World-Renowned Japanese Architects Build First Indoor Park In Honolulu's Hippest Neighborhood

Honolulu, HI (PRWEB) August 06, 2014

Tokyo-based architectural firm Atelier Bow-Wow has brought its “pet” architectural aesthetic to Our Kaka‘ako, Honolulu’s hippest neighborhood. Founders Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima, who are known for their surprising, idiosyncratic, yet functional residential projects in dense urban environments, collaborated with Kamehameha Schools, one of Hawaii’s largest landowners, and Interisland Terminal, a Hawaii-based non-profit, to design the island’s first “indoor park.”

“Through our relationship with Interisland Terminal, this project shows an alternative way to create a public space in an industrial area,” Tsukamoto said in a statement. “Gradually, small visions and conversations are turning into real projects and real buildings. It is also exciting that this is an opportunity to take traditional architectural work in a whole new direction.”

Called Kaka‘ako Agora, the 21st century park opened in June and is located in a 3,225-square foot warehouse in the urban neighborhood of Kaka‘ako, located four miles from world famous Waikiki. The free, shaded space offers a respite where users can gather, collaborate and create. It also doubles as a space that can be rented during non-public park hours for presentations, pop-up art galleries, film screenings, events and more. The indoor pavilion includes a 687-square foot mezzanine, providing two levels for seating and exploration.

“This is truly a fantastic venue to continue fostering the innovation and creativity within this unique community,” said Christian O’Connor, Senior Asset Manager for Kamehameha Schools.

Kamehameha Schools is developing Our Kaka‘ako as a mixed-use, urban-island community on nine contiguous city blocks in the heart of Honolulu. The community, which is currently in the beginning stages of a multi-year redevelopment, will include a mix of low-rise and high-rise structures, a range of housing types, open spaces, a central gathering place, and a neighborhood supportive of commercial and industrial uses. Part of the vision for Our Kaka‘ako is that it will continue to grow as a progressive catalyst for innovation and become the epicenter of urban-island culture, and the lifestyle that it represents.

Tenants of Our Kaka’ako brought Atelier Bow-Wow’s vision for Kaka’ako Agora to life with re-used wood, metals and local greenery. The space has since been curated with speaker series, live music, cultural activities, and a rotating gallery for local and national art. The indoor park will continue to serve as a hub to push the limits of innovation the community is known for.

For more information on Kaka‘ako Agora, visit http://ourkakaako.com/kakaakoagora.

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About Kamehameha Schools
Kamehameha Schools is a private, educational, charitable trust founded and endowed by the legacy of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Kamehameha Schools operates a statewide educational system enrolling over 6,900 students of Hawaiian ancestry at K-12 campuses on O`ahu, Maui and Hawai`i and 30 preschool sites statewide. Over 40,400 additional Hawaiian learners and caregivers are served each year through a range of other Kamehameha Schools’ outreach programs, community collaborations and financial aid opportunities in Hawai`i and across the continental United States. Income generated from its Hawai`i real estate, as well as diverse investments, fund the Schools’ educational mission almost entirely. For more information, please visit http://www.ksbe.edu.

About Interisland Terminal
Interisland Terminal was founded in January 2009 out of a vested interest in the cultural and socio-economic life of Honolulu. The group presents a year-round series of programs in contemporary art, design and film that explore the intersections of creativity and innovation, paving the way for the creative approaches needed to address the civic and social challenges facing Hawaii. To learn more, visit http://interislandterminal.org

About Atelier Bow-Wow
Atelier Bow-Wow has acquired an enthusiastic global following through innovative, prestigious projects at exhibitions such as the 2010 Venice Biennale (as an official representative of Japan), the São Paulo Bienal, and venues such as the Hayward Gallery in London, the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, The Gallery at REDCAT in Los Angeles, the Japan Society in New York, and the OK Offenes Kulturhaus Oberösterreich in Linz, Austria. Atelier Bow-Wow recently completed the BMW Urban Design Lab for the Guggenheim Museum. To learn more, visit http://bow-wow.jp/

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