Hawaiian architecture
Encyclopedia
Hawaiian architecture is a distinctive style of architectural arts
developed and employed primarily in the Hawaiian Islands
of the present-day United States
— buildings and various other structures indicative of the people of Hawaii
and the environment and culture in which they live. Though based on imported Western styles, unique Hawaiian traits make Hawaiian architectural styles stand alone against other styles. Hawaiian architecture reflects the history
of the islands from antiquity
through the kingdom era
, from its territorial years
to statehood
and beyond.
The various styles through the history of Hawaii are telling of the attitudes and the spirit of its people. Hawaiian architecture is said to tell the story of how indigenous
native Hawaiians
and their complex society in ancient times slowly evolved with the infusion of new styles from beyond its borders, from the early European traders, the visiting whalers
and fur trappers
from the Canadian wilderness
, the missions of the New England
ers and French Catholics
, the communes of the Latter-day Saints from Utah
, the plantation
laborer cultures from the Orient
to the modern American metropolis that Honolulu is today.
Within the body of Hawaiian architecture are various subsets of styles; each are considered typical of particular historical periods. The earliest form of Hawaiian architecture originates from what is called ancient Hawaii
—designs employed in the construction of village shelters from the simple shacks of outcasts and slaves, huts for the fishermen and canoe builders along the beachfronts, the shelters of the working class makaainana, the elaborate and sacred heiau
of kahuna
and the palatial thatched homes on raised basalt
foundation of the alii
. The way a simple grass shack was constructed in ancient Hawaii was telling of who lived in a particular home. The patterns in which dried plants and lumber
were fashioned together could identify caste
, skill and trade, profession and wealth. Hawaiian architecture previous to the arrival of British
explorer Captain
James Cook
used symbolism to identify religious value of the inhabitants of certain structures. Feather standards called kahili and koa adorned with kapa
cloth and crossed at the entrance of certain homes called puloulou indicated places of alii (nobility
caste). Kii
enclosed within basalt walls indicated the homes of kahuna (priestly caste).
missionary
Hiram Bingham
. Presbyterian religious families followed suit and settled in the major port towns of Honolulu
and Lāhainā. Upon their arrival, they erected the first frame houses in Hawaii, employing a style derived from the simple Congregational meeting-houses
and farmhouse vernacular buildings of New England
._in_the_mission_houses_museum,_honolulu.jpg)
They were simple homes with high-pitched roofs and overlapping weatherboards
called clapboards
. The simplicity and unassuming character of these structures were derived from the puritan ideals—that plainness was a virtue of true Christians
. As years passed, the New England style morphed into a distinctive style called Hawaiian mission architecture. New England methods and materials were replaced by methods and materials readily available to Hawaiians.
Hawaiian mission architecture moved away from construction solely using wood and experimented with the use of coral blocks
hewn from the reef
s of the Hawaiian Islands. Coral seemed plentiful and were comparable to bricks used for construction in New England. When Queen Kaahumanu converted to the Congregational denomination of Christianity, she commissioned the construction of a major church in what is now downtown Honolulu
. Kawaiahao Church is one of the longest-lasting relics of Hawaiian mission architecture using coral blocks. Today, Kawaiahao Church stands adjacent to the Mission Houses Museum, surviving examples of Hawaiian mission architecture using wood.
At the same time that Congregational missionaries went about the construction of Kawaiahao Church, French Catholic missionaries of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
under the leadership of Bishop Louis Maigret
introduced their own version of Hawaiian mission architecture. The difference was that their Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace
project was based on simple French church architecture in the basilica
form. The regional twist, like the adaptation that Congregational missionaries embraced, was the use of coral blocks from the reefs of Ala Moana
and Kakaako
. What the Picpus religious order succeeded in doing was creating the first instance of Hawaiian architecture based on continental European styles as opposed to the American puritan styles imported by the Protestants. The Picpus Fathers opened the doors to European architectural styles—classical
, baroque
, renaissance
, rococo
and neoclassical
— that would become uniquely Hawaiian in the hands of local builders.
. Discontent with the earliest designs of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in 1910, Bishop Libert H. Boeynaems
began an ambitious project to transform the Hawaiian mission cathedral into a unique cathedral in what was to be called Hawaiian Gothic architecture. The first phase of Boeynaemes' project was the construction of an elaborate porch over the cathedral entrance. By the time it was completed, he had exhausted his financing. Such an elaborate architectural style proved too costly. His successor, Bishop Stephen Alencastre
, stripped the cathedral facade of its Gothic style and financed his own renovation project. The addition of Doric columns transformed the cathedral into a simple but elegant classical building.
