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Model City: Pyongyang
A photographic journey through the architecture of North Korea's “model” utopia. The story of Pyongyang is unique even in the annals of model cities and modernist utopias. Entirely rebuilt after the Korean War, North Korea's capital city was planned and fully implemented to embody a single ideological vision. This extraordinary, richly illustrated book takes readers on a photographic journey through the architecture of North Korea's “model” utopia. Built as an ideological guide for its citizens, Pyongyang displays a unique architectural cohesion and narrative. From the city's large-scale monumental axes to its symbolic sports halls and experimental housing, Model City offers offers comprehensive visual access to Pyongyang's restricted buildings. The architecture of Pyongyang exists within a culture that favors construction and renewal over historical preservation, and in recent years many buildings have been redeveloped to remove interior features or render facades unrecognizable. Often kitschy, colorful, and dramatic, Pyongyang's architecture makes it difficult to distinguish between reality and theater. As befits a culture that has carefully crafted its own narrative, the backdrop of each photograph in Model City has been replaced with a color gradient, evoking the pastel skies of North Korea's propaganda posters. Model City features two hundred color illustrations of buildings rarely seen by non-North Koreans, diagrams and architectural drawings that reveal the planning behind the city's elaborate symbolism, and texts by experts on Korean architecture—including an excerpt from On Architecture by Kim Jong-Il, father of the current leader Kim Jong-un. The authors' research has been supported by Koryo Studio and Korea Cities Federation.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 19, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 2, 2022
gorgeous gorgeous girls read gorgeous gorgeous books about socialist architecture
December 20, 2020
"...North Korea has taken the Marxist-Leninist handbook and executed every precept to perfection, while infusing the end product with its own particular brand of nationalism and fanaticism."
Anyone who is lucky enough to have visited Pyongyang will know that it is a city very different from anything you will find anywhere else. The authors note that the city can be "...seen simply as a piece of socialist art, that people happen to live in and around". Walking the streets of Pyongyang is like walking the pages of a sci-fi novel. The DPRK is a highly volatile subject for any author and every word spoken or written about the DPRK becomes part of fierce propaganda war whether intended as such or not. The architecture of the DPRK is, like the rest of that society, tightly woven into the political structure and philosophy of the country, a philosophical principle known as Juche, roughly understandable as self-reliance. Therefore writing a book about the architecture of Pyongyang from a dispassionate view point is always going to be difficult, however, I think this book has succeeded in capturing the guiding principles that have made the city what it is without getting bogged down in the contentious politics even while politics can be said to be the cornerstone of those principles.
"Pyongyang embodies the dream of total planning, to which every architect secretly aspires: jettisoning planning restrictions, space-ratio guidelines, land costs and all other constraints that govern modern architecture, and returning to the idea of a city of the people, in which everything is designed in a single. cohesive, vision."
The United State Air-force carpet bombed the pre-war city out of existence to a degree that made the bombing of Dresden look like something of a half job. This gave the DPRK a completely blank sheet to work with but also struggling simultaneously with a decimated economy, country and a significant proportion of its population dead, not to forget the country was divided with South Korea perceived as a constant threat in a war that had become a stalemate. In the early years much reconstruction assistance came from the Soviet Bloc. Soviet and Central European planners left their mark on the Pyongyang that rose from the rubble. East German plattenbau and Soviet brutalism helped to give initial shape back to the capital. Even today these origins are still visible (together with East German S-Bahn trains and trams) although these aspects have become problematic for the country, especially post-1989. Kim Jong Il made a point of critiquing this period of reconstruction (which could be seen as a tad ungrateful by some) "...the sycophants, dogmatists and anti=Party counter-revolutionary elements that had wormed their way into the capital construction sector adopted foreign designs mechanically, asserting their erroneous views, ignoring the country's economic situation and turning a deaf ear to the people's aspirations and demands. The reconstruction efforts left a city of ' European-style buildings...which did not accord with our people's customs and sentiments". This critique led to a move towards a Juche inspired programme of construction "national in form and socialist in content". This approach which continues to today is reflected in the Pyongyang presented in this book. It is perhaps interesting to ponder how architecture might have developed in the other countries where some form of "really existing socialism" was the guiding principle had they not imploded three decades ago.
