“Visitors experience a seamless connection between inside and outside.”

Link to the film about the story of Sara Klomps.

The ferry glides gently across the water from Hong Kong Island toward the metropolis's business center. Sara Klomps stands at the railing, gazing at the silhouette of the skyscrapers, her small backpack slung over her shoulder and her cellphone in her hand. The pinging sounds from her phone constantly remind the architect that there are still details to be worked out before her project is completed and the official opening of The Henderson, scheduled for 2026. 

“That's how it works here, always on the cutting edge,” she says with a smile, looking at her cellphone screen and typing as she continues talking. “There's a lot of texting; my entire project is literally running on WhatsApp. I'm almost always on my cellphone.”

Sara gets off the ferry and jumps straight into a taxi to get to The Henderson quickly. She has a lot to do today: the layout of a floor that is still empty has to be decided. Not all the counters are in the place she has planned for them. In the afternoon, there is a meeting with suppliers. After that, she has conferences with the Zaha Hadid office in London. Unexpected appointments always crop up. It is going to be another long day and Sara is constantly on the go. 

The project has already cost her many sleepless nights, but it is a price she is happy to pay. “It's always exciting to work on such a unique building. In Asia, customers love innovation. They often want smart architecture. And they want buildings that stand out, something that has never been done before. That's fantastic for architects. It helps us realize our visions, of course.” She pauses briefly, smiles, and adds: “In Europe, people tend to be cautious about new things at first. Here, it's the opposite. That gives me a lot of freedom, which I really enjoy.”

She gets out of the taxi at 2 Murray Road. This is where the real estate company Henderson Land Development bought the plot of land in 2017 on which The Henderson, with its curved glass façade, now stands. At the time, it was the most expensive building site in the world. This was partly because of its highly sought-after location – right in the heart of Hong Kong, with an unobstructed view of Chater Garden, the largest park in the otherwise extremely dense city center. 

For a moment, you could almost forget that you are surrounded by buildings and façades in Chater Garden. A path leads past old trees, landscaped gardens, a waterfall, and fountains. It is the ideal place to take a break – for businesspeople working in the surrounding bank and office buildings, for tourists who want to recover from the hustle and bustle of the city, and for senior citizens who traditionally meet in the green space to practice tai chi. This peaceful green outdoor area flows seamlessly into the spacious public areas inside The Henderson. 

The reflections of the surroundings in the curved, exceptionally precise façade emphasize the seamless connection between the garden, the city, and the interior of the building. The connection to the context played a central role in the design of The Henderson. The team at Zaha Hadid developed a creative idea for this: they raised the building on curved stilts to preserve as much of the existing public space under the building as possible. This allows visitors to be guided from Chater Garden into the publicly accessible area of The Henderson.

Sara walks from the park toward the building and is very pleased with the implementation of the design: “It's a magnificent sight when you look up from the park toward the sky and see the organically shaped silhouette of the building in front of you. Visitors can experience how the boundaries between outside and inside are connected and dissolved.”

Sara joined Zaha Hadid Architects in Hong Kong in November 2017. At that point, the German architect was already a multiple award winner. Almost 20 years earlier, shortly after graduating in Karlsruhe, she joined the London office of Zaha Hadid Architects. This gave her the opportunity to implement challenging projects and unconventional ideas. 

As part of the team led by the famous founder Zaha Hadid, Sara has driven the development and rise of the company to become one of the world's leading architectural firms. In the London office, she played a key role in the design and implementation of award-winning buildings, such as the National Museum of 21st Century Arts Maxxi in Rome, the Phaneo Science Center with its experimental landscape in Wolfsburg, and the London Aquatics Centre, an important venue for the 2012 Olympic Games.

The Henderson joins this series of architectural masterpieces. People move seamlessly across walkways between the building and the park. An escalator leads to the third floor and the breathtaking lobby with panoramic views, shimmering walls, and light objects that look like works of art. Making this lobby public–  with seating areas, art exhibitions, cafés, and restaurants –  was an important decision and a central aspect of their design for The Henderson, says Sara Klomps: “We have created a new place for the public to come together and enjoy.”

From here, smart technology automatically opens sensor gates, doors, and elevator entrances for everyone who works here or has an appointment or reservation at the rooftop restaurant – controlled only by cellphones or access cards. Part of this concept are the seamless and secure access solutions from dormakaba. Security for access to the office floors was very important to the client. 

“Once access authorization has been checked, visitors can enjoy a seamless journey through the building,” explains Sara. The design of The Henderson already envisaged that seamless movement within the building should be possible. No stopping, no waiting, no hesitation – everything flows. After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, this idea became even more important. Visitors can now go from the parking lot to the roof terrace without touching a single surface.

The building will officially open in 2026. Sara is delighted with the successful completion of her project and celebrated with her team and other stakeholders in March 2025. “Finishing something in life is always a strange moment – on the one hand you're sad, but at the same time you're happy because you've done it,” says Sara. She looks to the future with confidence and curiosity: “There will always be another challenging project that will inspire me.”


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