The Henderson, Hong Kong: an exceptional commercial landmark.

Experience stunning views without solar gain, lifts that know you’re waiting, and the freshest, cleanest air at Hong Kong’s newest icon

The Henderson is the first commercial project designed by Zaha Hadid Architects in Hong Kong. With the world watching, Henderson Land Development planned The Henderson as a super Grade-A commercial landmark that would break new records for occupier experience.

As the project’s MEP engineer, WSP was responsible for the hidden systems that would make The Henderson somewhere people loved to be – a place they are not only proud to belong, but where they feel at their best.

Our role was to translate our client’s high ambitions on sustainability, wellbeing, smart technology and climate resilience into a design that would deliver all this, with maximum efficiency while taking up the minimum possible space.

The Henderson has been recognized internationally for the team’s use of advanced construction technologies, with all members collaborating to create a “digital twin” of the completed tower. So far, the project has won four awards for its use of building information modelling, including one of the top prizes at the 2022 buildingSMART international OpenBIM Awards, beating 21 finalists from 14 countries.

Location

Hong Kong, China

Architect

Zaha Hadid Architects

Project Status

Completed

Accreditations:

Quality Building Award 2024 - Grand Award and Innovative Project Award

No one tells you how to lead the market. You have to somehow understand what people are thinking and design something that will exceed their expectations when it is completed. That drives us to think differently

Kevin Ng Henderson Land Development

Kevin Ng Henderson Land Development

An intelligent lift that responds to human behaviour

For more than 20 years, high-rise buildings have relied on destination control systems (DCS) to respond to passenger calls and route lift cars most efficiently. But what if passengers don’t call the lift?

“If there are five people waiting, they need to press the button five times, or the system can’t work properly,” explains Executive Director, Building MEP and Sustainability, Kenneth Li. This results in frustration and delays for those waiting, and for those whose journey is halted unnecessarily.

At The Henderson, our vertical transportation team designed the world’s first AI-enabled control system, integrating video analysis to count the people in each car and lift lobby. It’s also completely contactless: passengers can use their smart devices to communicate with the system, so there is no need to touch anything from the moment they arrive at the building until they reach their destination.

Transporting people, not pathogens

Occupants in The Henderson will breathe very fresh air, cleaned by a sophisticated filtration system that includes UV disinfection and electrostatic purification. Smart sensors throughout the building will assess indoor climate, air quality and occupation levels, and the automated building management system will respond in real time to maintain an optimum environment.

But what about the lifts, a potential vector for spreading airborne infection between floors?

WSP has been involved in the design and implementation of a patented ventilation and filtration system that will continuously monitor and sterilize the air inside the lift cars. “Everyone will take the lift before they arrive at their own floor, so we use the lift cars as disinfection pods,” explains Li.

TALL

190 m

STORIES

36

GROSS FLOOR AREA

43,200 m²

Blocking the heat of the sun - without blocking the view

The Henderson’s architectural glazing offers stunning views and maximum daylight throughout the floorplates. The challenge for the MEP design was how to keep the perimeter spaces comfortable against the heat of the sun.

The solution is another patented technology called solar responsive ventilator, which creates an air cushion on the interior side of the curtain wall glazing to combat the solar heat gain. The system is automated and operates only when needed, powered by clean energies from photovoltaic panels installed on the roof.

“That’s the magic of this particular system,” says Li. “We created an air cushion to make people more comfortable, without blocking the view.”

Using water from the sky, not from the ground

The Henderson’s super-high-performance chillers don’t draw on Hong Kong’s scarce water resources. Instead, the cooling medium is air. This means that natural ventilation can be used to reduce demand in milder seasons, as there is much less risk that bacteria can build up during downtime with air-based systems. Efficiency is further increased by using a liquid desiccant to remove moisture, all combining to deliver an energy saving of 37% for the ventilation system.

To irrigate The Henderson’s extensive planting and for other uses such as flushing toilets, rainwater will be collected and stored in a tank within the entrance ceiling – reducing irrigation water consumption by 50% against the LEED baseline.

Stand-out features

Experience

AI-enabled lifts respond automatically to user behavior

Lift car ventilation prevents the spread of disease by neutralizing pathogens

Technological innovation

Daylight penetrates deep into floorplates through floor-to-ceiling architectural glass

Perimeter seating is comfortable even in the hottest sun with solar responsive ventilation

Balance with nature

Indoor environment continuously optimized by a smart building management system

Hybrid cooling maximizes natural ventilation and reduces energy demand

Social value

Publicly accessible urban oasis, with sheltered courtyards filled with trees and planting

Irrigated by rainwater stored in a giant tank within the entrance ceiling

Meet the Visioneers

With more than 30 years’ experience in his industry, Kenneth Li has overseen many major mechanical and electrical engineering systems projects, from commercial complexes and super high rise buildings to industrial and railway infrastructure.

Because this was such a prime site, we had to accommodate all of the MEP plant in the most efficient way. To better utilise valuable spaces, we needed to use 4D modelling from the very early stages to coordinate all the disciplines

Kenneth Li WSP Executive Director, Building MEP and Sustainability

Kenneth Li WSP Executive Director, Building MEP and Sustainability