One of the things that make Pyongyang a pleasant city is the open space, something that made East Berlin such a pleasant open green city too. Where land has no developers and speculators value the need to fill every square centimetre with the most concentrated and towering structures is not present. That is not to say that towering structures do not exist, just that their purpose is different and the provision of space is not in contest with market space for consumer society, compare Seol with Pyongyang, West Berlin with der Hauptstadt der DDR. The market has little time for people beyond extracting money from them to be fed back into the madness of eternal growth and exploitation. In making this comment, and appearing to critique the neo-liberal system, I am of course ignoring the human aspects and costs of varieties of "Really existing Socialism" or nationalist/isolationist projects such as that of the DPRK. However, as I think this book shows, intentionally or otherwise, architecture and planning should not be left to the market or the guiding hand of the paternal state but should have room for those who have to live in the cities that result from the systems that build them.
This is my favourite book on the architecture of Pyongyang. The essays are thoughtful and go beyond the usual stereotyping. My only real gripe is the relatively small format.The photography would have benefited from at least being doubled in size.
Anyone who is lucky enough to have visited Pyongyang will know that it is a city very different from anything you will find anywhere else. The authors note that the city can be "...seen simply as a piece of socialist art, that people happen to live in and around". Walking the streets of Pyongyang is like walking the pages of a sci-fi novel. The DPRK is a highly volatile subject for any author and every word spoken or written about the DPRK becomes part of fierce propaganda war whether intended as such or not. The architecture of the DPRK is, like the rest of that society, tightly woven into the political structure and philosophy of the country, a philosophical principle known as Juche, roughly understandable as self-reliance. Therefore writing a book about the architecture of Pyongyang from a dispassionate view point is always going to be difficult, however, I think this book has succeeded in capturing the guiding principles that have made the city what it is without getting bogged down in the contentious politics even while politics can be said to be the cornerstone of those principles.
"Pyongyang embodies the dream of total planning, to which every architect secretly aspires: jettisoning planning restrictions, space-ratio guidelines, land costs and all other constraints that govern modern architecture, and returning to the idea of a city of the people, in which everything is designed in a single. cohesive, vision."
The United State Air-force carpet bombed the pre-war city out of existence to a degree that made the bombing of Dresden look like something of a half job. This gave the DPRK a completely blank sheet to work with but also struggling simultaneously with a decimated economy, country and a significant proportion of its population dead, not to forget the country was divided with South Korea perceived as a constant threat in a war that had become a stalemate. In the early years much reconstruction assistance came from the Soviet Bloc. Soviet and Central European planners left their mark on the Pyongyang that rose from the rubble. East German plattenbau and Soviet brutalism helped to give initial shape back to the capital. Even today these origins are still visible (together with East German S-Bahn trains and trams) although these aspects have become problematic for the country, especially post-1989. Kim Jong Il made a point of critiquing this period of reconstruction (which could be seen as a tad ungrateful by some) "...the sycophants, dogmatists and anti=Party counter-revolutionary elements that had wormed their way into the capital construction sector adopted foreign designs mechanically, asserting their erroneous views, ignoring the country's economic situation and turning a deaf ear to the people's aspirations and demands. The reconstruction efforts left a city of ' European-style buildings...which did not accord with our people's customs and sentiments". This critique led to a move towards a Juche inspired programme of construction "national in form and socialist in content". This approach which continues to today is reflected in the Pyongyang presented in this book. It is perhaps interesting to ponder how architecture might have developed in the other countries where some form of "really existing socialism" was the guiding principle had they not imploded three decades ago.
