Discover the Art of Organic Forms and Mirrored Surfaces at The Henderson
In the heart of Hong Kong, nestled between iconic landmarks, The Henderson stands as a testament to architectural innovation. Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, this 200 m tall tower captivates with its organic forms and cutting-edge surfaces. seele proudly contributed its expertise to bring this visionary design to life, from the intricate double-curved glass façades to the polished 3D-bent metal cladding. Every component is a unique masterpiece, crafted with precision to achieve the highest standards of quality and visual excellence.
From Podium to Tower Top
A standout feature made by seele is the 1,210 square metres steel mullion and transom façade spanning levels 3 to 6. This façade integrates double-curved glass panels measuring up to 2 x 5 m, treated with a cutting-edge coating designed to provide effective sun protection, avoid reflections, and ensure high visual quality. Each panel is unique, featuring varying bends and dimensions, and is precisely assembled using double-curved aluminium profiles and a toggle system. A special coating ensures seamless transitions between the mirrored soffits and transparent glass.
In the entrance area, all-glass façades reach impressive heights of up to 11 m. These façades, with their convex bent glass, reflect the building’s organic design. Meanwhile, the opaque areas on the ground floor feature massive columns clad in biaxially formed sheet metal, as well as polished, multi-curved sheets adding a touch of sculptural elegance.
In addition to the podium façade, seele has also delivered the exclusive glass structure crowning the tower. The double-storey banquet hall on the 37th floor showcases a striking 375 square metres structural all-glass façade. Featuring 36 hot-bent glass panes up to 7.60 m long, along with single-curved glass panes on the roof, the design achieves a perfect balance of elegance and strength. Glass beams are seamlessly integrated with a steel structure provided by others, while the six-ply laminated glass ensures resilience against high wind loads. An external sun shading system enhances both comfort and efficiency.
Polished, 3D-bent metal sheet cladding complements the architectural concept, following the convex contours of the building and roof. Integrated LEDs highlight the roof’s design. Additionally, seele was in charge of the north and south post-and-rail façades, which combine glass with perforated metal sheets.
This crowning achievement underlines seele’s expertise in steel-and-glass construction, structural glass, and modular façades, delivering innovative solutions for interfaces with other building elements.
Engineering Excellence by seele
The Banquet Hall at the tower’s crown, with its panoramic all-glass façade and roof, highlights the project’s focus on maximum transparency and innovative design.
seele engineered an 883 square metres all-glass structure, featuring 167 double-curved IGUs for the roof, supported by 119 glass fins. The curved and laminated glass panels, designed for extreme wind loads in a typhoon-prone region, required meticulous planning. Solar control coatings and advanced thermal insulation were seamlessly integrated into the roof design, ensuring both energy efficiency and occupants’ comfort.
The project also included vertical façades with cylindrically curved glass panes, some reaching dimensions of 7.6 x 2.1 m. Through precise prefabrication, seele ensured the seamless integration of glass elements with stainless steel profiles and precise alignment of curved geometries. By employing cutting-edge technologies, the engineering team combined architectural elegance with structural resilience, overcoming challenges such as stringent building codes and the impact of daily wind loads at a height of 200 m.
seele’s expertise plays a pivotal role in the project, addressing the complex demands of façade design and manufacturing. The team tackles advanced BIM processes and intricate data models to fabricate biaxially curved insulating glass panels and three-dimensionally formed metal sheets.
“With its bespoke building skin using cutting-edge technology, The Henderson pushes boundaries in realising 3D geometries”, Michael Seele, Managing Partner, seele hongkong Ltd.
Advanced Testing at seele´s Testing Grounds
To comply with the stringent requirements of Hong Kong’s building regulations, seele conducted comprehensive performance testing for The Henderson at its facility in Germany. The testing programme validated both the structural integrity and the functionality of the innovative façade systems, including full-scale Performance Mock-ups (PMUs).
Key tests included:
- Air and Water Tightness: Evaluation of resistance to air permeability and water penetration.
- Wind Load Testing: Simulated extreme typhoon conditions, applying wind pressures of up to +4.41 kN/square metres and -6.93 kN/square metres.
- Structural Performance: Verified the glass elements’ capacity to withstand 150 % of the design loads.
- Hurricane Simulation: Tested resistance to flying debris under storm conditions.
Testing focused on both vertical façades and roof glazing, which featured six-ply laminated glass for durability. Optical 3D laser scanning was employed for quality assurance, ensuring alignment with precise CAD models. These rigorous processes guaranteed compliance with safety and performance standards, effectively addressing the challenges posed by typhoon-prone environments.