A more successful rendering of the Hawaiian Gothic style came as Kamehameha IV
assumed the throne and established the Anglican
Church of Hawaii
— the present-day Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii
. With the advice and consent of his bishop Lord Thomas Nettleship Staley
, Kamehameha IV oversaw the drafting of plans for the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew
. Unfortunately, the king died and his brother Kamehameha V
was left to lay the cornerstone. Completed in 1867, the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew was the first instance of the use of vaulting
in Hawaii. Also, while the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace was the first to employ stained glass
, the royal cathedral installed larger panes as allowed by vaulting.
Other notable buildings constructed in the Hawaiian Gothic style are the Royal Mausoleum
and the Aloha Tower
. Hawaiian Gothic architecture was not as widespread for the reasons Bishop Boeynaems and Bishop Alencastre found in their experiments with the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace. The elaborate treatments were too expensive and were deemed unsuitable against the backdrop of the Hawaiian environment. People believed that any Gothic building in Hawaii would look out of place.
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While Kamehameha IV succeeded in developing the Hawaiian Gothic style, Kamehameha V fathered Hawaiian renaissance architecture. Commissioned in 1850, the last king of the House of Kamehameha
originally planned Aliiōlani Palace
to be his royal palace inspired by the sleek beauty of historic Italian
structures. In the middle of its construction, the building was changed to become the kingdom's judicial center. Renaissance comes from the Italian word for rebirth. Hawaiian renaissance was therefore a rebirth of traditional Roman
architectural principles of aesthetics but also included concepts derived from Hawaiiana
. Elegant facades had petite columns and wide verandas and walls that seemed to crinkle. Curves and ornamentation were important.
When Kalākaua
became king, he shared in his predecessor's delight with Hawaiian renaissance architecture. He also shared in Kamehameha V's dream of building a world-class royal palace befitting of a modern monarchy such as that of Hawaii to rival the famed palaces of Europe. Iolani Palace was finished in 1882 and did fulfill Kalākaua's expectations. Considered the finest example of Hawaiian renaissance architecture, Iolani Palace became a world-famous royal landmark. This building is categorized as the only example of American Florentine architecture anywhere in the world.
In addition to his contributions to the development of Hawaiian renaissance architecture, Kalākaua experimented with various other styles. One of his other famous building projects was the completion of Iolani Barracks. Constructed adjacent to Iolani Palace and across the street from Aliiōlani Hale, Iolani Barracks housed the royal guards. It resembled a medieval
castle
with crenelated parapet
s and towers.
In the last years of the Hawaiian monarchy and early years of the territorial period, Hawaiian Romanesque architecture came into popular use. The style hearkened back to the European designs of the 11th and 12th centuries. Hawaiian Romanesque employed principles and forms used by Romans in later periods of the ancient empire. The difference was that Hawaiian builders used dark basalt boulders giving the appearance of a uniquely Hawaiian style. Such buildings typically used rounded arches, barrel vault
s and groin vault
s and cruciform piers for support. The various buildings of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum are in the Hawaiian Romanesque style.
came to be known in Hawaii. Developed in France
in the late 19th century, Beaux-Arts is a form of neoclassicism
that combines ancient Greek and Roman architectural styles and principles into a modern form. Likewise, Art Deco is considered to be a blanket modernization of all architectural styles. Hawaiian builders created Hawaiian Beaux-Arts and Art Deco architecture by incorporating Hawaiian motifs and tropical treatments to the various parts of their projects. An example of Hawaiian Beaux-Arts is the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial in Waikīkī
. The most famous examples of Hawaiian Art Deco are the Hawaii Theatre
and the Schofield Barracks Historic District
.
The Hawaii State Capitol
is the centerpiece of Honolulu's collection of buildings in the Hawaiian international style of architecture. Developed in the 1920s and popularized in the 1960s, Bauhaus architecture
became a widespread trend throughout the world. An American form of Bauhaus architecture called the international style
was accepted in Hawaii and became a trend especially for downtown Honolulu office buildings. Bauhaus employed classical principles in their most simplified forms without the use of heavy ornamentation. Characteristic of Bauhaus were dull colors like white, gray, beige and black and embraced open floor plans.
