The Hana Koa Brewing Co. project repurposed a dilapidated 10,000-square-foot warehouse in the up-and-coming Kaka‘ako area into a gleaming new production brewery, restaurant and bar.
CLIENT: Hana Koa Brewing Co.
LOCATION: Honolulu, HI
BUILDING AREA: 10,000 SqFt.
COMPLETED: 2019
The literal translation of Hana Koa is strong worker, wood worker or work warrior. The design team took this into consideration along with Kaka‘ako’s history of working culture and reputation as an industrial district of factories, warehouses and mechanic shops. We maintained the connection to this demographic by preserving and celebrating the industrial and rough nature of certain existing components in the design to provide a layer of comfort and familiarity.
We also took the brewery’s motto, Thirst for Adventure, and expressed it architecturally. The design philosophy played off the words Journey (implied motion or movement, meandering pathways and discovery) and Adventure (explorative and endless, search and discovery).
Each area within the industrial warehouse space was treated like an individual project and given a distinct look with varying textures, colors and feel.
Intentional peek-a-boo views were designed to pique visual interest and surprise spaces are tucked away only to be discovered when moving from one area to another. A meandering suspended glass bubble light pathway ties the spaces together and leads customers along their journey. An undulating tile pattern on the back of the main bar also evokes motion.
An existing mezzanine floor provides a birds-eye view of the main restaurant below. At the top of the minimalist wood and metal staircase, shimmering pendant lights and a starburst pattern on the back bar heightens one’s senses.
Already a fixture in Kaka‘ako’s hip dining scene, Hana Koa Brewing Co. was voted Best New Restaurant on Oahu by the readers of Hawaiʻi Magazine in 2021.
Project Awards
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10.21.21
IIDA Ho’ohuli Shop Award
InForm Design repurposed a dilapidated 10,000 square-foot warehouse in Kaka‘ako area into a gleaming new production brewery, restaurant and bar for Hana Koa Brewing Co. The design team honored Kaka‘ako’s working culture and history by preserving and celebrating its industrial roots while providing a layer of comfort and familiarity.