China´s CCTV leaning towers join together

The two leaning towers of the new headquarters for state broadcaster China Central Television have joined.

A skyward view of the twin towers of the new China Central Television (CCTV) building, which were connected on Wednesday morning, December 26, 2007. [Photo: people.com.cn]

The project lies in Beijing's Central Business District. With two cantilevered arms 162 meters high, the building has become world famous for its distinctive shape. It has 14 stories of office space that required nearly 20,000 tons of steel. International media view the project as a symbol of China's growing strength and modernization.

CCTV President Zhao Huayong says the joining of the arms is a "decisive victory" in the construction of the building's steel structure.

The building, designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, has been listed as one of the wonders of Chinese architecture by US-based Business Week magazine. It is viewed as the most radical structure in the country.