Bauhaus became an inspiration for Hawaii Governor
John A. Burns
in his plans to construct a new capitol building for his state. The Hawaii State Capitol was true to the traditions of Bauhaus in its use of clean lines, simple geometric shapes, pervasive use of black and the gray of concrete and the openness of the entire structure. But like all other architectural imports to Hawaii, Bauhaus was transformed into a uniquely Hawaiian style with the addition of several treatments.
Hawaiian international architecture used precious indigenous koa wood for doors and furnishings and designs employed symbolism of natural Hawaiian phenomena. The capitol dome, for example, is designed to reflect the volcanic origins of the Hawaiian Islands. Beneath the dome is a mosaic by Tadashi Sato
representing the frequently changing colors of the Hawaiian coastal waters. Tied into the ocean theme, the capitol is surrounded by water just as the Hawaiian Islands are surrounded. The main space of the capitol building is open to the environment with entrances facing the sea and the mountain, respectively.
Architects: Belt, Lemmon & Low (Architects Hawaii Ltd.) and John Carl Warnecke
and pineapple
plantation
s which employed the design for laborer homesteads.
By the 1970s and 1980s, the Hawaiian plantation style was headed toward extinction with the importation of popular trends from California and other western states. But a movement began in the late 1990s that revived the Hawaiian plantation style in a contemporary manner. The wide-hipped or bell-cast roofs were adapted for use in large-scale construction projects like the renovation of Ala Moana Center
, Victoria Ward Centers
and the building of new towers at the Hawaiian Village Hotel
. The style gained new popularity and were employed in new commercial and residential developments in West Oahu
especially in the new city of Kapolei
. Hawaiian plantation architecture became a signature style for Hawaii and is the most recognizable Hawaiian style being exported to other parts of the globe.
Only recently did Hawaii develop a skyscraper skyline with such projects as the First Hawaiian Tower
at 1132 Bishop Street and the First Hawaiian Center
at 999 Bishop Street, both in downtown Honolulu. Even skyscrapers in Hawaii could not be constructed without the addition of metaphors and symbolism tied to Hawaii's natural phenomena. For example, the First Hawaiian Center completed in 1996 employed horizontally louver
ed windows that framed views of the sea while vertically proportioned windows faced the mountains. A great deal of effort was made to incorporate as much natural light into the building interiors.
Perhaps Norman Lacayo was the most influential architect of the late-20th century in downtown Honolulu. He was the architect for the iconic building, Harbor Court, the anchor of the redevelopment of the downtown waterfront. Harbor Court is a multi-use building
with restaurants in the lower floors and a split residential/office tower. No other building in Honolulu captures the romantic spirit of Hawaii. The stepping of the residential tower and the articulation of the office wing create a dynamic similar to the steep volcanic mountain range that borders the city. Although many of his residential towers are distributed throughout Honolulu, most are located along the Nuuanu corridor.
from as early as 1899 expressed the concern that an architecture suitable for Hawaii's environment be developed and it is this sensitivity for which his architecture is best remembered. He strove in his turn-of-the-20th-century residential work to design houses in which "the culture of the people has asserted itself." He stressed the need for broad lanais, interior courtyards and fountains, and felt that the "California Mission
" style of architecture "is certainly most appropriate for Hawaii."
Continuing in the evolution of modern Hawaiian Architecture, a great number of contemporary architects have interpreted a "modern" version of Hawaiian Architecture Styles and Sensibilities. Michael Kollin expanded on the core concept of Hawaiian style through his interpretation of modern and Asian influences in the Slynstad Residence.
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
developed and employed primarily in the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
of the present-day United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
— buildings and various other structures indicative of the people of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and the environment and culture in which they live. Though based on imported Western styles, unique Hawaiian traits make Hawaiian architectural styles stand alone against other styles. Hawaiian architecture reflects the history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
of the islands from antiquity
Ancient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii refers to the period of Hawaiian human history preceding the unification of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great in 1810. After being first settled by Polynesian long-distance navigators sometime between AD 300–800, a unique culture developed. Diversified agroforestry and...
through the kingdom era
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
, from its territorial years
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...
to statehood
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and beyond.
