Waikiki Business Plaza

The shape and design of the Waikiki Business Plaza’s façade panels were initially inspired by a Hawaiian quilt with different shapes in an abstract pattern. The final reference (made in meetings to the DPP) described the triangle as an ancient symbol – for Hawaiians, and others – with different representations for air, earth, fire and water, depending on the triangle’s orientation. The shape of the glass tower, now fronting H & M, originally drew from the English translation of Waikiki, or spouting water, and carried over into the design of the tower as a reference of water spouting up from the ground.

Recipient of

WAIKIKI IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION

2014 Ho`owehiwehi Award

“Hana Iki”

(Renovation Excellence Award)

PROJECT INFO

Size: 29,000 SF

Scope: Exterior renovation, façade improvements

Features:

• Updates to interior street-level common areas, exterior façades (including the tower) and shell space for new retail tenants.
• Façade panels made of Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC), a very dense cementitious material with an integral fiberglass mesh added for additional strength.
• Patterning on each façade panel was achieved in custom molds created specifically for this project.
• Cladding installation, essentially a rain-screen and energy-efficient, moisture management system, allows moisture that finds its way behind the panels to flow down and out the bottom of the system
• Improvements to way-finding signage of the common areas include an interactive video display for the Top of Waikiki restaurant’s reservation system.