Dream project completed by Rider Levett Bucknall's Hawaii Office

RLB monitored the restoration and reopening of the Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Lagoon - Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

The historic Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Lagoon has been returned to the people of Hawaii. The Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa, together with Hilton Grand Vacations Company, closed the lagoon in 2006 for an unprecedented, $15 million restoration project. It reopened recently as Waikiki's most unique recreational area for water enthusiasts.

Named after Hawaii's aquatic legend, the lagoon is a man-made body of water that was part of Henry J. Kaiser's Hawaiian Village development in the early 1950s (the hotel became a Hilton in 1961). Together he and the government expanded the old Fort DeRussy Channel, creating a beach and a lagoon fronting his new hotel. In the early days after the lagoon opened, many island families enjoyed the ocean-fed lagoon (...).

The magnificent, 5-acre jewel re-opened slightly smaller in size, but with a state-of-the-art water circulation system featuring seven saltwater wells 195-250 feet below the surface of the ocean. The wells draw in about 15,000 gallons of water per minute from the ocean, helping to turn over the water about five times a day. The lagoon's depth has gone from about 12 feet to approximately five feet, and more than 33,000 tons of sand replenished the beach and bottom of the lagoon. In addition, new aesthetic features of the project include an island with a two-tier waterfall, a board walk, park benches and landscaping that create a park-like setting.

About 60 coconut trees have been added, along with a number of native Hawaiian plants, making the area even more inviting than ever before. Recreation opportunities include the rental of a variety of beach equipment from the Hilton's Waikiki Beach Activities desk fronting the lagoon, including aqua cycles, kayaks, stand-up paddle surfboards and rafts.

"The lagoon opening reflects the continuing commitment Hilton is making to our guests and our community," said Jon Conching, vice president of sales and marketing for Hilton Hawaii. "We are leased to contribute to Waikiki's renaissance with these environmental improvements that restore a unique landmark for the benefit of both local residents and visitors."

One of the unique features of the lagoon is its landscaping with plant species that are either endemic, indigenous, or those native to Polynesia. Chief landscape architect Teresa Law of Belt Collins Hawaii, Ltd. used plants to reflect a typical Hawaii shoreline with the use of Pohuehue and 'Akulikuli along the beach. Beach Naupaka is used in the backdrop to separate the lagoon from a parking area, while Beach Heliotrope and Pohinahina are also used around the lagoon's perimeter.

In addition to Law of Belt Collins, several other Hawaii-based firms assisted with the rejuvenation project, including Delta Construction Corporation, who was the design/build general contractor. The concept design for the water circulation system was provided to the design/build contractor by Tom Nance Water Resource Engineering, Inc. Alcon and Associates served as the civil engineer, and overseeing the project were Oswaldo Lopez of Hilton Hotels Corporation and Paul McElroy of Rider Levett Bucknall.