The 10 Most Beautiful Buildings in Hawaii

The Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii is the final resting place for members of the Kamehameha Dynasty and the Kalakaua Dynasty. These 2.7 acres, completed in 1864, house the somber tombs of the royal families as well as a small chapel in the Gothic Revival. Located in the lush Nuʻuanu Valley, it’s just next to the public O’ahu Cemetery.

The stunning Muslim-inspired palace Shangri La is an early 20th-century Orientalist’s dream. Philanthropist Doris Duke, an heiress to a tobacco fortune, built this shrine to Islamic art in 1938. She spent many years traveling and collecting pieces from Morocco, Syria, Iran, and northern India, and now thankfully, they’re available here for public marvel. You’ll see arabesque wall designs, wooden ceilings, stained-glass windows, and marble. The lounge room was commissioned in Morocco, and her bedroom was inspired by the Taj Mahal. Guided tours are offered Wednesday through Saturday.

The much-acclaimed Honolulu Museum of Art, founded in 1922, houses more than 50,000 works of art, mostly Asian and Hawaiian but also notable works by artists such as Hokusai, Van Gogh, Warhol, and Picasso. The beautiful buildings resemble traditional hale, Hawaiian houses, complete with dark roofs, inner courtyards, and black pathways that resemble lava.

Designed by Russian-born, Tokyo-raised architect Vladimir Ossipoff, the Liljestrand House is a shining example of contemporary local design. Located on Mount Tantalus, this is a house that’s fully aware of its gorgeous tropical setting. Each room was designed to take full advantage of the breathtaking views of Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, and Waikiki. The master bedroom is even tilted 45 degrees away to accommodate an adjacent forest of eucalyptus trees. How’s that for blending in with the surroundings?

Built in 1969, the State Capitol is often lauded as one of the most creative government buildings in the United States. The rooms were carefully designed as a small-scale metaphor for Hawaii: its legislative chambers resemble, architecturally, a volcano, with a chandelier in each room made from 620 nautilus shells, which represent the moon. Furnishings are made from koa wood, and a giant tapestry in sea and sky hues adorns the walls in each room. Outside, 40 concrete columns stand proud as substitute royal palms, and even the water surrounding the building is a metaphor, for the Pacific Ocean.

Downtown Honolulu is not all small stores or skyscrapers. It’s also home to the Hawaii Theatre, a historic Vaudeville theater, and cinema. Constructed in 1922, during the heyday of neoclassical theaters, it has elements of Byzantine, Corinthian, and Moorish decorating the outside—with a splash of Beaux-Arts brightening up the interior.