culture

On display in the building of Pyongyang University of Architecture are many artist’s impressions of buildings created by lecturers, researchers and students of the university.

Among them are those of Pyongyang Teachers Training College, Ryomyong and Hwasong streets, the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area and other buildings.

Founded in 1953, the university was highly appreciated at international and national exhibitions, presentations and contests and won diplomas and medals at the world university students architectural festival in the past 70-odd years.

Almost all monumental structures in the country were designed by the graduates and lecturers of the university. They include Pyongyang Indoor Stadium, the Grand People’s Study House, the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre, the Central Youth Hall and the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren’s Palace.

The architectural designs on the historical theme of national treasure value, including those of the Anhak Palace and the Mausoleum of King Tongmyong, are also associated with the wisdom and efforts of its lecturers, researchers, students and graduates.

According to Jang Jong Chol, vice-president of the university, it has been developed into the country’s “pedigree farm” for the training of architectural talents and scientific research base under the warm care of President Kim Il Sung, Chairman Kim Jong Il and the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un.

On a visit to the university in November 2013, the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un placed his trust in it as a “pedigree farm” for training the architectural talents of the country and an advanced base for building a civilized socialist country and said he would give strong backing to the university as its honorary president.

Receiving the rare honour, the university has not only trained many competent designers but also fully played a role as an academic centre in the field of architecture over the past 10-odd years.

Its high education level is evidenced by the successes achieved by the researchers and postgraduate and undergraduate students of the university at the international research and design contest in the field of architecture and urban construction held in Russia from October last year to May this year.

At the contest the best prize was awarded to one of the designs and scientific papers presented by the lecturers, researchers and students of the university and the first prize to seven of them.

Students Kim Ryong and Ri Kwon Ju and researcher Om Song Hyok presented a miniature of a modern city with a harmonious distribution of skyscrapers, high-rise apartment houses and public buildings showing unique architectural beauty and various types of spectacular sights of water to win the best prize.

The miniature of a city which combined the modern buildings with various functions and creation-oriented industries in a formative artistic way, the architectural plan and design of a rural residential district which took into account the bioclimatic characteristics, the paper which clarified the problem of making an adsorbent capable of cleaning harmful gas by recycling soot and others drew great interest among the participants in the contest and took the first prize.

The pride in being a student of the university holding the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un in high esteem as its honorary president and the responsibility to demonstrate the might of the country which is undergoing a see change in the great heyday of construction--these are the secret of their success, said Ri Kwon Ju.

Thanks to unbounded enthusiasm of its teaching staff and students, the university will create a better future along with its proud history.