Henderson Land’s latest building combines innovative, human-centred design with state-of-the-art sustainability features
- The Henderson is the developer’s blueprint for future buildings, with features that improve its internal environment and enhance the user experience
- The company says the building will add to Hong Kong’s legacy of world-class architecture and design when it is completed later this year
[Sponsored article]
Hong Kong is renowned for its striking skyline: a parade of iconic buildings designed by prestigious architects from around the world. From the Bank of China’s modernist, triangular prism, created by I.M. Pei, to the inside-out architectural style of HSBC’s Central headquarters that established Sir Norman Foster as a global architectural phenomenon, the city’s central business district (CBD) is home to a series of architectural masterpieces that have gained international acclaim.
The transformation of the city’s skyline reflects Hong Kong’s metamorphosis from a humble fishing village into a global financial centre. The addition of a new landmark building in its CBD is set to add to the city’s legacy of world-class buildings conceived by internationally renowned architects.
A new icon
Dubbed “an icon amongst icons” by Henderson Land, The Henderson has a prime position in Central. The development is located in the historical heart of the city, rubbing shoulders with the Court of Final Appeal – a neo-classical reminder of the beginning of Hong Kong’s rule of law – and connected by pedestrian walkways to nearby green spaces including Chater Garden, Lambeth Walk Rest Garden and Hong Kong Park.
As Henderson Land’s new flagship commercial development, the building adds to Hong Kong Island’s dramatic skyline. Designed by world-renowned architectural firm Zaha Hadid Architects – responsible for contemporary landmarks such as Italy’s Maxxi National Museum of 21st Century Arts, the Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar (one of the stadiums which hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup) and the curved, “exoskeleton” design of Miami’s One Thousand Museum tower – The Henderson embodies the developer’s aspiration to write a new chapter in its vision to build a legacy.
Zaha Hadid Architects is well-known for its curvilinear structures, and The Henderson’s design is inspired by the bud of the Bauhinia blakeana flower, the symbol of Hong Kong. The 36-storey super Grade A office tower, which has an additional five basement levels, boasts a spectacular glass facade made from more than 4,000 curved glass panels.
Due for completion later this year, The Henderson is not only visually arresting but also represents a new benchmark of employing smart technology to enhance the quality of life of its users, in line with the company’s philosophy of building its business around people.
Future-proofing the workplace
The development deploys smart technology to oversee many of its operations, and includes a number of patented, technological firsts in line with the developer’s people-centric philosophy.
Among the technological firsts, The Henderson includes a glass rooftop feature, which has been described as a feat of modern engineering. The eight-metre (26-foot) clear glass ceiling “floats” over a column-free banquet hall, offering panoramic views of the city.
The development also has rooftop solar panels that support a patented solar-responsive ventilator system that adjusts the temperature of peripheral office floor areas according to the time of day.
Patented technology and Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities help operate the building’s energy-saving facilities, including real-time weather monitoring that precisely calibrates an interior climate control system and adjusts the temperature of indoor areas.
As part of its future-proofing philosophy, Henderson Land carried out a climate risk assessment that took into account the increasing number of extreme weather events, rising sea levels and flooding. In view of this, The Henderson features a four-ply, double-laminated and double-curved insulated glass facade – the first of its kind in Hong Kong – to protect it from high temperatures and weather events such as super typhoons.
A leader in sustainability
Henderson Land has long recognised that its success as a developer is fundamentally intertwined with the well-being of the communities in which it operates. As an established market leader, it places a strong emphasis on innovating and designing sustainable properties.
The Henderson uses low-carbon building materials and incorporates a wide range of sustainability elements, including rooftop solar panels to power the building’s facilities, smart lifts with a regenerative function that recovers braking energy to power operations, and high-efficiency lighting. In addition, smart technology optimises energy savings in functions including a centralised chiller plant, air-conditioning and LED lighting that responds to the time of day. Together, these features are expected to lead to a 26 per cent reduction in energy consumption.
The building also incorporates technology that reduces water consumption by 30 per cent, and uses recycled rainwater for irrigation. It houses workspaces and other areas that engender a feeling of hospitality; those within can control their workplace environment through smart office apps, with features including automatic window blinds, zonal thermal controls and circadian lighting for offices.
Henderson Land has also taken a lead in environmental, social and governance (ESG) measures by launching an industry-first Landlord-Individual-Tenant (LIT) ESG Partnership Programme, a three-way collaboration that engages not only corporate tenants of The Henderson, but also their individual employees in pursuing ambitious, data-driven sustainability goals.
The development has already received the Grand Award in the New Buildings category for Projects Under Construction and/or Design – Commercial from the Hong Kong Green Building Award 2021. It has also achieved seven platinum building accreditations for green, smart and health designations, including a BEAM Plus Provisional Platinum certification from Hong Kong’s Building Environmental Assessment Method, and Platinum pre-certifications for core and shell from both the International Well Building Institute (WELL) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). In addition, The Henderson has attained WiredScore and SmartScore Platinum certifications, which recognise digitally connected and technologically advanced smart buildings, respectively. The building has also achieved three-star ratings from both the China Healthy Building Design Label and the China Green Building Design Label.
High standards of sustainability are also built into the landlord provisions offered to tenants to help them achieve their own ESG targets through international and local accreditation systems, supported by the LIT ESG Partnership Programme implemented in The Henderson.
The company believes The Henderson will be a blueprint for future buildings. It reflects the emphasis the developer places on innovation and creating equilibrium in its spaces, as part of its vision to build a better future and add value to local communities.