Amidst the dozens of new buildings that grace the Beijing skyline on a daily basis, one particular construction in Wangjing— which is adjacent to 798 and Caochangdi, and the home of both the Central Academy of Fine Arts and a great number of artists— has received considerable attention in the Weibo-sphere. Officials have called it the “key” to the area’s “labyrinthine curse.” ¹

The image above was taken by artist Jiang Pengyi on LEAP’s invitation.

@Chaoyang: “Claims that the structure in question is a reproduction of the World Expo China Pavilion are being verified by the Wangjing Sub-District Office. For now, the answer is the following: the original hope for the construction of the landmark in Wangjing was that it could facilitate residents and passersby to orient themselves, especially those who do not often go to Wangjing.”

1 Ed. note: Wangjing is infamous for its zigzag layout, which has been known to leave even the most adept of Beijing taxi drivers confused at times.