By Pat Gee , Honolulu Star Advertiser
Nine new signs mark historically significant areas at the Pearl Harbor Naval Station, a national landmark indelibly linked with the Japanese attack that prompted the United States' entrance into World War II.
The signs were dedicated yesterday by Capt. Richard Kitchens, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam commander. They are described by the U.S. National Park Service as wayside exhibits which serve as "captions on the landscape."
Jim Neuman, Navy Region Hawaii historian, said, "There's a lot of history in Pearl Harbor that has never been talked about or properly marked. This is only a beginning; we're barely scratching the surface. ... This is for people who work here, to show them the history of the place, and for the education of visitors," he said.
Neuman came up with the idea a year ago to install the exhibits, which are 2 by 3 feet in size, and cost $50,000. They are similar to the ones used by the U.S. National Park Service around the country.
The ceremony was held at Hospital Point on a day that coincided with the 112th anniversary of President William McKinley's authorization of the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps, a Navy release said.
Markers are located at:
Hospital Point: A hospital served the Pearl Harbor community here from 1917 until a new hospital opened in Aiea in 1942. The point is also home to a memorial for the crew of the USS Nevada, the only battleship to get underway during the Japanese bombing on Dec. 7, 1941.
Ford Island: A naval air station was established here in 1923 and functioned until 1962.
Coaling Station: The station, completed in 1918, provided fuel for the harbor vessels.
Marine Barracks: Puller Hall, built in 1913, is one of the oldest buildings through which thousands of Marines passed on their way to Pacific battlefields.
Shipyard: For more than 100 years the shipyard serviced Navy vessels, earning the motto, "We keep them fit to fight."
Hale Ali‘i: From about 1915 this has been a place of respite to high-ranking officers in peace and war.
Merry Point Landing: In 1840 Commodore Charles Wilkes conducted the first American survey of the inlet that would eventually become known as Pearl Harbor.
Submarine Base: A home to Pacific Fleet submarines since the 1920s and the Submarine Memorial Park.
Kuahua: Once an island, the area now known as Kuahua Peninsula has seen the transformation from ammunition storage to a supply center.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
National Trust Names New President
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has named Stephanie Meeks as President.
In an email to partner organizations on June 14, Cliff Hudson, president of the board of trustees, said, “I am very pleased to tell you that Stephanie Meeks, an experienced non-profit leader, has accepted our invitation to become the National Trust's eighth president. The board voted yesterday to approve the unanimous recommendation of the search committee, which I have been privileged to chair, and this morning I had the pleasure of introducing her to the staff here in Washington.”
“All of us who have met Stephanie believe she is the ideal person to lead the organization at this critical point in its history. Her long-time membership in the National Trust and unmistakable passion for our work, combined with impressive experience in leading large organizations, including The Nature Conservancy and most recently Counterpart International equips her superbly to take the National Trust to the next level of effectiveness,” said Hudson. “We are all enthusiastic about working with her in the years ahead, and I believe you will be too when you get to know her.” Meeks’ biography can be found on www.preservationnation.org.
Meeks, 45, lives with her husband and three children in Falls Church, Virginia but hails from Colorado. "It is with great enthusiasm and respect," she said, "that I look forward to joining the National Trust for Historic Preservation next month,” she said. “It is an important organization with an important mission, and I enthusiastically embrace the opportunity to build on the remarkable foundation laid by Richard Moe over the past seventeen years. Holding true to the values of preserving the nation's heritage, I hope to expand upon his work to broaden the reach of the National Trust to encompass the protection of consequential places at the heart of all of our communities. At this time in our history, we have an opportunity – and a need – to embrace what makes our individual communities unique and authentic and celebrate and preserve those qualities."
President Emeritus Richard Moe said he shares the excitement and enthusiasm surrounding Meeks’ election: "She has the perfect combination of talents and experiences to lead the National Trust and the preservation movement toward greater impact and relevance, particularly in areas like sustainability and economic development. She and the National Trust clearly have many shared values, and I look forward to working closely with her on the transition in the months ahead. I congratulate the search committee and the board for making such a superb choice, and I ask everyone in the National Trust family of friends to give Stephanie the same support you have given me, and even more. Believe me, the possibilities for the National Trust and for historic preservation are unlimited."
Meeks will assume office at the Trust in July.
In an email to partner organizations on June 14, Cliff Hudson, president of the board of trustees, said, “I am very pleased to tell you that Stephanie Meeks, an experienced non-profit leader, has accepted our invitation to become the National Trust's eighth president. The board voted yesterday to approve the unanimous recommendation of the search committee, which I have been privileged to chair, and this morning I had the pleasure of introducing her to the staff here in Washington.”
“All of us who have met Stephanie believe she is the ideal person to lead the organization at this critical point in its history. Her long-time membership in the National Trust and unmistakable passion for our work, combined with impressive experience in leading large organizations, including The Nature Conservancy and most recently Counterpart International equips her superbly to take the National Trust to the next level of effectiveness,” said Hudson. “We are all enthusiastic about working with her in the years ahead, and I believe you will be too when you get to know her.” Meeks’ biography can be found on www.preservationnation.org.
