Model City: Pyongyang
A unique photographic journey through the socialist architecture and grand visions of DPRK’s capital
Architect and architectural photographer Cristiano Bianchi first visited Pyongyang in 2015 with his fellow architect Kristina Drapić on the Koryo Tours architectural tour. Increasingly intrigued by such an unknown subject, the pair returned several more times with the support of Koryo Studio and the Korea Cities Foundation (KCF). Their work was published by Thames and Hudson in 2019 ‘Model City, Pyongyang’. Koryo Studio have a limited edition available of Cristiano’s stunning photographs for sale to collectors. 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 country’s propaganda posters.

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 its symbolic sports halls and experimental housing concepts, these photographs provide a 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.
Cristiano Bianchi is an architect, and the founder of Studio ZAG, with offices in Tuscany and Beijing. His recent work in architectural photography focused on the social and urban transformation occurring in Asia. He lives and works in Italy and China.

Limited Edition Prints for 500 EUR
For sale after October 2020 exhibition please contact us for details. All photographs are printed on archival paper.