First look: Honolulu's Victoria Place blends cosmopolitan living with Hawaii life and nature

Part of Honolulu's Ward Village development, Victoria Place has just unveiled its new spaces – a series of high-end communal areas in the brand-new residential tower in the capital of Hawaii. Designed by architecture studio Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB) with interiors by Tihany Design and landscape architecture by VITA, the project looks sleek and contemporary; as you step inside, its influences from the Pacific Island's life and nature become apparent.

Get a taste of Victoria Place in Honolulu's Ward Village

The planned neighbourhood of Ward Village aims to offer a mix of scales and densities, as well as green, open spaces to its future residents. Located on Ala Moana Boulevard, Victoria Place is next to Kewalo Harbor and the new Victoria Ward Park, a 3.5-acre public green space set to open in January 2025.

Integrating the indoors and outdoors and feeding off the lush island's land and atmosphere was important for the design team. Natural materials and large openings bring a taste of the outside in at every turn.

'The design of Victoria Place is meant to engage all the senses,' said Alessia Genova, owner and principal, Tihany Design. 'You feel the connection to the land through the materials, sense the lightness in the open layouts, hear the soft rhythm of water, and experience the textures that evoke both nature and sophistication. It’s a design that isn’t just seen but fully experienced.'

'Our material choices, from walnut wood to basalt stone, create an organic modern palette that feels intrinsically connected to Hawaii,' adds Genova. 'Each material was selected not just for beauty, but for how it engages the senses – the warmth of wood, the coolness of stone, the resilience of oil-rubbed bronze against the sea air. These materials anchor the design to the land and climate, making it both grounded and timeless.'

Victoria Place features 40 storeys and 350 new homes within them. Amenities include three pools, a spa, multiple tropical gardens, a wine room and a pool house for private events. Restrained architectural language and material choices ensure the design feels contextual – in the wider environment of the island's leafy nature and Hawaii's modernist architecture legacy.

'Our design of Victoria Place fully embraces the environment through the seamless integration with the outdoors, maximising the views and celebrating local plants and flowers,' says Ben Wrigley, principal at SCB. 'Envisioning Victoria Place as a reflection of the natural landscape, much like a gallery serves and complements great art, the architecture emphasizes an understated and natural approach that showcases and honours the connection to the land.'

wardvillage.com