The various styles through the history of Hawaii are telling of the attitudes and the spirit of its people. Hawaiian architecture is said to tell the story of how indigenous
Indigenous peoples of Oceania
The indigenous peoples of Oceania are those peoples identified as indigenous peoples, as per the modern global definition of the term.Many of the present-day Pacific Island nations in the Oceania region were originally populated by Polynesian, Melanesian and Micronesian peoples over the course of...
native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants. Native Hawaiians trace their ancestry back to the original Polynesian settlers of Hawaii.According to the U.S...
and their complex society in ancient times slowly evolved with the infusion of new styles from beyond its borders, from the early European traders, the visiting whalers
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
and fur trappers
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
from the Canadian wilderness
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the missions of the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
ers and French Catholics
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the communes of the Latter-day Saints from Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, the plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
laborer cultures from the Orient
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
to the modern American metropolis that Honolulu is today.
Antiquity
Ancient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii refers to the period of Hawaiian human history preceding the unification of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great in 1810. After being first settled by Polynesian long-distance navigators sometime between AD 300–800, a unique culture developed. Diversified agroforestry and...
—designs employed in the construction of village shelters from the simple shacks of outcasts and slaves, huts for the fishermen and canoe builders along the beachfronts, the shelters of the working class makaainana, the elaborate and sacred heiau
Heiau
A heiau is a Hawaiian temple. Many types of heiau existed, including heiau to treat the sick , offer first fruits, offer first catch, start rain, stop rain, increase the population, ensure health of the nation, achieve success in distant voyaging, reach peace, and achieve success in war . Only the...
of kahuna
Kahuna
Kahuna is a Hawaiian word, defined in the as a "Priest, sorcerer, magician, wizard, minister, expert in any profession." Forty different types of kahuna are listed in the book, Tales from the Night Rainbow...
and the palatial thatched homes on raised basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
foundation of the alii
Ali'i
Alii is a word in the Polynesian language denoting chiefly status in ancient Hawaii and the Samoa Islands. A similar word with the same concept is found in other Polynesian societies. In the Cook Islands, an ariki is a high chief and the House of Ariki is a parliamentary house...
. The way a simple grass shack was constructed in ancient Hawaii was telling of who lived in a particular home. The patterns in which dried plants and lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
were fashioned together could identify caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
, skill and trade, profession and wealth. Hawaiian architecture previous to the arrival of British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
explorer Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
used symbolism to identify religious value of the inhabitants of certain structures. Feather standards called kahili and koa adorned with kapa
Kapa
Kapa is a fabric that was made by Native Hawaiians from the bast fibres of certain species of trees and shrubs in the orders Rosales and Malvales. It is similar to tapa found elsewhere in Polynesia but differs in the methods used in its creation...
cloth and crossed at the entrance of certain homes called puloulou indicated places of alii (nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
caste). Kii
Tiki
Tiki refers to large wood and stone carvings of humanoid forms in Central Eastern Polynesian cultures of the Pacific Ocean. The term is also used in Māori mythology where Tiki is the first man, created by either Tūmatauenga or Tāne. He found the first woman, Marikoriko, in a pond – she seduced him...
enclosed within basalt walls indicated the homes of kahuna (priestly caste).
Mission
Traditional Hawaiian architecture experienced its first revolution with the arrival of CongregationalCongregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
Hiram Bingham
Hiram Bingham I
Hiram Bingham, formally Hiram Bingham I , was leader of the first group of Protestant missionaries to introduce Christianity to the Hawaiian islands.-Life:...
. Presbyterian religious families followed suit and settled in the major port towns of Honolulu
Honolulu County, Hawaii
The City and County of Honolulu is a consolidated city–county located in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The municipality and county includes both the urban district of Honolulu and the rest of the island of Oahu, as well as several minor outlying islands, including all of the Northwestern Hawaiian...
and Lāhainā. Upon their arrival, they erected the first frame houses in Hawaii, employing a style derived from the simple Congregational meeting-houses
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
and farmhouse vernacular buildings of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
.
Weatherboarding
Weatherboarding is the cladding or ‘siding’ of a house consisting of long thin timber boards that overlap one another, either vertically or horizontally on the outside of the wall. They are usually of rectangular section with parallel sides...
called clapboards
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
. The simplicity and unassuming character of these structures were derived from the puritan ideals—that plainness was a virtue of true Christians
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. As years passed, the New England style morphed into a distinctive style called Hawaiian mission architecture. New England methods and materials were replaced by methods and materials readily available to Hawaiians.
