Shangri La, Oahu
Certainly, many people have built their dream homes in Hawaii. Few, though, will ever exceed the lavishness of Shangri La, built by Doris Duke in 1937 on five oceanfront acres overlooking Diamond Head. One of the home’s more impressive features is a glass living room wall which can completely descend into the basement, powered by an old-fashioned elevator system.
“It was very avant-garde technology for back then,” said Shangri La’s executive director Deborah Pope.
Duke, a tobacco and energy heiress labeled the “richest girl in the world,” discovered Hawaii on her honeymoon after traveling through the Middle East and southern Asia. The 22-year-old fell in love with both Islamic art and Hawaii’s lifestyle. Her 14,000-square-foot residence, opened to the public for small group tours two years ago, reflects her lifelong passion for collecting Islamic art.
The most artistically significant piece, a 13th-century mihrab room, a niche that points Muslims toward Mecca, was acquired from Iran. A marble bathroom inlaid with semi-precious stones was modeled on the Taj Mahal. Entire rooms were imported from overseas, including a wealthy merchant’s home from Syria. The pool house, a scaled-down version of a mid-1600’s palace complex built in Iran, overlooks a 75-foot-long saltwater pool. The 16-foot deep end accommodates a hydraulic-lift diving platform; Duke having been an avid swimmer and athlete.
“I think what stands out most for visitors is the total mood and ambience as a whole,” said Pope. “You are not walking into a gallery with objects in cases and labels. It’s sort of an entry into seeing the Islamic world.”
Tours of the property start at the Honolulu Academy of Arts, Wednesday to Saturday, at 8:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. A mini-van ferries groups, limited to 12 people, to the residential neighborhood. Cost is $25 for adults and children ages 12-17 and includes admission to the academy. Advance reservations required.
Shangri La, Oahu
866-385-3849
www.shangrilahawaii.com
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