King Kalakaua Plaza

For this specialty retail center in the heart of Waikiki, the owner wanted a building form considered unique in Hawai‘i’s retail environment, utilizing a very modernist contemporary image. A retail design specialist knowledgeable about the particular market base developed the concept and basic design in conjunction with Architects Hawaii Ltd. (AHL), which then proceeded with execution.
AHL carried out a sophisticated, high-tech design expression unusual for the islands with sun shading devices and louvers in front of customized curtain wall systems. 
While projecting a sleek, shiny image from a distance, the complex provides a human-scale pedestrian experience with the creation of a plaza and gathering place along the busy Kalakaua corridor.
Flexible and responsive design services for meeting owner and tenant requirements brought out the best in the firm, which met the very tight time schedule, including seeing the project through the City and County of Honolulu’s Waikiki  Special Design District review process.
AHL worked closely with the highly sophisticated original tenants, including Niketown, The Official All-Star Cafe, and Banana Republic, providing shell spaces suitable for their individual needs. These three multilevel tenants enjoyed a plaza level pedestrian entrance for maximum exposure.
The complex includes 84,000 square feet of retail space on four levels plus two levels of underground parking for 204 vehicles. The latter proved technically challenging as it required excavation well below the water table.