Klappentext

Many âEUR modelâEUR(TM) 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 KoreaâEUR(TM)s Pyongyang, however, is arguably unique. Entirely rebuilt following the Korean War (1950âEUR"53), the city was planned and fully implemented to model a single ideological vision âEUR" 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 PyongyangâEUR(TM)s buildings have been redeveloped to remove interior features or to render façades unrecognizable. From the cityâEUR(TM)s monumental axes to its symbolic sports halls and experimental housing concepts, this timely book offers comprehensive visual access to PyongyangâEUR(TM)s restricted buildings, which still preserve the DPRKâEUR(TM)s original vision for a city designed âEUR for the peopleâEUR(TM). Often kitsch, colourful and dramatic, PyongyangâEUR(TM)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 countryâEUR(TM)s propaganda posters.