Just open: Cathay Pacific's Business Class Lounge at the Pier, Hong Kong airport

Entering Cathay Pacific's new Business Class Lounge at the Pier at Hong Kong International Airport is like stepping into the streets of Hong Kong in microcosm.

Running through its heart is a thoroughfare that appears almost as long as Nathan Street itself. On one side is the lounge's so-called "fast lane", containing its food and drink offerings. On the other side, the "slow lane" features quiet lounge areas with bespoke chairs and floor-to-ceiling window views of the airport runway.

At 3306 square metres, it's the largest of all Cathay Pacific's lounges (more than half as large again as the lounge it replaced) with seating for 550 people. The lounge was designed by Ilse Crawford's London studio Studiolise, and that first look down the long thoroughfare hints at the scope of the experience.

The fast lane begins with a food hall that offers both full-service and self-service meals, and features a barista-operated coffee cart modelled on the street food carts of Asia.

Next along is a relaxed lounge bar and one of Cathay's signature noodle bars, before the transition into the "wellbeing area" begins in the world's only airport-lounge teahouse. The quiet, green-tiled teahouse offers a menu of 11 teas, including a seasonal tea, with a tea specialist on hand to provide personal recommendations from the list.

The thoroughfare ends in the relaxation room, where 14 low day beds, footstools and dim lighting provide a meditative space in which to chill or nap. Fourteen shower suites equipped with Aesop products adjoin the relaxation room.

Stretching parallel to the fast lane, the slow lane provides a more classic lounge look. Cherry-wood window panelling separates these seated areas from the dining halls. Chairs are spaced for privacy, and custom-designed side tables incorporate lights and power sockets.

The most comfortable work environment comes in the 23 Solo chairs, designed for the airline by Crawford. These wide, high-walled chairs with built-in reading lamps were first trialled in Cathay's Taipei lounge late last year and now provide another restful space in this new Hong Kong lounge.