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Final Look Back The mythological city of Shangri-La
Final Look Back The mythological city of Shangri-La
Final Look Back
| The mythological city of Shangri-La |
| Written by Douglas King |
| January 16, 2007 |
|
Shangri-La The mythological city of Shangri-La was a tranquil place, far from the corruption of regular civilization, located in the distant reaches of the Himalayan Mountains of Tibet. Or so James Hilton wrote in his classic novel, “Lost Horizon.” The exotic name has been used in many popular songs up until the present day. It was the original name of the U.S. presidential retreat now known as Camp David. And, among countless other uses, it is the name of an international hotel chain. But in Hawai‘i, Shangri-La most famously refers to the mansion built by Doris Duke in 1937. Nestled on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, with views of Diamond Head and Honolulu, the home’s impressive site is matched by Duke’s expansive collection of Islamic art and décor. After traveling part of the world on her honeymoon, Duke stopped over in Hawai‘i. During her extended stay she decided Hawai‘i was to be the location for a seasonal home. Employing the services of architect Marion Sims Wyeth (of architectural firm Wyeth and King) and design supervisor Drew Baker, Duke set out to create a residence that would fulfill two purposes: to be a vacation home on the island she had come to love, and to house her vast collection of 3,500 Middle Eastern artworks and artifacts. (She acquired this treasure-trove on her travels to India, Syria, Iran, Pakistan, and Morocco.) Duke had become captivated with Islamic cultures and desired to bring those artistic sensibilities to her home in Hawai‘i. For nearly 60 years, she traveled the Middle East and added to her collection, a collection that includes elements as large as a room’s entire interior, down to the most intricate ceramic mosaic tile. It is said that a great work of art is never completed, only abandoned. This was true of several grand estates built around this same time period by other notables such as William Randolph Hearst and Winchester. Like these palaces, Shangri-La was a constant work in progress, never to be finished, and always to be improved, modified, and developed. As soon as construction was completed at the end of 1938, Duke immediately set upon renovations throughout the estate, continuing until her death in 1993. Duke was once quoted as saying of the property, “It isn’t the product of any one person, but a number of architects and decorators from all over the world, finally put together by me.” At the time of its construction, the Honolulu Star Bulletin reported that approximately 150 workmen were involved in the construction and that the project cost $1.4 million. Officially, that’s $18.6 million in today’s currency, but this fails to account for vastly higher land values and construction costs. At the time, Shangri-La was the most expensive home built in the Territory of Hawai‘i. To reproduce such an estate from scratch today could easily cost more than $100 million. But it’s not merely the price tag that makes Shangri-La impressive. Ultimately, the estate’s reputation rests upon the understated architectural plan of the home itself. Its simplicity was intended to showcase the surrounding 4.9-acres of landscaping and Duke’s incredible Islamic art collection as the central attractions. From the front exterior the home is deceptively humble; not even hinting as to the treasures inside. Additionally the architecture of the home is as much a collection of styles as the art that resides within its walls. When questioned about the eclectic nature of the architecture, Duke called her home, “Near Eastern,” “Hispano-Moresque,” and even “Spanish-Moorish-Persian-Indian.” Shangri-la is considered to this day one of Hawai‘i’s most architecturally significant homes. Duke was only 22 years of age when she first envisioned what became a lifelong project for her…and a permanent icon for design and Islamic art for the rest of the world. |
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