oris Duke was only 22 when she envisioned Shangri La in 1935. It was the same year she married James Cromwell and embarked on a honeymoon tour of the world, a trip that profoundly affected the rest of her life. She visited countries in the Islamic world for the first time and also fell in love with the people and landscapes of Hawaii.
Inspired by her travels, Duke decided to build a home in Honolulu, where she felt comfortable and relaxed, and to fill it with Islamic art and architecture, the aesthetics of which she so keenly admired. Together, this pairing of cultures was her “Shangri La,” as her estate soon came to be called.
In the initial stages of inspiration and construction, both Duke and her husband James Cromwell were involved in planning the estate. But Cromwell’s influence decreased as the couple experienced marital problems and separated in 1940. Architect Marion Sims Wyeth, design supervisor Drew Baker, and others also provided input.
Duke, however, always relied on her own instincts when reviewing designs submitted by professionals. She frequently requested amendments to ensure that the estate evolved to coincide with her vision. In her own words, “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.”
Perhaps the most successful aspect of Shangri La’s design is its understated architectural plan. Together, Wyeth and Duke decided that there should be few structural and decorative embellishments. This approach allows Shangri La’s two “stars” to shine - the surrounding landscape and Duke’s Islamic art collection. Indeed, it is the Islamic works of art embedded within the estate—and the way Duke chose to display them—that truly define Shangri La’s unique character.
Duke’s youthful passions for Islamic art and for Hawaii proved enduring. She maintained her love of living in Honolulu, typically residing at Shangri La during the winter months, and she continued to collect Islamic art for Shangri La until her death in 1993. For nearly 60 years, Duke was inspired by the landscape and her collection, frequently undertaking renovations and transformations. Shangri La was both her retreat and a place for creative self-expression.
Deciphering Shangri La requires a multi-faceted perspective. While Duke’s estate is very much a product of its creator, many hands—including American architects and Muslim artisans—contributed to its appearance. It borrows architectural elements and artistic sensibilities from regions of the Islamic world, and blends them with a Hawaiian landscape and early-20th-century Western notions of modernism. Shangri La’s collection reflects the personal tastes of a single collector, but it also provides a thought-provoking introduction to the diversity of Islamic cultures, eras, and lifestyles that are often encompassed in the monolithic term “Islamic art.”
The property prior to development, c. 1936. Shangri La was built in an area traditionally known as Kaalawai. The name refers to the porous stone that characterizes this lovely stretch of the O'ahu coast. Courtesy of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Archives.