Star architects eye Beijing skyline
But an international jury chose it overwhelmingly over finalists from China and Japan.
"Chinese very much think in images and compare buildings to animals and to landscape and to other forms of nature，" Jacques Herzog told Reuters by e-mail. "Fortunately， the Chinese identified some of that in our design."
The pick was no accident， said Zhang and others. Just as Chinese jet setters yearn to drive BMWs and their wives covet Louis Vuitton bags， a new generation of city planners have stacked juries in hopes of landing brand names.
Ultimately， the Communist Party elite reserves the right to veto.
"From the leadership point of view， it shows how much they want to show their openness，" said Wu， a dissenting member of the Koolhaas panel. "So I'm a little worried.