BEIJING - Workers began tearing down a building constructed by the Benshan Media Group in the compound at Liulaogen Guild Hall on Tuesday, following accusations it has damaged the integrity of the historical site.

On Wednesday afternoon, construction workers could be seen working at the top of the controversial modern building tearing down the roof.

However, managers of the denied any interview requests or any attempts by China Daily reporters to get close the building.

"We only accept guests at the Guild Hall. Requests for interviews or photography are unreasonable," said Meng Xiaoxi, a sales manager with the Benshan Media Group.

The company issued a statement on its official website on Tuesday, saying it had made the decision to remove the building in the wake of the public outcry, but claimed it was never intended as a permanent structure. According to the statement "the building was constructed for the opening ceremony of the Guild Hall and was only intended to be kept for two weeks".

The move has been criticized by Zeng Yizhi, an activist who has been campaigning for the protection of cultural relics for over 13 years, and who had accused the media group of damaging cultural relics by constructing a building in the Jinji Compound, a quadrangle compound that has a 280-year history.

Zeng said the move is destroying the evidence that would prove the Media Group has inflicted damage on the Jinji compound.

In a phone interview with China Daily, she insisted Benshan Media Group did not have the right to demolish the controversial building.

"This morning I saw the statement by the Benshan Media Group on their website and I was so shocked at their flagrant disrespect for the law," Zeng said.

"The relevant departments are still investigating the case, the company could be accused of destroying evidence by doing this, and the relic protection authority should stop them immediately," Zeng said, citing national regulations on relic protection.

Yin Jun, an official of Beijing's cultural heritage commission, said that the commission has asked the cultural relics committee of Dongcheng district to investigate the case.

The Jinji compound was the only quadrangle compound of the six compounds upon which the Liulaogen Guild Hall was constructed that has been listed as a cultural artifact under the protection of Dongcheng district.

The construction of Liulaogen Guild Hall took about two years and has been criticized for destroying old quadrangle compounds.