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
hewn from the reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
s of the Hawaiian Islands. Coral seemed plentiful and were comparable to bricks used for construction in New England. When Queen Kaahumanu converted to the Congregational denomination of Christianity, she commissioned the construction of a major church in what is now downtown Honolulu
Downtown Honolulu
Downtown Honolulu is the current historic, economic, governmental, and central part of Honolulu—bounded by Nuuanu Stream to the west, Ward Avenue to the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the north, and Honolulu Harbor to the south—situated within the larger Honolulu District...
. Kawaiahao Church is one of the longest-lasting relics of Hawaiian mission architecture using coral blocks. Today, Kawaiahao Church stands adjacent to the Mission Houses Museum, surviving examples of Hawaiian mission architecture using wood.
Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and of the Perpetual Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar is a Roman Catholic religious order of brothers, priests, and nuns...
under the leadership of Bishop Louis Maigret
Louis Maigret
Louis Désiré Maigret, SS.CC., , served as the first vicar apostolic of the Vicariate Apostolic of the Sandwich Islands; now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu. Born in Maille, France, Maigret was ordained to the priesthood as a member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary...
introduced their own version of Hawaiian mission architecture. The difference was that their Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace
Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace — also known by its original French name Cathédrale de Notre Dame de la Paix, its Portuguese variant Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Paz and its Hawaiian derivative Malia o ka Malu Hale Pule Nui — is the Mother Church of the Diocese of Honolulu and houses...
project was based on simple French church architecture in the basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
form. The regional twist, like the adaptation that Congregational missionaries embraced, was the use of coral blocks from the reefs of Ala Moana
Ala Moana
Ala Moana is the name of a commercial, retail and residential district of Honolulu, Hawaii nestled between Waikīkī to the east and Kakaako and Honolulu Harbor to the west...
and Kakaako
Kakaako
Kakaako is the name of a commercial and retail district of Honolulu, Hawaii between Ala Moana near Waikīkī to the east, downtown Honolulu and Honolulu Harbor to the west. Kakaako is situated along the southern shores of the island of Oahu....
. What the Picpus religious order succeeded in doing was creating the first instance of Hawaiian architecture based on continental European styles as opposed to the American puritan styles imported by the Protestants. The Picpus Fathers opened the doors to European architectural styles—classical
Classical architecture
Classical architecture is a mode of architecture employing vocabulary derived in part from the Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, enriched by classicizing architectural practice in Europe since the Renaissance...
, baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
, renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
, rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
and neoclassical
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
— that would become uniquely Hawaiian in the hands of local builders.
Gothic
The first experiment of Gothic architecture in Hawaii was undertaken by the Hawaii Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu
The Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, officially in Latin Dioecesis Honoluluensis, is an ecclesiastical territory or particular church of the Catholic Church in the United States...
. Discontent with the earliest designs of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in 1910, Bishop Libert H. Boeynaems
Libert H. Boeynaems
Libert H. Boeynaems, formally Libert Hubert John Louis Boeynaems, SS.CC., , was the fourth vicar apostolic of the Vicariate Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands — now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu....
began an ambitious project to transform the Hawaiian mission cathedral into a unique cathedral in what was to be called Hawaiian Gothic architecture. The first phase of Boeynaemes' project was the construction of an elaborate porch over the cathedral entrance. By the time it was completed, he had exhausted his financing. Such an elaborate architectural style proved too costly. His successor, Bishop Stephen Alencastre
Stephen Alencastre
Bishop Stephen Peter Alencastre, SS.CC. was the fifth and last vicar apostolic of the Vicariate Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands — now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu...
, stripped the cathedral facade of its Gothic style and financed his own renovation project. The addition of Doric columns transformed the cathedral into a simple but elegant classical building.
Kamehameha IV
Kamehameha IV, born Alexander Iolani Liholiho Keawenui , reigned as the fourth king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from January 11, 1855 to November 30, 1863.-Early life:...
assumed the throne and established the Anglican
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
Church of Hawaii
Church of Hawaii
The Church of Hawaii, originally called the Hawaiian Reformed Catholic Church, was the national church of the Kingdom of Hawaii and a member of the Anglican Communion from 1862 to 1893.-History:...
— the present-day Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii
Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii
The Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii is the ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Episcopal Church of the Anglican Communion in the United States encompassing the state of Hawaii...
