Beijing hotel tower destroyed

Onlookers gather as an unfinished Beijing hotel catches fire amid a holiday fireworks celebration marking the Lunar New Year. The unoccupied site of a future Mandarin Oriental hotel caught fire sometime before 9 p.m. local time. The hotel, which was due to open this year, lies just north of Chinese Central Television’s striking new headquarters building, also nearing the end of construction. (Andy Wong / Associated Press)

Sept. 16, 2014 11:35 AM PT

An unfinished hotel tower in Beijing’s China Central Television complex is engulfed in flames. The 520-foot-high tower was intended to house a luxury Mandarin Oriental hotel. (Oliver Weiken / EPA)

Firefighters at the scene of a spectacular blaze in downtown Beijing in which a hotel tower was destroyed. The tower was part of architect Rem Koolhaas’ new headquarters for China Central Television, scheduled to open later this year and already an iconic part of the city’s skyline. (Oliver Weiken / EPA)

Bystanders watch as the unfinished Mandarin Oriental hotel tower is engulfed in flames in Beijing. Witnesses said the fire started before 9 p.m. amid a fireworks celebration for the Lunar New Year. The hotel tower was part of a complex designed by architect Rem Koolhaas. (Adrian Bradshaw / EPA)

Fire gutted the hotel tower in Beijing, though the main part of the new headquarters complex for China Central Television did not appear to be damaged. (Oliver Weiken / EPA)