‘If it looks strange, it sparks discussion’: why new Hong Kong skyscraper The Henderson, in Central, was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects to appear ‘soft’

  • The 36-storey tower is meant to be a new icon that stands up to the famous towers nearby and counteracts the Bank of China Tower’s supposedly negative feng shui
  • ZHA director Sara Klomps talks about the building’s design, including how it extends the lushness of nearby Chater Garden and does the surrounding area justice

It’s impossible to ignore The Henderson.

As curvaceous as its neighbours are angular, the nearly complete 36-storey tower in Hong Kong’s Central business district, on the site of the former Murray Road Multi-storey Car Park, occupies a commanding position on the eastern edge of Chater Garden.

The building’s developer, Henderson Land, compares the appearance of the 190m/623ft-tall tower designed by Zaha Hadid Architects to the layers of a bauhinia bud. And it’s that form factor that has so far garnered the most attention.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

Online observers have been predictably snarky. One comment posted to an article in design magazine Dezeen compared it to a stack of drinks cans; another likened it to the tailpipe of a car.

“I can’t help thinking this would never have met the intellectual and design rigour Zaha Hadid bestowed on the practice’s work,” read a harsh pronouncement. (Since Hadid’s death in 2016, her firm has carried the torch.)

‘if it looks strange, it sparks discussion’: why new hong kong skyscraper the henderson, in central, was designed by zaha hadid architects to appear ‘soft’

Developer Henderson Land compares The Henderson’s appearance to the layers of a bauhinia bud. Photo: Paul Buck

When Henderson Land paid HK$23.3 billion (US$3 billion) for the old car park in 2017 – making it the world’s most expensive piece of land at the time, according to some reports – it wanted a new icon that could stand up to the many famous towers nearby, from Cesar Pelli’s Two IFC to Norman Foster’s HSBC Building.

It also wanted something that could counteract the supposedly negative feng shui of I.M. Pei’s shard-like Bank of China Tower, which stands across Queensway from The Henderson.

3 floors, balcony, terrace – Nordic look makes the most of Hong Kong flat

It chose ZHA after a competition.

“The brief said this has to be a very soft building,” says Sara Klomps, a director at ZHA. “It has to offset the ‘angleness’ of the I.M. Pei tower. Luckily we do a lot of soft buildings.”

‘if it looks strange, it sparks discussion’: why new hong kong skyscraper the henderson, in central, was designed by zaha hadid architects to appear ‘soft’

Henderson Land wanted The Henderson (left) to counteract the supposedly negative feng shui of the neighbouring Bank of China Tower (centre). Photo: Virgile Simon Bertrand

That is something Hadid became famous for as she built up her practice with partner Patrik Schumacher. As early adopters of digital parametric design – which uses computer algorithms to create forms – they created buildings with sweeping curves that threw off the hard edges of modern architecture. Several ZHA buildings have been described in gendered terms.

“The appeal of her work lies partly at least in the sense that they embody a unique female personality,” noted The Guardian in an editorial published after Hadid’s death.

“She resisted gender stereotyping but it is not demeaning to insist that her work will always be seen as voluptuously feminine.”

‘if it looks strange, it sparks discussion’: why new hong kong skyscraper the henderson, in central, was designed by zaha hadid architects to appear ‘soft’

The Henderson was designed to look

There is certainly something organic in the undulating form of The Henderson’s glass facade. But this wasn’t simply done to be “soft” in the face of its more angular neighbours.

“We wanted the public realm to remain open and basically float the building above it,” Klomps says. “Instead of having just offices or a mall where it’s this anonymous, could-be-anywhere space, we have several levels where you can go, have a coffee or something, and it’s part of the public realm.”

Can anything save 3 historic Hong Kong villages from the wrecking ball?

There will be a landscaped drop-off point on the ground floor, but most people will access the building from the footbridge level one floor up.

“The land lease came with the condition of three footbridges crossing the site. They had to be maintained. We could have done a typical Hong Kong-style mall, but we found that very difficult to navigate,” Klomps says.

“When you walk along the footbridges you find it easy to see where you are but when you enter a mall you get lost – at least I do.”

‘if it looks strange, it sparks discussion’: why new hong kong skyscraper the henderson, in central, was designed by zaha hadid architects to appear ‘soft’

Achieving transparency with The Henderson’s curved glass facade was challenging. Photo: Virgile Simon Bertrand

Instead, they had the idea of extending the lush ambience of Chater Garden into the building.

“Given the very green surroundings, we didn’t want to cut the city off from the park. We want this to be a building that feels like it’s a part of the park,” Klomps says.

The tower’s mirrored facade curves into a third-floor, double-height public space to reflect the greenery.

“There’s an extensive amount of planting,” Klomps says. “There are trees where, if you’re walking on the footbridges and they’re fully matured, you’ll be walking in the treetops.”

