Following the opening of the airport VIP lounge “Club Bauhinia” in 2014, Hong Kong Airlines has taken premium customer services to the next level by investing HK$35 million in the construction of “Club Autus”, a brand new VIP lounge located on the seventh floor of the Midfield Concourse at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).
Design runs deep in the new lounge, utilising a new wave of Asian and Western design influences. “Autus” means “growth” and “enlargement” in Latin, which acts as a cheeky nod to the rapid development of the carrier. The Company commissioned Packy Lai, a young calligrapher known by the alias, “The Inkless”, to write the name plaque for the lounge using a traditional art form that embodies Hong Kong’s unique culture.
The new lounge was designed by Hong Kong based, Phill Cheng. As part of the design Club Autus, showcases the local culture which is at the core of the Hong Kong Airlines’ brand image to the rest of the world. His design concept echoes the theme of “growth” inherent in the lounge’s name, be it in terms of material selection, decorations, and even food choices.
Elements like the lighting design reference elements from popular films, music, and culture, giving it a contemporary twist on a feeling of local nostalgia. The space also blends green architecture putting natural materials such as soil, flora, water, timber and polished concrete to decorative use, a welcome antithesis from the architecture of the airport main structure.
Spanning over 13,000 square feet, the lounge has space for over 200 passengers and is equipped with comprehensive facilities. It is divided into sections such as the Premier Zone (featuring two VIP rooms for First Class passengers including individual shower rooms), a business zone, leisure area, family zone, ‘personal care’ zone, and even a scenery zone which features impressive views of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
Boasting a length of 20 meters, the food line is the longest of its kind in HKIA, and serves a variety of Chinese and Western dishes, as well as popular health foods. Furthermore, the Company has partnered with innovative local tea brand, jrink, to create a range of bespoke teas with distinctive themes.
The space is also future proofed, with enough space for the rapidly growing airline, which has already penned future flights to New York and London as soon as next year.
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