Cathay Pacific Group — Hong Kong Airport lounges

1 · POSITION

Cathay Pacific's Hong Kong lounges bring several architectural ideas of hospitality into one airport. The Pier's First Class renovation, unveiled in June 2015, used the contemporary apartment as its organising reference. Studioilse, led by Ilse Crawford, treated furniture, materials, food and atmosphere as connected parts of receiving a traveller between flights. [1]

2 · A ROOM WITH DIFFERENT TEMPOS

The Pier's apartment concept matters because waiting is not a single activity. A passenger may want a meal, conversation or withdrawal from the terminal. Its combination of tactile materials, domestic furnishings and attention to acoustics sought to make these different uses feel compatible. The design argument was that an airport interior could support the habits of inhabiting a room. [1]

3 · MORE THAN ONE ARCHITECTURAL AUTHOR

The Bridge, opened in 2013, was designed by Foster + Partners. That commission belongs to a different point in the lounge portfolio's development. Attribution therefore needs to follow the particular room and renovation: a celebrated designer's association with Cathay does not make that person the author of every space carrying the airline's name. [2]

4 · THE WING CHANGES AGAIN

Cathay announced the redesigned Wing, First for reopening on 22 April 2026, again working with Studioilse. The Wing had originally opened in 1998. Its latest iteration shows an airline revisiting an established place of reception, rather than simply adding another lounge. For a repeat traveller, continuity of location can coexist with a substantially changed interior and service proposition. [3]

5 · ⚑ CANDOUR

⚑ These are distinct lounges with different access rules, locations and design histories. Historical opening releases establish authorship and intent; they do not prove that every original feature survives. Cathay's current directory should govern identification of the available spaces. The apartment analogy describes a design approach, not unrestricted access or overnight hotel accommodation. [1–4]