Honoring Queen Liliʻuoklani’s legacy through landscapes that nurture ecology and community

Liliʻuokalani center

Honolulu, Oʻahu  ·  Institutional  ·  Built 2025

Working with Flansburgh Architects, Studio Kīpuka transformed the former Honolulu Club into the Liliʻuokalani Center—a vibrant campus for Native Hawaiian children and young adults that fosters culture, creativity, well-being, and lifelong learning. The landscape dissolves the boundary between indoors and outdoors, extending gathering, learning, and restorative spaces. Rooted in the ecology and cultural history of the ʻili of Kulaokahuʻa, the planting design features predominantly native and culturally significant species, including plants associated with Queen Liliʻuokalani and her garden, Uluhaimalama. Wind patterns informed the flowing hardscape, which converges around a central kīpuka-inspired landform, while a contemplative rooftop garden provides a quiet refuge above the city through an elevated pedestal pavement system that preserves drainage and long-term maintenance.