Hawaiian architecture
Hawaiian architecture reflects the history of the islands from antiquity through the kingdom era, from its territorial years to statehood and beyond.
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 Canada, the missions of the New Englanders and French Catholics, the communes of the Latter-day Saints from Utah, the plantation labourer cultures from Asia to the modern international metropolis that Honolulu is today.
The earliest form of Hawaiian architecture originates from what is called ancient Hawaiʻi—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 makaʻainana, the elaborate and sacred heiau of kahuna and the palatial thatched homes on raised basalt foundation of the aliʻi.
Hawaiian architecture previous to the arrival of British explorer Captain James Cook used symbolism to identify religious value of the inhabitants of certain structures.
A hale (pronounced HAH-lay)[1] is a structure built using natural Hawaiian materials and designs that were prevalent during the 19th century in Hawaii.
Upon their arrival, they erected the first frame houses in Hawaiʻi, employing a style derived from the simple Congregational meeting-houses and farmhouse vernacular buildings of New England.
When Queen Kaʻahumanu converted to the Congregational denomination of Christianity, she commissioned the construction of a major church in what is now downtown Honolulu.
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 Kakaʻako.
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.
His successor, Bishop Stephen Alencastre, stripped the cathedral facade of its Gothic style and financed his own renovation project.
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.
Commissioned in 1850, the last king of the House of Kamehameha originally planned Aliʻiōlani Hale to be his royal palace inspired by the sleek beauty of historic Italian structures.
Hawaiian renaissance was therefore a rebirth of traditional Roman architectural principles of aesthetics but also included concepts derived from Hawaiiana.
Considered the finest example of Hawaiian renaissance architecture, ʻIolani Palace became a world-famous royal landmark.
[citation needed][note 1] In addition to his contributions to the development of Hawaiian renaissance architecture, Kalākaua experimented with various other styles.
An American form of Bauhaus architecture called the international style was accepted in Hawaiʻi and became a trend especially for downtown Honolulu office buildings.
Characteristic of Bauhaus were dull colors like white, gray, beige and black and embraced open floor plans.
The Hawaiʻi 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.
Beneath the dome is a mosaic by Tadashi Sato representing the frequently changing colors of the Hawaiian coastal waters.
The style became known as Hawaiian plantation architecture featuring low profile wood frames, vertical plank siding and large porticos.
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.
He stressed the need for broad lānais, interior courtyards and fountains, and felt that the "California Mission" style of architecture "is certainly most appropriate for Hawaiʻi."