‘if it looks strange, it sparks discussion’: why new hong kong skyscraper the henderson, in central, was designed by zaha hadid architects to appear ‘soft’

The Henderson occupies the former site of the Murray Road Multi-storey Car Park. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Adding to the sense of openness is an offset core, which is to say the main column that contains all the building’s services, including lifts and stairwells, is in a corner rather than the centre of the tower.

This gives office tenants sweeping views of the city, but Klomps says it also has the advantage of keeping the third-floor public space from feeling like an office lobby.

It also provides the opportunity for a large, unobstructed space on the rooftop for events.

“Like the ground floor it’s very transparent to offer a view across the city,” Klomps says.

We wouldn’t have done [the surrounding towers] justice if we had done just a normal building Sara Klomps, director, ZHA

Achieving transparency with a curved glass facade wasn’t easy.

“There’s a lot of curved and double curved glass,” Klomps says, with the building’s undulating form making for unusual shapes.

“If it’s not curved properly you can’t see through it properly. Henderson Land basically invited every large glass manufacturer out there, anyone with the capacity to produce this extent of glass.”

‘if it looks strange, it sparks discussion’: why new hong kong skyscraper the henderson, in central, was designed by zaha hadid architects to appear ‘soft’

Two suppliers manufactured the glass for the building. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Two suppliers were chosen: German glass specialist Seele, which manufactured the roof structure and lower levels, whose curves were the most technically complex; and Hong Kong-based Far East, which dealt with all the floors in between.

The result is a building unlikely to leave anyone unmoved, whether they like it or not.

“You can do an ordinary building that doesn’t stand out and nobody will notice. But if it looks strange, it sparks discussion. I guess it’s the human condition,” Klomps says.

“Some of us don’t deal well with doing something which is not typical. Why is that? I guess it’s possible there’s a thought that if you’re going to do something like that, the next building will be even more crazy. It’s a fear.”

‘if it looks strange, it sparks discussion’: why new hong kong skyscraper the henderson, in central, was designed by zaha hadid architects to appear ‘soft’

The Henderson (centre) is surrounded by the Cheung Kong Center II (to its left), the Cheung Kong Center (far left), and the Bank of China Tower (right). Photo: Yik Yeung-man

She notes the very distinctive context in which The Henderson now stands. There are historic landmarks such as the Court of Final Appeal Building and original Bank of China Building; modernist icons including James Kinoshita’s Jardine House; and quirky postmodern towers like Paul Rudolph’s Lippo Centre, with its angular protrusions that have drawn comparisons with koalas climbing a tree.

“These are all icons for historic or architectural reasons,” Klomps says. “So you make something very special that stands out in a way but also blends into this group of special buildings. We wouldn’t have done them justice if we had done just a normal building.”

More Articles from SCMP

SCMP Best Bets: Unicorn looks the real deal at Happy Valley

Could Hong Kong visa scheme for Shenzhen residents resurrect parallel trading?

Who is Kim Kardashian’s glamorous grandma, Mary Jo Campbell, aka ‘MJ’? Kris Jenner’s 89-year-old mum was a model who has been married thrice, appeared on KUTWK, and owned a kid’s clothing store

Nano flats a big blot on Hong Kong’s reputation

This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

News Related

OTHER NEWS

Paul Hosford: Helen McEntee's future depends on the streets of Dublin remaining peaceful

Paul Hosford: Helen McEntee’s future depends on the streets of Dublin remaining peaceful The issue of policing in Dublin has been thrown into sharp focus following the horrific stabbing of ... Read more »

Five hospitalised following 'serious' two vehicle road traffic collision

The collision occurred on Monday morning. (stock image) Five people have been hospitalised following a two vehicle road traffic collision on Monday. Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to the collision, ... Read more »

Challenge: Try to find the hidden cat in a very old building

Challenge: Try to find the hidden cat in a very old building (Photo: Reproduction/Reddit) Only people with advanced observation skills can identify the hidden cat in this very old building. ... Read more »

Man arrested following suspected cocaine seizure in Galway worth €56,000

A man has been arrested following a seizure of cocaine with a value of €56,000 in Galway on Sunday evening. Gardaí seized the drugs during a search at a residence ... Read more »

Parkinson's Disease Warning Signs: What To Look Out For

generic doctor image Overview A chronic and progressive movement disorder that initially causes tremor in one hand, stiffness or slowing of movement. Symptoms If you or someone you know is ... Read more »

Man caught with over €1M worth of cocaine in van has jail time doubled in appeal

A man who was caught with over €1 million in cocaine in a “sophisticated” operation where the drugs were hidden in a modified compartment in his van has had his ... Read more »

Fine Gael TD Fergus O'Dowd announces he will stand down after the next General Election

File image of Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd. FINE GAEL TD Fergus O’Dowd has announced that he will stand down at the next General Election. O’Dowd started his political career ... Read more »
Top List in the World