Waikiki Residential Buildings

Mid-century modern buildings

The 1950s and 60s saw rapid growth in Honolulu and many of the residential buildings that went up in and around Waikiki at this time are considered to be of the tropical modernist variety.

If you wander the streets between the Ala Wai canal and Kalakaua Avenue you’ll come across several low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise mid-century modern marvels that boast breeze block and patterned walls, beautiful lava rock stonework and bold concrete design.

This list is far from exhaustive, but we’ve included a few of our favorites with corresponding photos above and will continue to add more when we can… click on addresses below for Google Map locations.

Waikiki Bellevue (2439 Ala Wai Blvd.) – circa 1963

Waikiki Skyliner (2415 Ala Wai Blvd.) – circa 1968

Boysay Apartments (2403 Ala Wai Blvd.) – circa 1970

Boulevard Tower (2281 Ala Wai Blvd.) – circa 1968

Foster Tower (2500 Kalakaua Ave.) – circa 1962

Pan Pacific (922 Kapahulu Ave.) – circa 1965

Makee Ailana (204 Kapahulu Ave.) – circa 1967

Pacific Polynesia (455 Lewers St.) – circa 1954

Waikiki Cove (2118 Kuhio Ave.) – circa 1959

 Check out Waikiki Hotels and the Gold Coast Neighborhood  for more mid-century tropical modernist buildings in this area.