Early Hawaiians had over forty different names for wind. They had dozens of names for the rainbow. And a single name for an area known as a place of healing: Waikiki.
Wai wai. Water water. The abundance of water created a prosperity of riches in early Waikiki. A prosperity that the island hosts generously shared with guests. And Waikiki still shares the same values of hospitality today that it did generations ago.
This giving spirit is alive in the new Waikiki Beach Walk®. Here is the blooming flower of the Hawaiian Islands; vibrant, multihued and distinctive. Opening up to collect the sun, moving with the breeze. A place intimate with nature, in touch with past culture and in step with urban sophistication.
But what exactly is it?
Waikiki Beach Walk is the largest development project in Waikiki’s history. Nearly eight acres along well traversed Lewers Street has been completely rebuilt — transformed into a colorful and spirited showcase; the gathering place for the new Waikiki.
Energetic and inviting, eclectic and exciting, Waikiki Beach Walk is an impressive, new leisure destination to play and to stay. Benefiting from the island’s cooling trade winds and year-round excellent weather, an outdoor entertainment plaza, nearly fifty new retailers, sixteen dining establishments, and five hotels welcome visitors and island residents alike; redefining the Waikiki experience.
Waikiki holds a spiritual and social significance. It is wahi pana; a legendary and storied place. And Waikiki Beach Walk honors this with a meaningful design exploring the traditional connection between water, land and people; celebrating Hawaii’s seafaring and ocean heritage. Here you can discover an ideal expression of Hawaii today — a place where people come to experience warm hospitality, a rich confluence of cultures and nature’s precious gifts from land and sea.Gather at the place of healing waters. Your journey begins here.
The design theme incorporates the Hawaiian outrigger canoe and Hawaii’s intimate relationship with the ocean. Glass canopies that hover gracefully over the outdoor plaza take their inspiration from the movement of the sea, and supporting beams are reminiscent of the `iako (booms) and ama (float) of the outrigger canoe. The canopies are lighted to create a beautifully illuminated contrast to the night sky.
Source: www.WaikikiBeachWalk.com
Leave a comment