Oliver Wainwright still remembers his first trip to North Korea in 2015, when he was struck by its vibrant palette of colors during his excursions throughout the city.

“Looking out on the cityscape, it’s this kind of pastel [view] ... All the apartment blocks are these shades of pink, baby blue, yellow ochre, turquoise,” Wainwright, who works as the architecture and design critic at The Guardian, told NK News. “I would say it’s probably been the most colorful city I’ve ever been to.”