Jubilantly 'werid' wonders

CCTV broadcasting center. Wen Bao / China Daily

When it comes to "weird" buildings, Hong Kong- and New York City-based Chang Bene Design Ltd's principal Christopher Bene says: "China is the winner. Of course, everyone has a different definition of weird."

Chinese Academy of Engineering academian Cheng Taining explains the reason China generates so many offbeat edifices has been a "judgment imbalance".

"These weird buildings are too alienated from basic architectural norms and ... have become super-sized art installations that jump on the desire and vanity bandwagon," Cheng says.

Qingdao Yangtze Architecture architect Sun Cheng says bizarre buildings' proliferation arises from real estate developers' desire to create something that "stands out".

"But their designs often fall prey to cheesy looks ridiculed by the public," Sun says.

"Even with so many critics, the fact that they've become the talk of the day is a big win for those real estate companies."

Brisk development and "huge" investments are the reasons Studio Twist's founder and director Lip Chiong believes "weird" buildings have multiplied.

"There's a constant pressure for each city to build new and striking iconic buildings to stand out and compete for a unique identity, tourism, economy and other aspects that contribute to being a successful city," Lip says.