CCTV Headquarters, Beijing

The CCTV Headquarters stands as a 44-story skyscraper on East Third Ring Road, Guanghua Road, situated within the Beijing Central Business District (CBD). Rising to a height of 234 meters (768 feet), this tower serves as the central hub for China Central Television (CCTV). The groundbreaking ceremony occurred on June 1, 2004, while the completion of the building's exterior was achieved by January 2008.

However, due to an unexpected fire that engulfed the adjacent Television Cultural Center in February 2009, the construction faced delays. Despite these setbacks, the Headquarters was ultimately brought to fruition in May 2012. In a departure from conventional tower designs, the main building takes on a distinctive form – a loop comprising six interconnected horizontal and vertical segments. This unique layout covers an expansive 473,000 square meters (5,090,000 square feet) of floor space and creates an unconventional grid pattern on the building's facade, with an open central space.

The construction process of this building posed considerable structural challenges, especially given its location within a seismic zone. Notably, it earned a playful nickname, "dà kùchǎ," loosely translated as "big boxer shorts," which was coined by a taxi driver who was struck by its unconventional appearance. Locals often affectionately refer to it as "big pants."

The architectural marvel of the CCTV Headquarters was duly recognized when it received the prestigious 2013 Best Tall Building Worldwide award from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.