Developer overcame problems to install curved glass panels that were heat and typhoon resistant, among other green and energy-saving features
When Kevin Ng Shu-keung inspected the mock-up of a curved glass panel in 2019 to be mass-produced for the facade of The Henderson , a grade A commercial tower in Hong Kong, he was shocked to discover its flaws.
The geometrically complex glass panels had never been used in Hong Kong before and his team had to put them through rounds of tests and trials at a residential construction site in Sham Shui Po, said Ng, senior deputy general manager of project management at property giant Henderson Land.
It took his team and partners another year or so to iron out the issues with the glass panels, along with other setbacks throughout the six years of construction, before The Henderson was completed in 2024.
“We went through many setbacks, but we squarely faced the problems and resolved them instead of chickening out,” Ng said in an interview.
The team’s efforts were recognised earlier this month when The Henderson won three prizes, including World’s Best Property, at the UK-based International Property Awards, a prestigious global award in real estate development, architecture and design.
“I still recall the first question my boss asked when we chose the Zaha Hadid Architects design scheme in 2017: ‘Can this be realised?’” Ng said as he paid tribute to his team and their partners.
The Henderson was chosen from a shortlist of 911 properties around the world. It was also recognised as the Best International Commercial High-Rise Development and Best Commercial High-Rise Development Asia-Pacific. The building is the flagship project of Henderson Land, which marked its 50th anniversary this year.
Hong Kong did well in the awards, with two other developers securing top prizes in the Asia-Pacific category.
The 83 King Lam Street and 83 Wing Hong Street twin-tower office building in Cheung Sha Wan by New World Development was also a Best Commercial High-Rise Development winner.
The Lee Garden Eight office, retail and community complex in Causeway Bay by Hysan Development won the Best Sustainable Commercial Development Hong Kong and Best Mixed-Use Development awards.
The Post has contacted New World and Hysan for comment.
The success of Hong Kong’s developers belies a slump in the city’s office rental market.
According to a property consultancy’s latest research report, Hong Kong’s office rentals are expected to contract by 4.5 per cent in the coming year, even as overall rental trends show signs of stabilisation across the Asia-Pacific region following two years of decline.
The Henderson occupies the site of a former multi-storey car park on Murray Road, which was the world’s most expensive piece of land when Henderson Land bought it for HK$23.28 billion (US$2.99 billion) in 2017.
The building has a current occupancy rate of 90 per cent, but when it was launched in 2024, the city’s office market was in a slump.
Ng explained that some of The Henderson’s tenants, including those from North America, took into consideration how the building helped reduce carbon emissions as part of their businesses’ commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles.
“For example, we give tenants the option to open windows based on real-time local weather information through automation enabled by our customised office app if they want to cut down energy consumption,” he said.
“This, we think, is the best way to create a paradigm shift for like-minded tenants to achieve carbon neutrality together.”
Energy consumption in Hong Kong and building safety considerations are shaped by the city’s hot and humid summers, frequent severe typhoons and heavy rainstorms.
Ng said the curved glass facade of The Henderson, made up of 4,000 pieces manufactured in Germany, was designed to minimise glare and thermal effects while offering strong resistance against typhoons and storms.
“We built the facade resilience concept into the glass panels after Super Typhoon Mangkhut caused devastating damage in 2018,” he said.
