PaperSpecsGallery.com Presents: Kōʻula Book

Hawaii is viewed as a paradise on earth, and properties such as the Kōʻula know the importance of maintaining that perception by subtly blending manmade architecture with the island’s stunning natural beauty. This mixture of organic shapes and textures is captured beautifully in this elegant brochure for the 41-story Honolulu building.

I say brochure, but at 160-pages it feels more like a gorgeous coffee table book. Printed by my friends at Kingsbury Press ( http://kingsburypress.com) this book is so much more than the sum of its parts. Through its inventive use of different papers and textures, it cleverly duplicates a visit to the Kōʻula property itself.

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Right from the beginning, nature and architecture are reflected in the book’s cover. This combination of Corvon Mano White – a sheet with a soft touch appeal -  and Sumo board is super-thick, which not only makes a strong impression on anyone holding this volume, but also allows for a dramatic deboss whose wavy lines mimic the curved beams that run up and down the tower residence.

A super glossy short dust cover – think about half of a traditional book dust jacket – printed on 135 gsm (90-lb.) Fedrigoni Splendorlux features vibrant close-ups of tropical flora and wraps around the bottom half of the book, giving us ample opportunity to compare the debossed lines with the natural ones in the leaves. Even the spine on this perfect-bound piece is a verdant Green linen cloth, subtly textured for that oh-so-important “touch” factor.

Inside, the contrast between exotic natural beauty and the building’s ultra-modern charms are everywhere. Many of the pages feature inviting settings within the property – these are printed CMYK offset on 90 gsm (60-lb.) uncoated Munken Polar Smooth from Arctic Paper.

Other sections are French folds printed on high-gloss 90 gsm (60-lb.) Fedrigoni Splendorlux LW, and depict people soaking up the lush Hawaiian outdoors. Tugging along the perforated edges of these folds reveals hidden spreads that focus on hazier close-ups of the vibrant landscape itself.

From the cover that mimics the outside of the building, to the way it reproduces how our gaze would naturally move from taking in the broad scope of our surroundings to hazier details (those French fold interiors), this book provides us with a pleasant sight-seeing excursion to one of the most beautiful spots in the world.