CCTV Headquarters

Height: 234m
Floors: 49
Construction start: September 2004
Construction completed: 2008/2009

The new headquarters of China Central Television (CCTV) is being constructed adjacent to the Third Ring Road in Beijing, China, on a 10ha site in the new Central Business District.

The project was started in september 2004 following a review of the design by a panel of Chinese experts. The construction is scheduled to be completed in time to broadcast the Beijing Olympics in 2008. The development is being undertaken by the Chinese Government as part of a plan to redevelop central Beijing with innovative and functional architecture, while preserving historic buildings at the same time.

The new building will involve two 'L' shaped high-rise towers linked at the top and the bottom at an angle to form a loop, which has been described as a 'Z' criss-cross. The total construction cost is estimated at €600 million ($750 million). The CCTV tower will employ 10,000 people following completion in 2008. But the construction was daleyted because of the opposition against this buildings cost, so the developers say the building will probably not be completed before 2009.