. With the advice and consent of his bishop Lord Thomas Nettleship Staley
Thomas Nettleship Staley
Thomas Nettleship Staley was a British bishop of the Church of England and the first Anglican bishop of the Church of Hawaii.-Life:Thomas Nettleship Staley was born 17 January 1823 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England...
, Kamehameha IV oversaw the drafting of plans for the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew
Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, Honolulu
The Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, also commonly known as St. Andrew's Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church in the United States located in the State of Hawaii...
. Unfortunately, the king died and his brother Kamehameha V
Kamehameha V
aloghaKamehameha V , born as Lot Kapuāiwa, reigned as monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1863 to 1872. His motto was "Onipa`a": immovable, firm, steadfast or determined; he worked diligently for his people and kingdom and was described as the last great traditional chief...
was left to lay the cornerstone. Completed in 1867, the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew was the first instance of the use of vaulting
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
in Hawaii. Also, while the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace was the first to employ stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
, the royal cathedral installed larger panes as allowed by vaulting.
Other notable buildings constructed in the Hawaiian Gothic style are the Royal Mausoleum
Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii
The Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii, known as Mauna Ala in the Hawaiian language, is the final resting place of Hawaii's two prominent royal families: the Kamehameha Dynasty and the Kalākaua Dynasty.-Description:...
and the Aloha Tower
Aloha Tower
The Aloha Tower is a lighthouse that is considered one of the landmarks of the state of Hawaii in the United States. Opened on September 11, 1926, the Aloha Tower is located at Pier 9 of Honolulu Harbor. It has and continues to be a guiding beacon welcoming vessels to the City and County of Honolulu...
. Hawaiian Gothic architecture was not as widespread for the reasons Bishop Boeynaems and Bishop Alencastre found in their experiments with the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace. The elaborate treatments were too expensive and were deemed unsuitable against the backdrop of the Hawaiian environment. People believed that any Gothic building in Hawaii would look out of place.
Renaissance
House of Kamehameha
The House of Kamehameha , or the Kamehameha Dynasty, was the reigning family of the Kingdom of Hawaii between the unification of the islands by Kamehameha I in 1810 and the death of Kamehameha V in 1872...
originally planned Aliiōlani Palace
Aliiolani Hale
Aliiōlani Hale is a building located in downtown Honolulu, Hawaii, currently used as the home of the Hawaii State Supreme Court. It is the former seat of government of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the Republic of Hawaii....
to be his royal palace inspired by the sleek beauty of historic Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
structures. In the middle of its construction, the building was changed to become the kingdom's judicial center. Renaissance comes from the Italian word for rebirth. Hawaiian renaissance was therefore a rebirth of traditional Roman
Roman architecture
Ancient Roman architecture adopted certain aspects of Ancient Greek architecture, creating a new architectural style. The Romans were indebted to their Etruscan neighbors and forefathers who supplied them with a wealth of knowledge essential for future architectural solutions, such as hydraulics...
architectural principles of aesthetics but also included concepts derived from Hawaiiana
Hawaiiana
Hawaiiana is a popular term of academia used in reference to history and various aspects of the culture of Hawai'i, currently a region and state of the United States. The term is used especially in reflection of the periods of antiquity and the Kingdom of Hawai'i era. Hawaiiana has become...
. Elegant facades had petite columns and wide verandas and walls that seemed to crinkle. Curves and ornamentation were important.
When Kalākaua
Kalakaua
Kalākaua, born David Laamea Kamanakapuu Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua and sometimes called The Merrie Monarch , was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii...
became king, he shared in his predecessor's delight with Hawaiian renaissance architecture. He also shared in Kamehameha V's dream of building a world-class royal palace befitting of a modern monarchy such as that of Hawaii to rival the famed palaces of Europe. Iolani Palace was finished in 1882 and did fulfill Kalākaua's expectations. Considered the finest example of Hawaiian renaissance architecture, Iolani Palace became a world-famous royal landmark. This building is categorized as the only example of American Florentine architecture anywhere in the world.
In addition to his contributions to the development of Hawaiian renaissance architecture, Kalākaua experimented with various other styles. One of his other famous building projects was the completion of Iolani Barracks. Constructed adjacent to Iolani Palace and across the street from Aliiōlani Hale, Iolani Barracks housed the royal guards. It resembled a medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
with crenelated parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
s and towers.
