Inside a Zaha Hadid tower in Hong Kong, Studio Paolo Ferrari has designed a bar with futuristic influences

Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the Henderson Tower's curved glass walls, inspired by orchid buds, make it look more like a fluid organism rising from the ground than a skyscraper in Hong Kong's hyper-dense Central Business District skyline. It is therefore no surprise that even inside the building, the ordinary gives way to wonder. This is evident at the Peridot Bar on the 38th floor, designed by Studio Paolo Ferrari, which resembles a spatial 'cocoon' grafted onto the tower rather than a lounge bar. In keeping with the fluid dynamism of the building's exterior, the interior design reflects and reinterprets its sinuous geometries. Futuristic elements intertwine with references to the past, creating a space-time paradox through a deliberately cinematic vocabulary. The result is a space suspended between an interstellar station and a bygone smoking room. 

This approach aims to reinvent the traditional bar through new expressive codes, which Ferrari defines as 'Romantic Futurism'. “Each of us experiences a tension between the desire for the past, which brings us comfort, and the enthusiasm, energy and wonder aroused by the new,” says the designer. “Timeless Futurism is the paradox of tomorrow.” Inside, the space seems to 'flow' between cavernous and luminescent environments. Curved surfaces, resembling sedimented crystals, interact with pixelated light patterns that evoke astral constellations, referencing minimalist and conceptual art. Light installations composed of satin-finished acrylic cylinders topped with steel elements diffuse a soft, enveloping light. The olive green walls and ceilings are seamlessly interconnected as if shaped by invisible forces and enclose spaces with a dreamy, muffled atmosphere. The tactile material palette — from mohair seating to mirror-lacquered furnishings and sculpted niches — reinforces the environment's intimate and welcoming character.

The bespoke, handcrafted furnishings, fine materials and meticulous attention to detail pay homage to the craftsmanship and romanticism of the Arts and Crafts movement. The physical and symbolic epicentre of the space is the monolithic green marble counter, which adds a sense of gravity to the dreamlike atmosphere and serves as a stage for the daily mixology rituals.