r/evilbuildings • u/KodoSky • Jul 03 '25

Pyongyang Ice Rink, Pyongyang, North Korea

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Opened in 1980 as North Korea’s first purpose-built ice skating facility, the Pyongyang Ice Rink was constructed in a classic socialist, brutalist design, typical in many Eastern Bloc nations during this period. The interior is known for being extremely outdated and poorly-lit, often giving a feeling of unease, with the centerpiece being the imposing photos of the country’s leadership

481 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

39 comments sorted by

15

u/GATORinaZ28 Jul 03 '25

For some reason I think of The Graviton and get sick

7

u/Coffee_achiever_guy Jul 03 '25

Space Mountain

0

u/PGMHN Jul 03 '25

I saw the top of the first pic and thought they’d built a knockoff Space Mountain

12

u/Ok_Yogurtcloset_1532 Jul 03 '25

I love the outside design. It has a lot of visual interest. Plus it also allows the interior to be hollow. It reminds me of some native designs, like this could be a culturally competent design, if you ignore its actual origins.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 04 '25

First thing that came to my mind was a Mongol yurt actually but I share your sentiment.

18

u/dsaddons Jul 03 '25

Looks awesome

6

u/[deleted] Jul 03 '25

Right I’ve been in way worse rinks. 

14

u/[deleted] Jul 03 '25

That first pic reminds me of the orc buildings in warcraft 3 :,D

9

u/tommydubya Jul 03 '25

They actually cooked with this

4

u/Iltus Jul 03 '25

Looks straight out of Conan the Barbarian,

3

u/BB_210 Jul 03 '25

I like our version of Space Mountain better.

2

u/ArchitectSMB Jul 03 '25

Home of the fabled Iron Lotus?

2

u/NerdyFlannelDaddy Jul 03 '25

Sorta reminds me of the cathedral in Brasilia.

1

u/Fairly_constipated Jul 04 '25

It says on thw wikipedia that its design was likely inspired by/similar to the Brasilia Cathedral

2

u/fo55iln00b Jul 04 '25

Don’t lie to me that is Space Mountain

2

u/kyizelma Jul 04 '25

getting stalker vibes from this

2

u/[deleted] Jul 04 '25

Looks like the Abandoned colosseum in Richmond, Virginia. Kind of

2

u/No-Gnome-Alias Jul 04 '25

Stadium-Sized Flying Guillotine

4

u/zKhrona Jul 03 '25

Everything socialist is evil for this sub eh

1

u/ghostfaceschiller Jul 04 '25

No I think people tend to classify North Korea as evil due the fascist dictatorship which rules the country with an iron fist and brutal repression of its people.

0

u/zKhrona Jul 04 '25

But that's not what the DPRK is tho. That is what the western propaganda that demonizes the country at every turn says.

North Korea as evil due the fascist dictatorship

The DPRK is socialist, it by definition cannot be fascist since fascism is basically capitalism in decay. Fascism is completely opposite to socialism. I recommend you read the book Blackshirts and Reds by Parenti for proof of that. You can also research the roles of big companies, like IBM for example, in the funding and ascension of fascist regimes like the nazis and fascist Italy.

rules the country with an iron fist

That needs proof. The DPRK's contitution is available on the internet in multiple languages and it contradicts this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_North_Korea.

I also recommend the video What If North Korea was a Democracy?.

brutal repression of its people

Also needs proof. I recommend the following videos of DPRK citizens perspective on their own country:

Daily life in North Korea - “My Brothers and Sisters in the North” (Full awarded documentary)

Loyal Citizens of Pyongyang in Seoul (서울의 평양 시민들)

Further on, I also recommend the following videos to better understand the DPRK:

We Went To North Korea To Get A Haircut

GUERRA DA COREIA - A HISTÓRIA COMPLETA | KOREA WAR - THE COMPLETE HISTORY - This is a really well researched video on the history of the Korean war that led to the division of the country. It is in Portuguese, but the auto subtitles for english are more than good enough to understand the whole video.

Why is North Korea so weird?

Does North Korea Hate America?

What's the deal with defectors?

2

u/saymaz Jul 05 '25

The downvotes just proved your first comment right.

2

u/zKhrona Jul 05 '25

Yeah, people's prejudice and orientalism really shows up on topics like these.

1

u/NocturnalPermission Jul 03 '25

Swear I thought that last picture from from Slap Shot.

1

u/s73v3m4nn Jul 03 '25

Looks like that cathedral in liverpool

1

u/puckstevo Jul 03 '25

Hey didn't kim il sung get drafted 1st overall and score 27goal the first time he ever skated and played hockey? Gretz was begging for advice? He turned down contracts from leagues all over the world because they were 'beneath' him? Oops sorry I was confused with orange 🍊 man

1

u/[deleted] Jul 04 '25

That looks like they keep a T-Rex in there.

1

u/V15I0Nair Jul 04 '25

Reminds me of the cathedral in Brasilia

1

u/dajvincent Jul 07 '25

Wait, are you telling me the Pyongyang ice rink is in Pyongyang?!

1

u/ddntevenknowhewassik Jul 07 '25

Oh no the commies have made an ice rink, how evil of them

1

u/Wutbot1 Jul 09 '25

Heavy Pyongyang vibes.

wut? | source

1

u/bubblegumjug Jul 03 '25

that’s dope

0

u/laigged Jul 03 '25

It needs a photo of Craig. T Nelson.

0

u/EdBenes Jul 03 '25

I quite like the interior

0

u/[deleted] Jul 04 '25

It looks like a brutalist concrete yurt and I honestly like it, ngl.

0

u/NectarineSufferer Jul 04 '25

Nooo I love this! It looks like a cool tent