SUBSCRIBE NOW
    • Lifestyle

    Cathay Pacific’s airport lounges in Asia for Business and First Class travellers are a globetrotter’s dream

    OCT 23, 2019 | By Aneesha Bhadri
    CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Yoga and meditation zone at The Pier; The lounge in Shanghai offers cushy seating options; The Pier at Hong Kong International Airport is warm and tactile; Shanghai Pudong Cathay Pacific Lounge
    CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT The Noodle Bar in the Shanghai lounge; The Pier’s Tea House features wooden tables and warm lighting; JING Tea supplies 10 offerings, including flavours such as Japanese Sencha and Traditional Iron Buddha; The Pier’s Tea House features wooden tables and warm lighting; JING Tea supplies 10 offerings, including flavours such as Japanese Sencha and Traditional Iron Buddha

    Cathay Pacific’s airport lounges, renovated by acclaimed British design practice Studioilse, offer a sensorial treat to passengers. The design of the Shanghai, as well as Hong Kong lounges by Ilse Crawford, incorporates the airline’s catchphrases— contemporary Asian ideologies, warmth, simplicity and the joy of discovery—to inspire the feeling of “a life well travelled.”

    Seen in the Shanghai lounge is Noodle Bar, which features in Cathay Pacific lounges worldwide. At 35,500 sq ft, The Pier at Hong Kong International Airport, accommodates 518 people. Just beyond the entrance is the Food Hall, a vibrant space reminiscent of food markets and delis. Meanwhile, the Tea House at the Hong Kong lounge marks the transition into a wellbeing area, where traditional Chinese chairs flank wooden tables and green ceramic tiled walls lend a distinctly serene vibe. The final room in The Pier lounge is filled with low upholstered furniture that you can sink into—filtered light casts a shadowy glow to create a tranquil, almost monastic atmosphere.

    The design brings in elements of Hong Kong street life, albeit elevated to a more luxurious level. The material palette is warm, tactile and timeless, using cherry wood, bronze and durable furniture covered in leather and mohair. Additionally, works from local artists are mounted on the walls in support of Hong Kong’s growing reputation as a regional arts hub.