern, retro, unique, and blindingly colorful than expected.

[Nikky Southerland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slathered with creamy pastels, the architecture of Pyongyang is hauntingly rendered in this book. Spend a few moments on each picture and let your eyes pick up on the subtle details that reveal North Korea not as the paradise that its leaders so desperately wish to convey.

[Roxana Chirilă · Rating 4 out of 5]

A photo album containing photos of what you'd be most likely to see during a guided tour in North Korea, with succint commentary. Interesting, and the photos are high quality, but if you go in expecting detailed presentations, you're likely to be disappointed.

[Liselotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always been interested in North-Korea, not from a political standpoint, but more as it feels like the entire country is frozen in time. The photos in this book really show the architecture, but I'm more interested in the people. Interesting book though! :)

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sterile like surgical theater

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating - with marvelous photographs

[Kacper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice photos

[Flopy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fucking loved it.

[Orma]

Piuttosto straniante.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating examination of North Korea through its architecture. It is remarkable how a book consisting mostly of beautiful, vividly coloured photographs can say so much and provide such a critique of a despotic nation. Art truly imitates life here and through the strict architectural methodology of the North Koreans, we see how that intense planning and control filters down to all aspects of life in the country. The author reminds us that success is celebrated, but failure means certain death in the case of North Korean architects and engineers who are killed if there is a problem with a building, despite the fact they are under enormous pressure to meet government building deadlines and on poor budgets. The author also goes to painstaking lengths to demonstrate how the city is all colour and amusement parks, high rise towers and swimming centres, giving the impression of a population spoiled by its government while the outer areas, that most foreigners do not see and where most North Koreans live, are desperately poor with cracked and broken roads and overgrown vegetation. An excellent work of architectural journalism!

[Makena Hulme · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love learning about North Korea and think its history is fascinating. Its modern state is heartbreaking as well. I wish this book showed more than Pyongyang.