Access Solutions at The Henderson | dormakaba

The Henderson is a 36-story landmark in Hong Kong’s Central district, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. With its curved glass façade and elevated structure, the tower integrates public space, cultural facilities, and premium offices in one of the world’s densest urban centers.

A central design goal was to ensure uninterrupted, touch-free movement throughout the building – from park to lobby, and from parking to rooftop. To achieve this, dormakaba supported Zaha Hadid Architects to integrate advanced access solutions into the architectural vision.

The Challenge

• Seamless flow: Visitors should move intuitively through the building without bottlenecks, waiting, or manual interactions.
• High security: Office tenants required strong access control without compromising user experience.
• Pandemic resilience: The design had to accommodate touch-free, hygienic circulation in light of COVID-19.
• Architectural integration: Access solutions needed to complement the building’s organic design without disrupting its aesthetic.

dormakaba’s Contribution

• Smart access solutions: Doors, gates, and elevators operate automatically via smartphones or access cards.
• Touchless access solutions: Employees and visitors can move from underground parking directly to office floors or the rooftop restaurant without touching a surface.
• Smart scalability: Solutions are adaptable to different user groups – tenants, visitors, service staff, and the public.
• Aesthetic alignment: Systems were customized to blend seamlessly into the architecture, maintaining ZHA’s design intent.

Results

• User experience: A smooth, uninterrupted journey enhances the perception of The Henderson as an innovative and welcoming building.
• Safety & hygiene: Touch-free systems align with post-pandemic expectations for health-conscious environments.
• Security: Controlled access ensures that public, semi-public, and private zones are clearly defined yet fluidly connected.
• Architectural synergy: dormakaba’s technology supported ZHA’s vision of “flow” – both in form and in movement.