The design of CCTV headquarters defies the popular conception of a skyscraper and broke Beijing's building codes so it required approval of a special review panel.  The standard systems for engineering gravity and lateral loads in buildings didn't apply to the CCTV building that is formed by two leaning towers, each bent 90 degrees at the top and bottom to form a continuous loop.

          The engineer's solution was to create a structural "tube" of diagonal supports.  The irregular pattern of thie "diagrid" system reflects the distribution of forces across the tube's surface.  Designed by Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren and engineered by Ove Arup, the new CCTV tower rethinks what a skyscraper can be.  It's scheduled for completion in 2008.

          Groundbreaking occurred on December 28, 2005 for Linked Hybrid, a multi-building complex that is scheduled to house 2,500 people in 700 apartments by the end of 2008.  Covering 1.6 million square feet, it's a model for large-scale sustainable residential architecture.  The site will feature on the world's largest geothermal cooling and heating systems that will stabilize the temperature within the eight buildings that will be linked at the 20th floor by a "ring" of service establishments including cafes and dry cleaners.  A set of dual pipes will pump water from 100 meteres below ground through the concrete floors.

         As a result, the water circulation system will serve as a giant radiator in the winter and as a cooling system in the summer.  It will have no boilers to supply heat, no electric air conditioners to supply cool the interiors.  The apartments will feature gray-water recycling - a process that's just starting to catch on in Beijing in smaller buildings.  It filters waste water from kitchen sinks and wash basins back into toilets.         

          The striking exterior of the National Swimming Center being constructed for the 2008 Olympic Games has caused it to be nicknamed the "Water Cube".  It's made from panels of lightweight Teflon that transform the building into an energy-efficient greenhouse-like environment.  Solar energy will be used to heat the swimming pools that are designed to reuse double-filtered, backwashed pool water that's usually dumped as waste.

          Excess rainwater will also be collected, stored in subterranean tanks, and used to fill pools.  The complex engineering system of curvy steel frames that form the bubble-like skin structure are based on research by two physicists at Dublin's Trinity College on the structural properties of soap bubbles.  The unique structure is designed to help the building withstand nearly any seismic disruptions.

          Rising in the Lujiazhui financial district in Pudong, the Shanghai World Financial Center is a tower among towers.  The elegant 101-story skyscraper will be (for the moment, at least) the world's tallest when completed in early 2008.

          One of the biggest challenges of building tall is creating a structure that can withstand high winds.  The Kohn Pederson Fox Architects have devised an innovative solution to alleviate wind pressure by adding a rectangular cut-out at the building's apex.  Not only does the open area help reduce the building's sway, but it also will be home to the world's highest outdoor observation deck - a 100th-floor vista that will take vertigo to new heights.

          Presently under construction, the airport is scheduled for completion in late 2007.  According to the U.S. Embassy to China, the country will be building 108 new airports between 2004 and 2009 - including this one, the world's largest.  Planned to be open for the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the airport terminal will cover more than 1 million square meters, a larger footprint than the Pentagon.

          It's designed to handle 43 million passengers a year initially and 55 million by 2015.  That will cause it to be one of the top 10 busiest airports.  Because of the scale and traffic, the planners are focussing on making certain that walking distances are short.

          Scheduled for completion in 2008, the Olympic Stadium in Beijing follows the enduring design of Rome's Coliseum, one of the original wonders of the world.  This new design is an attempt to rethink the classic sports-arena layout for more ecologically correct times.

          The Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron (of Tate Modern fame) wanted to provide natural ventilation for the 91,000-seat structure - perhaps the largest "eco-friendly" sports stadium designed to date.  To achieve this, they set out to create a building that could function without a strictly enclosed shell, yet also provide constant shelter for the audience and athletes alike.

          To solve these design problems, they looked to nature for inspiration.  The stadium's outer grid resembles a bird's nest constructed of delicately placed branches and twigs.  Each discrete space within the facility, from restrooms to restaurants, is constructed as an independent unit within the outer lattice.  That makes it possible to encase the entire complex with an open grid that allows for natural air circulation.  The architects have incorporated a layer of translucent membrance to fill any gaps in the lacy exterior.

          Located near Tiananmen Square, the 490,485-square-foot glass-and-titanium National Grand Theater that seems to float above a man-made lake is scheduled to open in 2008.  Intended to stand out amid the Chinese capital's bustling streets and ancient buildings, the structure has garnered criticism among Beijing's citizens for clashing with classic landmarks like the Monument to the People's Heroes (dedicated to revolutionary martyrs), the vast home of the National People's Congress, or Tiananmen Gate itself (the Gate of Heavenly Peace).

          French architect Paul Andreu is no stranger to controversy - or to innovative forms.  A generation ago, in 1974, his untraditional design for Terminal 1 of Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport was criticized for its unusual curves, yet groundbreaking of the futuristic building later was seen to distinguish it from the more generic European and international air hubs.

          The National Grand Theater is as much a spectacle as the productions that will be staged inside in the 2,416-seat opera house, the 2,017-seat concert hall, and the 1,040-seat theater.  At night, the semi-transparent skin will give passersby a glimpse at the performance inside one of the three auditoriums, a feature that highlights the building's public nature.