The Mansudae Apartments (Korean만수대 아파트) is a 17-building high-rise residential complex in Pyongyang, North Korea, inaugurated on April 15, 2012. Buildings 1 and 2 are the tallest in the hierarchy of the complex, standing at 146 metres (480 ft) tall each, both being divided into 45 floors.[1]

Mansudae Apartments
만수대 아파트
Map
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeResidential
LocationChung-guyok, Pyongyang
Town or cityPyongyang
CountryNorth Korea
Coordinates39°01′33″N 125°45′16″E / 39.0258°N 125.7544°E / 39.0258; 125.7544
GroundbreakingJuly 2008
Construction started2011
CompletedApril 15, 2012
Height146 metres (479 ft) (Building 1 and 2)
Technical details
Structural systemConcrete
Floor count15–45

History

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The complex was part of a bigger housing project which spread over the entire Mansudae Street in Pyongyang. The groundbreaking took place in July 2008. The structural work of each building started in late 2011 and was completed only 87 days later on April 15, 2012, when the entire complex was inaugurated specially for Day of the Sun which represented Kim Il Sung's 100th birthday.[2][3]

The complex only hosts apartments for the higher social classes of the regime. The apartments were reportedly distributed to other people as well by the government on black market due to the value of the home transactions falling by as high as 85 percent at the end of 2013.[4][5]

The complex shares the same urbanistic principles from the late 1970s soviet era. In order to maintain standardization while maximizing diversity, architects begun to develop some compromises that combine urban planning and economic convenience.[6] The buildings resembles the totalitarian architecture style very widespread and common in North Korea with a touch of postmodernism.[7][8]

Buildings

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Name Image Height
m (ft)
Floors Ref.
Building 1   146 m (479 ft) 45 [9]
Building 2  
Building 3   130 m (430 ft) 40
Building 8A   107 m (351 ft) 35
Building 8B
Building 4   104 m (341 ft) 32
Building 5  
Building 9A   101 m (331 ft) 33
Building 9B
Building 10A 77 m (253 ft) 25
Building 10B
Building 12  
Building 11   62 m (203 ft) 20
Building 13  
Building 14  
Building 6   47 m (154 ft) 15
Building 7  

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Mansudae Area renovation no. 2 (Changjon Street)". nkeconwatch.com. North Korean Economy Watch. September 21, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  2. ^ "Mansudae Street in Pyongyang". exploredprk.com. Explore DPRK. August 7, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  3. ^ "Mansudae Apartment Where North Korea's Highest Power Resides… 'Showing Signs of Collapse'". Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). Maeil Business Newspaper. May 28, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  4. ^ "Housing Prices in North Korea Plunge on Black Market". Radio Free Asia. Radio Free Asia. January 9, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  5. ^ "Pyongyang penthouses less popular in North Korea than low-level living". therealdeal.com. The Real Deal. April 16, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  6. ^ Jong-Ruhl Hahn (2018). "Architectural Development in North and South Korea" (PDF). fig.net. International Union of Architects (UIA). Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  7. ^ "Pyongyang Architecture guide, North Korea". koreakonsult.com. Korean Konsult. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  8. ^ Oliver, Huw (October 14, 2020). "'A socialist fairyland': the bizarre and beautiful buildings of Pyongyang". Time Out. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  9. ^ "Mansudae Apartments". CTBUH Skyscraper Center. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
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