According to Reuters, Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, whose firm designed the building said, that the much-delayed but striking steel, concrete and glass headquarters for Chinese state television is expected finally to fully open in the new year. Dominating the skyline of Beijing's central business district, the building was among several projects the city undertook to reinvent itself for the 2008 Olympics, along with Norman Foster's US$ 3.6 billion new airport terminal and French architect Paul Andreu's egg-shaped National Grand Theatre. But the Olympics came and went and the state television building failed to open.

According to website e-architect, construction of the 600 thousand square meter project began in September 2004 on the 20 hectare site of an abandoned motorcycle factory in Beijing's new Central Business District. After connecting the two leaning towers in December 2007 and topping out structural steel works on March 2008, the CCTV building planned to complete at end of 2009, but a 2009 fire at a hotel being built next to the television tower had caused the delay.

The 600 million euro project consists of two buildings. The new China Central Television Headquarters (CCTV), at a height of 230 meters and a floor area of 405 thousand square meters, combines administration with news, broadcasting, studios and program production. The second building, the 116 thousand square meters Television Cultural Center (TVCC) includes a hotel, a visitor's center, a large publc theatre and exhibition spaces.