Romanesque
Barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
s and groin vault
Groin vault
A groin vault or groined vault is produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults. The word groin refers to the edge between the intersecting vaults; cf. ribbed vault. Sometimes the arches of groin vaults are pointed instead of round...
s and cruciform piers for support. The various buildings of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum are in the Hawaiian Romanesque style.
Beaux-Arts and Art Deco
In the 1920s and 1930s, Beaux-Arts and Art DecoArt Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
came to be known in Hawaii. Developed in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in the late 19th century, Beaux-Arts is a form of neoclassicism
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
that combines ancient Greek and Roman architectural styles and principles into a modern form. Likewise, Art Deco is considered to be a blanket modernization of all architectural styles. Hawaiian builders created Hawaiian Beaux-Arts and Art Deco architecture by incorporating Hawaiian motifs and tropical treatments to the various parts of their projects. An example of Hawaiian Beaux-Arts is the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial in Waikīkī
Waikiki
Waikiki is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City and County of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the shoreline fronting Waikīkī....
. The most famous examples of Hawaiian Art Deco are the Hawaii Theatre
Hawaii Theatre
The Hawaii Theatre is a historic Vaudeville theatre and cinema in downtown Honolulu, Hawaii. It is listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places....
and the Schofield Barracks Historic District
Schofield Barracks, Hawai'i
Schofield Barracks is a United States Army post and census-designated place located in the City and County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the island of Oahu, Hawaii, United States. Schofield Barracks lies adjacent to the town of Wahiawā, separated from most of it by Lake Wilson...
.
International
Hawaii State Capitol
The Hawaii State Capitol is the official statehouse or capitol building of Hawaii in the United States. From its chambers, the executive and legislative branches perform the duties involved in governing the state...
is the centerpiece of Honolulu's collection of buildings in the Hawaiian international style of architecture. Developed in the 1920s and popularized in the 1960s, Bauhaus architecture
Bauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
became a widespread trend throughout the world. An American form of Bauhaus architecture called the international style
International style (architecture)
The International style is a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. The term originated from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style...
was accepted in Hawaii and became a trend especially for downtown Honolulu office buildings. Bauhaus employed classical principles in their most simplified forms without the use of heavy ornamentation. Characteristic of Bauhaus were dull colors like white, gray, beige and black and embraced open floor plans.
Bauhaus became an inspiration for Hawaii Governor
Governor of Hawaii
The Governor of Hawaii is the chief executive of the state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state...
John A. Burns
John A. Burns
John Anthony Burns served as the second Governor of Hawaii from 1962 to 1974. Born in Fort Assinniboine, Montana, Burns was a resident of Hawaii from 1913....
in his plans to construct a new capitol building for his state. The Hawaii State Capitol was true to the traditions of Bauhaus in its use of clean lines, simple geometric shapes, pervasive use of black and the gray of concrete and the openness of the entire structure. But like all other architectural imports to Hawaii, Bauhaus was transformed into a uniquely Hawaiian style with the addition of several treatments.
Hawaiian international architecture used precious indigenous koa wood for doors and furnishings and designs employed symbolism of natural Hawaiian phenomena. The capitol dome, for example, is designed to reflect the volcanic origins of the Hawaiian Islands. Beneath the dome is a mosaic by Tadashi Sato
Tadashi Sato
Tadashi Sato was an American artist. He was born in Kaupakalua on the Hawaiian island of Maui. His father had been a pineapple laborer, merchant, and calligrapher, and Tadashi’s grandfather was a sumi-e artist....
representing the frequently changing colors of the Hawaiian coastal waters. Tied into the ocean theme, the capitol is surrounded by water just as the Hawaiian Islands are surrounded. The main space of the capitol building is open to the environment with entrances facing the sea and the mountain, respectively.
Architects: Belt, Lemmon & Low (Architects Hawaii Ltd.) and John Carl Warnecke
Plantation
At the same time that the monarchy and various corporations developed downtown Honolulu with their renditions of Hawaiian renaissance styles, residential homes were being built in the outskirts of the city and elsewhere in the state. The style became known as Hawaiian plantation architecture featuring low profile wood frames, vertical plank siding and large porticos. Roofs were the most distinguishable parts of Hawaiian plantation structures as they were wide-hipped or bellcast and had eaves that were deep bracketed. When viewed against the natural Hawaiian environment, Hawaiian plantation structures look as though they blend easily with their surroundings. The style gets its name from the sugarcaneSugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
and pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s which employed the design for laborer homesteads.
