Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is a hotel property on the Kohala Coast of the island of Hawaii
. It sits at Kaunaoa Bay. The American Institute of Architects
(AIA) awarded the hotel an Honor Award in 1967 citing its "restrained detailing and fine spacial sequences." In 2007, the hotel received honors again from the AIA as it made the top 150 of its "America's Favorite Architecture" list.
and it was designed by Edward Charles Bassett
for the firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
. It opened in 1965.
Original plans were to use architect John Carl Warnecke
and build a series of small cottages, but those plans were abandoned. Instead firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
was hired to use a modern style.
The open-air design allowed natural ventilation from the trade winds, although rooms had air conditioning available. The hotel finally opened in July 1965, one of the most expensive at the time. Hotels with similar designs would be built along the Kohala coast over the next decades.
Ranch owner Richard Smart
negotiated a long term lease of the land. The hotel was named Mauna Kea Beach Hotel for the mountain Mauna Kea
which is visible above the bay when not obscured by clouds.
The hotel closed due to structural damage caused by the 2006 Hawaii earthquake
. After a $150 million renovation, the hotel reopened in December, 2008.
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
. It sits at Kaunaoa Bay. The American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
(AIA) awarded the hotel an Honor Award in 1967 citing its "restrained detailing and fine spacial sequences." In 2007, the hotel received honors again from the AIA as it made the top 150 of its "America's Favorite Architecture" list.
History
The development of the hotel was financed by Laurance S. RockefellerLaurance Rockefeller
Laurance Spelman Rockefeller was a venture capitalist, financier, philanthropist, a major conservationist and a prominent third-generation member of the Rockefeller family. He was the fourth child of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and brother to John D...
and it was designed by Edward Charles Bassett
Edward Charles Bassett
Edward Charles Bassett was an American architect.Born in Port Huron, Michigan, Bassett was a Fellow at the American Academy in Rome in 1970, and served as design partner in the San Francisco office of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill for 26 years, from 1955 through his retirement in 1981 .Bassett's...
for the firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP is an American architectural and engineering firm that was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John O. Merrill. They opened their first branch in New York City, New York in 1937. SOM is one of the largest...
. It opened in 1965.
Original plans were to use architect John Carl Warnecke
John Carl Warnecke
John Carl Warnecke was an architect based in San Francisco, California, who designed numerous notable monuments and structures in the Modernist, Bauhaus, and other similar styles. He was an early proponent of contextual architecture. Among his more notable buildings and projects are the Hawaii...
and build a series of small cottages, but those plans were abandoned. Instead firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP is an American architectural and engineering firm that was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John O. Merrill. They opened their first branch in New York City, New York in 1937. SOM is one of the largest...
was hired to use a modern style.
The open-air design allowed natural ventilation from the trade winds, although rooms had air conditioning available. The hotel finally opened in July 1965, one of the most expensive at the time. Hotels with similar designs would be built along the Kohala coast over the next decades.
Ranch owner Richard Smart
Richard Smart (actor)
Richard Palmer Kaleioku Smart was a musical theatre actor and singer who became owner of the largest private ranch in Hawaii.-Early life:...
negotiated a long term lease of the land. The hotel was named Mauna Kea Beach Hotel for the mountain Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea is a volcano on the island of Hawaii. Standing above sea level, its peak is the highest point in the state of Hawaii. However, much of the mountain is under water; when measured from its oceanic base, Mauna Kea is over tall—significantly taller than Mount Everest...
which is visible above the bay when not obscured by clouds.
The hotel closed due to structural damage caused by the 2006 Hawaii earthquake
2006 Hawaii earthquake
The 2006 Hawaii earthquake was an offshore earthquake occurring southwest from Puakō and north of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, just offshore of the Kona Airport, on Sunday October 15, 2006 at 7:07:49 AM local time . It measured 6.7 on the moment magnitude scale, and was located at , at a depth of...
. After a $150 million renovation, the hotel reopened in December, 2008.