Model City Pyongyang

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 Brasilia 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 facades unrecognizable. From the city`s monumental axes to it`s 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 it`s 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.