By the 1970s and 1980s, the Hawaiian plantation style was headed toward extinction with the importation of popular trends from California and other western states. But a movement began in the late 1990s that revived the Hawaiian plantation style in a contemporary manner. The wide-hipped or bell-cast roofs were adapted for use in large-scale construction projects like the renovation of Ala Moana Center
Ala Moana Center
Ala Moana Center in Honolulu is the largest shopping mall in Hawaii, the fifteenth largest shopping mall in the United States, and the largest open-air shopping center in the world....
, Victoria Ward Centers
Victoria Ward Centers
Ward Centers, formerly known as Victoria Ward Centers, is a major shopping complex of various shopping centers near Waikiki at Kaka'ako in Honolulu, Hawai'i...
and the building of new towers at the Hawaiian Village Hotel
Hilton Hawaiian Village
The Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa, formerly the Kaiser Hawaiian Village Hotel, has been a popular hotel in the Waikiki area of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States since 1957. It is the largest hotel of the Hilton chain, with 3,386 rooms and with 7 towers...
. The style gained new popularity and were employed in new commercial and residential developments in West Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
especially in the new city of Kapolei
Kapolei, Hawaii
Kapolei is an unincorporated community in Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States on the island of Oahu and is colloquially known as the "second city". Second to Honolulu in size, it is not a legal municipal corporation and thus not properly a city....
. Hawaiian plantation architecture became a signature style for Hawaii and is the most recognizable Hawaiian style being exported to other parts of the globe.
Skyscrapers
Hawaii Pacific University
Hawaii Pacific University, also known as HPU, is a private, Nonsectarian, coeducational university located in Honolulu, Hawaii and Kaneohe, Hawaii. HPU founded in 1965 as Hawaii Pacific College by Paul C.T. Loo, Eureka Forbes, Elizabeth W...
at 1132 Bishop Street and the First Hawaiian Center
First Hawaiian Center
First Hawaiian Center is the tallest building in Hawaii.-Description:Located at 999 Bishop Street in downtown Honolulu near Bishop Park, the First Hawaiian Center is the world corporate headquarters of First Hawaiian Bank, Hawaii's oldest bank and multi-billion dollar company established by Charles...
at 999 Bishop Street, both in downtown Honolulu. Even skyscrapers in Hawaii could not be constructed without the addition of metaphors and symbolism tied to Hawaii's natural phenomena. For example, the First Hawaiian Center completed in 1996 employed horizontally louver
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
ed windows that framed views of the sea while vertically proportioned windows faced the mountains. A great deal of effort was made to incorporate as much natural light into the building interiors.
Perhaps Norman Lacayo was the most influential architect of the late-20th century in downtown Honolulu. He was the architect for the iconic building, Harbor Court, the anchor of the redevelopment of the downtown waterfront. Harbor Court is a multi-use building
Mixed-use development
Mixed-use development is the use of a building, set of buildings, or neighborhood for more than one purpose. Since the 1920s, zoning in some countries has required uses to be separated. However, when jobs, housing, and commercial activities are located close together, a community's transportation...
with restaurants in the lower floors and a split residential/office tower. No other building in Honolulu captures the romantic spirit of Hawaii. The stepping of the residential tower and the articulation of the office wing create a dynamic similar to the steep volcanic mountain range that borders the city. Although many of his residential towers are distributed throughout Honolulu, most are located along the Nuuanu corridor.
Evolving residential architecture
Charles William DickeyCharles William Dickey
Charles William “C.W.” Dickey was an American architect famous for developing a distinctive style of Hawaiian architecture...
from as early as 1899 expressed the concern that an architecture suitable for Hawaii's environment be developed and it is this sensitivity for which his architecture is best remembered. He strove in his turn-of-the-20th-century residential work to design houses in which "the culture of the people has asserted itself." He stressed the need for broad lanais, interior courtyards and fountains, and felt that the "California Mission
Mission Revival Style architecture
The Mission Revival Style was an architectural movement that began in the late 19th century for a colonial style's revivalism and reinterpretation, which drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century Spanish missions in California....
" style of architecture "is certainly most appropriate for Hawaii."
Continuing in the evolution of modern Hawaiian Architecture, a great number of contemporary architects have interpreted a "modern" version of Hawaiian Architecture Styles and Sensibilities. Michael Kollin expanded on the core concept of Hawaiian style through his interpretation of modern and Asian influences in the Slynstad Residence.