Hawaii Architecture - Along Ala Moana Blvd
On the latest visit, I spent a couple mornings in the area around Ala Moana Beach Park. My eclectic finds: a high rise by Minoru Yamasaki, art deco details at the beach park, and a new pedestrian bridge and park in Ward Village.
1350 Ala Moana
I didn’t know there were a couple of projects by noted architect Minoru Yamasaki in Honolulu until another architecture aficionado let me know. He also mentioned the work of Alfred Yee with whom Yamasaki worked with on 1350 Ala Moana.
After numerous trips home to help take care of my aging parents, I finally managed to get reasonably up close to take a few photos.
Description from Library of Congress:
1350 Ala Moana is associated with the expansion of Hawai`i’s post-Statehood population and the emergence of the high rise apartment as a pervasive building type in the Modern period in Honolulu architecture (1955-79).
At the time of construction in 1968, 1350 Ala Moana became the state’s tallest building at 33 stories, surpassing the previous record holder, the Ala Moana Building. It remained the tallest building in the state until 1970. The building is also significant as an excellent example of Hawai`i Modernism and the work of a master, architect Minoru Yamasaki.
The building’s engineer, Alfred Yee, is also known for his pioneering work in Honolulu high rise construction. The building is an excellent example of regional Modern high rise architecture, distinguished by its rectangular footprint, clean lines, and distinctive lanai design.
Ala Moana Beach Park
One morning I took a walk/jog at Ala Moana Beach Park to photograph this simple, yet elegant bridge. The photos above were taken looking Mauka (towards the mountains). The popular Ala Moana Shopping Center can be seen across the street in the background.
I found this description online by Peter T Young (August 15, 2023):
The City and County of Honolulu started cleaning up the Ala Moana area in 1931. They used funds provided by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal Project to create a city park in the Ala Moana area.
In 1933, Harry Sims Bent was chosen as the park architect for the City and County of Honolulu. Bent’s design went beyond the modern level and into the realm of art deco, allowing for play, as well as contact with nature. His works at Ala Moana include the canal bridge, entrance portals, sports pavilion, banyan courtyard and the lawn bowling green.
Entry Portal
I returned another morning to take a closer look at the entry portal. Growing up, I was familiar driving through the portal but had not taken the time to walk around the larger semi-circular pavilion. It’s a handsome structure, though in need of a little TLC.
Pedestrian Bridge and Victoria Ward Park
When I learned this pedestrian bridge across 6-lane Ala Moana Blvd was open, I had to check it out for myself. I got a coffee at Ward Center and started at Victoria Ward Park, strolling along wide winding pathways, enjoying public art along the way.
The park was designed by Vita Planning and Landscape Architecture. The first phase of the park covers 1.4 acres from the edge of Ala Moana Boulevard inland, and is now open. The second phase, covering roughly 2 acres higher inland and more nestled in the Ward Village development, will finish construction later this year.
