Concluding its multi-year, multi-building renovation, The Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikiki revitalizes and reestablishes itself as a premier shopping and entertainment destination. With more than 110 shops and restaurants in three four-story buildings, the 310,000-square-foot Center is one of Hawaii’s largest shopping malls. The six-acre retail campus connects to the Sheraton Waikiki and Royal Hawaiian Hotel, just minutes from Waikiki Beach.
The Center’s refreshed exterior seamlessly blends with its lush surroundings, including an added green gathering space for entertainment and cultural programming. On Buildings A and C, designed by Architects Hawaii Ltd. (AHL), skylight systems by Super Sky Products Enterprises, LLC showcase natural light and views. Linetec painted the skylight’s aluminum framing members in a durable, 70 percent PVDF resin-based coating to protecting against the intense sunlight, heavy rains, high humidity and salt spray.
Improving on the past
Owned by RHC Property Holdings LLC, The Royal Hawaiian Center opened in 1979. Designed in the Brutalist Modern style of the time, heavy concrete exterior walls defined the structure with little embellishment or connection to the environment or the community. The Center stands upon a parcel of land known as Helumoa, once home to Hawaiian royalty.
After years of increasing vacancy and declining visitors, the first phase of the $115 million renovation and expansion began in 2005. Callison Companies (now, CallisonRTKL, a design consultancy of Arcadis) is credited for this initial step in transforming what was once a dark, outdated shopping center into a vibrant, lifestyle-oriented retail and entertainment community. The heavy walls were replaced by open, modern façades and native landscaping.
AHL also contributed its expertise in Hawaiian cultural sensitivity in the architecture, permit processing and expediting services, and construction administration of the Center’s renovation. According to AHL, “This new design conveys a Hawaiian sense of place that is consistent with the City and County of Honolulu’s Waikiki Special Design District guidelines. It incorporates historical, cultural, and educational features consistent with the goal of Kamehameha Schools to perpetuate all things Hawaiian. In addition, visual and pedestrian linkages with the adjoining Sheraton Waikiki and Royal Hawaiian hotels are improved to create an integrated resort destination.”
Protective finishes make a lasting impression
Beyond matching the Center’s updated aesthetics, Linetec supports the architectural performance specifications with 70-percent PVDF resin-based coatings applied to the skylight’s aluminum framing. “Coastal environments are one of the most aggressive outdoor environments for aluminum,” says Linetec’s senior marketing specialist, Tammy Schroeder, LEED® Green Associate. “Without proper precautions and finishes, corrosion to these aluminum components can damage the building envelope’s structural integrity, leading to systemic failure.” read more
