It's been years since we checked in on the Ryugyong Hotel, the monolithic concrete building in Pyongyang, North Korea, that was never completed. After work was abandoned in 1992, officials even denied its existence! But in 2008, the 105-floor structure got a second chance from the Orascom Group of Egypt. A new glass facade gives a less foreboding and more modern look. See more pictures and read about the history of the Ryugyong Hotel at Urban Ghosts. Link

(Image credits: Wikpedia users Timon (left) and Pocketchef (right))