Liberty Bank of Honolulu held the grand opening of this building on February 18, 1953. This masterful blend of modernity and tradition at the corner of North King and Maunakea Streets was designed by Vladimir Ossipoff (1907- 1998) who was Hawaii’s top architect of the 20th century. Liberty Bank continued to thrive here until it merged with Bank of America in 1994. In 1997, American Savings Bank purchased it and established it as its Chinatown Branch for over 2 decades. In 2022, ASB closed the Chinatown Branch upon completion of its Main Campus nearby. In November 2022, King Liberty LLC, a real estate and design partnership, completed its acquisition of 99 North King Street.

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Today, 99 N. King Street is the Honolulu headquarters of King Liberty LLC and the offices of Dean Sakamoto Architects/SHADE and received the Docomomo US 2024 Modernism in America Award for Citation of Merit.

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“It highlights the role of Modernism in communities of color and how these buildings were important to show economic success. The fact that it is still standing is a wonderful tribute to that community.”
- Gail Kennard, 2024 Jury Chair

“It is a successful adaptive reuse which honors the renowned architect’s original design intent and brings back some of the features which had been lost or obscured. It is equally important because of the cultural association with the Chinese American community of Hawaii.”

- Steven Keylon, 2024 Jury Member