editorial

This curvaceous downtown skyscraper mingles art, commerce, and high-profile cuisine.
<figure id="attachment_148920" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-148920" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-148920 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Henderson-Hong-Kong-Akira-Back-Main-Dining-Room-Building-Exterior.jpeg" alt="The main dining room at Akira Back Hong Kong; The Henderson’s west facade." width="1200" height="795" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Henderson-Hong-Kong-Akira-Back-Main-Dining-Room-Building-Exterior.jpeg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Henderson-Hong-Kong-Akira-Back-Main-Dining-Room-Building-Exterior-300x199.jpeg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Henderson-Hong-Kong-Akira-Back-Main-Dining-Room-Building-Exterior-1024x678.jpeg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Henderson-Hong-Kong-Akira-Back-Main-Dining-Room-Building-Exterior-768x509.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-148920" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: The main dining room at Akira Back Hong Kong; The Henderson’s west facade. (All photos courtesy of The Henderson)</figcaption></figure>
Ever since Henderson Land, one of <a href="https://destinasian.com/travel-guide/hong-kong" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hong Kong</a>’s largest developers, paid a record US$3 billion in 2017 for a small but coveted site in Central, locals have speculated about the building to come. Nearby are some of the most famed high-rises in a city swarming with skyscrapers, including I.M. Pei’s iconic, 367-meter Bank of China Tower.
But bigger isn’t always better. Instead, Zaha Hadid Architects was tapped to produce a sinuous 190-meter glass tower packed with art and innovation. Named <a href="https://www.thehenderson.com.hk/?DestinAsian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Henderson</a>, the 36-story structure—with an organic, flowing form inspired by the bud of a bauhinia flower, Hong Kong’s floral emblem—features column-free interiors with 3.5-meter ceilings and vast open floors that quickly attracted A-list tenants such as Audemars Piguet and Christie’s Asian headquarters.
In September, the public flocked to the debut of <a href="https://akirabackhk.com/?DestinAsian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Akira Back</a>, the first of three planned dining and entertainment venues. Named for the American-Korean chef behind two dozen restaurants from Las Vegas to London, it unfolds within a curving nest of gold, yellow, and bronze designed by local studio AB Concept. Standout dishes include Back’s signature 48-hour wagyu short ribs, a refined take on Korean classic galbi jjim.
The Henderson’s exceptional art is headlined by Balloon Swan, a bright-red stainless-steel work by Jeff Koons. Set in front of soaring picture windows in the third-floor lobby, it overlooks an art park dotted with other sculptures and installations.
Crowning it all is <a href="https://www.thehenderson.com.hk/cloud39/?DestinAsian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cloud 39</a>, with a huge all-glass ballroom and terrace that overlook Victoria Harbour. And there’s more to come: the floor below will soon offer Japanese kappo cuisine, terroir-driven cocktails, and elevated (in every sense) plant-based cuisine.
<figure id="attachment_148922" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-148922" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-148922" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Henderson-Hong-Kong-Cloud-39-VIP-Lounge.jpg" alt="The VIP Lounge at Cloud 39." width="1200" height="955" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-148922" class="wp-caption-text">The VIP Lounge at Cloud 39.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_148921" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-148921" style="width: 1500px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-148921 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Henderson-Hong-Kong-Cloud-39-Terrace.jpeg" alt="Overlooking Victoria Harbour from Cloud 39’s terrace." width="1500" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-148921" class="wp-caption-text">Overlooking Victoria Harbour from Cloud 39’s terrace.</figcaption></figure>
This article originally appeared in the <a href="https://subscription.destinasian.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">October/November 2025</a> print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Leveling Up”). Buy a single issue or subscribe <a href="https://subscription.destinasian.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Overlooking Victoria Harbour from the terrace at Cloud 39.

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