One of the things that make Pyongyang a pleasant city is the open space, something that made East Berlin such a pleasant open green city too. Where land has no developers and speculators value the need to fill every square centimetre with the most concentrated and towering structures is not present. That is not to say that towering structures do not exist, just that their purpose is different and the provision of space is not in contest with market space for consumer society, compare Seol with Pyongyang, West Berlin with der Hauptstadt der DDR. The market has little time for people beyond extracting money from them to be fed back into the madness of eternal growth and exploitation. In making this comment, and appearing to critique the neo-liberal system, I am of course ignoring the human aspects and costs of varieties of "Really existing Socialism" or nationalist/isolationist projects such as that of the DPRK. However, as I think this book shows, intentionally or otherwise, architecture and planning should not be left to the market or the guiding hand of the paternal state but should have room for those who have to live in the cities that result from the systems that build them.
This is my favourite book on the architecture of Pyongyang. The essays are thoughtful and go beyond the usual stereotyping. My only real gripe is the relatively small format.The photography would have benefited from at least being doubled in size.
December 31, 2019
Beautiful imagery, but could have contained more contextualization and commentary
December 29, 2019
I've read and watched a lot about North Korea in the past couple of years, and this book, with its dozens of photographs, lent context, geographically and architecturally. The photos are amazing, chilling and revealing. There are rarely any people or vehicles around, no matter the time of day. All in all, a fascinating look at a city that often appears to be nothing more than a stage set. Informative essays bookend the photos.
August 3, 2020
A must-see, and must-read, photographic tour through North Korea’s capital city, including explanations of Pyongyang’s history and of its current ruling party’s rationale for city planning. With artful critical distance, the book highlights the unreality embedded within the architecture itself, allowing the reader to humanize the unworldly. This book, without hectoring, succeeds at eliciting empathy for organic daily life adapting itself to a single-vision fantasy.
September 20, 2020
Definitely would have preferred more context, or some analysis of what they saw while photographing the buildings: were lights on? Were people going in and out? Most of the buildings are at a distance, so what do they look like up close? Is there glass in all the windows? What do people put on their balconies? Do the model apartments in Pyongyang even have the usual minders you find in communist countries, who report everyone who goes in and out? Did they interact with any of them?
January 5, 2020
Found the book at a museum shop in Berlin this fall. Fell in love with the pictures of architectural buildings. Would've been nice with maybe a bit more text explaining the pictures but overall it's a nice book to take out from the shelf and look at whenever I need more inspiration.
December 28, 2020
Really amazing photos, and fascinating information. So good to see plans and sections to understand the city,. Would like too jabber understood a little more about thee city. And the way people live in it.
August 31, 2023
The aesthetics of this book are astounding, truly so beautiful. I could have gone for more written descriptions, historical accounts of buildings, etc. However there were many photographs and diagrams in this book I haven't seen online before.
Overall, a worthy educational investment and a beautiful addition to my book shelf.
Overall, a worthy educational investment and a beautiful addition to my book shelf.
December 17, 2025
The photo-documentation on the architecture and designs in North Korea were very interesting, but I was pleasantly surprised to read briefly about the train stations, bike lanes, what tourist are able to do there. And now I want to look for books on that alone.
December 27, 2019
I bought this as a Christmas gift for Ryan but it was actually a gift for meeeeeee
October 9, 2020
Great insights into a country many of us to not get to see from close. It's great being able to better understand their culture through the architecture.
August 20, 2023
Fascinating in parts but tends to be repetitive. Would have preferred more explanation of everyday life.
February 17, 2025
Most beautiful city in the world??? Yes.
January 8, 2025
This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in North Korea and architecture. The edition is excellent, offering a detailed explanation of how Pyongyang's reconstruction has been planned—from the aftermath of the Korean War to the present day—aligned with North Korean communist ideals. The text is richly accompanied by photos, drawings, and maps, making it an engaging and informative read. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews