Thursday, April 9, 2009

Picture of the Day: CCTV Building

I've changed jobs and the new office I work at is one block east of the new CCTV tower.

From where I used to live in Wangjing, on a clear day I could see it from far away.

But now I can pass by the dakouchar ("the big pants") everyday, up close and feel overwhelmed by this giant steel angular loop.

Almost all the buildings in Beijing make me feel so small and insignificant -- they seem to demand subservience from the people who live here. Or are they considered giant monuments that are a testament to the physical achievements of 1.3 billion people.

In any case looking at the CCTV building everyday to and from work might give me a new appreciation for this piece of architecture that aims to establish a new definition for skyscrapers.

Here it is in its shining glory just after 6pm as the sun was setting earlier today.

1 comment:

ks said...

beijing has been the dreamland of foreign architects. they can do whatever they want -no city ordinances to follow, no public hearings, no protests. that is why there are so many different weird looking buildings propping up all over the city. may be that marks a period of free expression in a supposedly dictatorial country. what an irony.