This watercolor painting demonstrates the new Ala Wai skyline after The Watermark Waikiki is completed. Just past Ala Moana Beach Park, at the beginning of Waikiki, one new condominium complex is just a concrete and metal promise of what is to come. But, to-be-residents know exactly what they are getting. In fact, they’ve taken tours, previewed color palettes, gazed out of not-yet-constructed windows. Luckily for them, all of this is virtual—no hard hats are required to preview The Watermark Waikiki. Designers with interior design firm Philpotts & Associates planned and sketched the interiors. Then, special-effects artists rendered virtual condos. The project’s Web site offers a 360-degree view of each room. “The buyers can feel the space and build an emotional attachment to the home before it is even built,” says Jon Staub, principle designer of Philpotts & Associates. Virtually experiencing the new interiors makes The Watermark come to life. Recent virtual-technology advances have added even more realism to The Watermark design. The display furniture was specifically designed for this project. Staub says, “Prior, we relied on clipart. Now we are able to render the characteristics of the furniture, artwork, even views from the windows.” The ambition of Watermark developer Intracorp and its partner Architects Hawaii is “a cohesive environment that has a timeless quality,” Staub says. To create that environment, Philpotts & Associates toured local landmarks: the Pacific Club, Outrigger Canoe Club and Halekulani on Oahu and Mauna Kea Hotel on the Big Island. Next, Staub asked himself three questions. First, who will live in the space? Urban dwellers who know what they want out of life, he says. Second, what is the character of the building? And, third, how does the building fit into the landscape? His conclusion was that The Watermark is a modern building that has a sense of place.

(left) Painstaking attention to detail (chopsticks, surf in the distance) makes this computer rendering look and feel real. (right) From another angle, the virtual condo shows off its Viking appliances and African mahogany cabinetry.

The interior designers chose materials to match this interpretation. They selected furniture-like cabinetry in warm African mahogany. Sand-colored Brazilian granite covers the countertops. Honey-toned paint invites you into each room. Viking appliances round out the high-end yet functional kitchen.

“We chose a neutral, resort palette. The Watermark is different, and we tried to convey an elegant relationship to the environment,” Staub explains. “However, if someone has a collection of African artifacts, or they like contemporary furniture or ’30s Hawaiiana, they will all be at home. It is the neutrality that allows people to live in the space, not the space live on them.”

Staub, with the designers from Philpotts & Associates, created virtual furniture to match the downtown, beachfront feel of the property.

When it is completed, the complex will feature 210 luxurious condos, plus two penthouses, each with more than 1,100 square feet in an open floor plan. Elegant interiors, floor-to-ceiling windows and wide-open lanai show off the ocean, yacht harbor and city.

World-class amenities match its design. Situated on 4 acres of prime Waikiki real estate, the planners designated 2 whole acres for indigenous trees and native flowers on expansive lawns. A fitness pavilion, an infinity pool and lush gardens surround the downtown site in serenity.

“Residents of The Watermark want to live there for the best of two worlds, which are world-class beaches at their doorsteps and the energy and excitement of living in a metropolitan home,” says Staub.

A warm, sandy palette gives residents the feeling of living in a spa.

Sales manager Robin Markle describes the Watermark as “a perfect blend of contemporary and traditional island living.”

So, who will be moving in? Markle says that residents will be a blend of buyers from Hawaii, the mainland and foreign locales. They are moving into second homes, downsizing from large family abodes or creating a haven for retirement.

Wherever they come from, the residents will undoubtedly enjoy this new gateway to Waikiki. “It is a rare environment where we have world-class beaches and a world-class city,” Staub says. “The Watermark has both—it delivers on its promises.”

Complete virtual renderings offer a glimpse of the cityscape and Ala Moana Beach Park.