Meeks, 45, lives with her husband and three children in Falls Church, Virginia but hails from Colorado. "It is with great enthusiasm and respect," she said, "that I look forward to joining the National Trust for Historic Preservation next month,” she said. “It is an important organization with an important mission, and I enthusiastically embrace the opportunity to build on the remarkable foundation laid by Richard Moe over the past seventeen years. Holding true to the values of preserving the nation's heritage, I hope to expand upon his work to broaden the reach of the National Trust to encompass the protection of consequential places at the heart of all of our communities. At this time in our history, we have an opportunity – and a need – to embrace what makes our individual communities unique and authentic and celebrate and preserve those qualities."
President Emeritus Richard Moe said he shares the excitement and enthusiasm surrounding Meeks’ election: "She has the perfect combination of talents and experiences to lead the National Trust and the preservation movement toward greater impact and relevance, particularly in areas like sustainability and economic development. She and the National Trust clearly have many shared values, and I look forward to working closely with her on the transition in the months ahead. I congratulate the search committee and the board for making such a superb choice, and I ask everyone in the National Trust family of friends to give Stephanie the same support you have given me, and even more. Believe me, the possibilities for the National Trust and for historic preservation are unlimited."
Meeks will assume office at the Trust in July.
Toothman Named NPS Cultural Resources Director
The National Park Service (NPS) named Stephanie Toothman, PhD to be Associate Director for Cultural Resources. NPS director Jonathan Jarvis spoke of Toothman’s “…enviable knowledge of cultural resources, strong leadership skills, and long history of developing and maintaining successful partnerships…” As Associate Director, Toothman will be responsible for the management of all historic and cultural properties within the national park system, as well as the administration of dozens of programs including but not limited to grants, tax credit programs, outreach, documentation programs like the National Register of Historic Places and HABS, guidelines and standards, Section 106 and NAGPRA.
Toothman is a 32 year veteran of the National Park Service, serving most recently as the Chief of Cultural Resources in the Pacific West.
The position of associate director for cultural resources, previously held by Jan Matthews, has been vacant since December 2009.
Toothman is a 32 year veteran of the National Park Service, serving most recently as the Chief of Cultural Resources in the Pacific West.
The position of associate director for cultural resources, previously held by Jan Matthews, has been vacant since December 2009.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Feds to restore Midway hangar
By Audrey McAvoy
Associated Press
The federal government plans to spend several million dollars restoring a historic seaplane hangar that played a key role in the Battle of Midway during World War II.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which runs a nature reserve at the remote atoll of Midway 1,300 miles northwest of Honolulu, announced the plan yesterday on the 68th anniversary of the battle.
"This is an iconic symbol of the Battle of Midway," said Barbara Maxfield, a Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman. "We have an obligation to those veterans and their families ... to save what we can."
The battle took place seven months after Japan's Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. U.S. naval forces crushed a Japanese attempt to seize the strategic island, marking a turning point in the war against Japan.
A Japanese victory would have made Hawai'i and even the U.S. West Coast vulnerable to attack. Instead, the U.S. sank four Japanese aircraft carriers.
The hangar housed amphibious planes that spotted Japanese ships nearing Midway during a scouting patrol mission before the battle. This helped the U.S. prepare for the Japanese navy's arrival.
The hangar was hit twice during the war, once on the night of the Pearl Harbor attack and then again during the June 1942 battle.
The Fish and Wildlife Service uses the hangar today to store construction materials, large vehicles and cranes it uses to offload vessels.
The building is missing windows and its roof has holes, allowing rain and saltwater to leak inside.
The agency says it needs to make the roof watertight and remove some hangar doors so a wall can be stabilized. It also must remove asbestos and lead paint.
"The time is now for this structure or we may lose it," Maxfield said.
The agency expects to complete a detailed restoration plan this year, while the repair work itself is due to start next year.
Maxfield said the agency isn't sure exactly how much the restoration will cost, but estimates the total will be several million dollars.
Associated Press
The federal government plans to spend several million dollars restoring a historic seaplane hangar that played a key role in the Battle of Midway during World War II.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which runs a nature reserve at the remote atoll of Midway 1,300 miles northwest of Honolulu, announced the plan yesterday on the 68th anniversary of the battle.
"This is an iconic symbol of the Battle of Midway," said Barbara Maxfield, a Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman. "We have an obligation to those veterans and their families ... to save what we can."
The battle took place seven months after Japan's Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. U.S. naval forces crushed a Japanese attempt to seize the strategic island, marking a turning point in the war against Japan.
A Japanese victory would have made Hawai'i and even the U.S. West Coast vulnerable to attack. Instead, the U.S. sank four Japanese aircraft carriers.
The hangar housed amphibious planes that spotted Japanese ships nearing Midway during a scouting patrol mission before the battle. This helped the U.S. prepare for the Japanese navy's arrival.
The hangar was hit twice during the war, once on the night of the Pearl Harbor attack and then again during the June 1942 battle.
The Fish and Wildlife Service uses the hangar today to store construction materials, large vehicles and cranes it uses to offload vessels.
The building is missing windows and its roof has holes, allowing rain and saltwater to leak inside.
The agency says it needs to make the roof watertight and remove some hangar doors so a wall can be stabilized. It also must remove asbestos and lead paint.
"The time is now for this structure or we may lose it," Maxfield said.
The agency expects to complete a detailed restoration plan this year, while the repair work itself is due to start next year.
Maxfield said the agency isn't sure exactly how much the restoration will cost, but estimates the total will be several million dollars.
Historic kū reunited at Bishop Museum
By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser Staff Writer
History was made yesterday as the Bishop Museum debuted three ancient kū brought to the Islands from England and Massachusetts.
The exhibit of carved figures will be open for public viewing Saturday through Oct. 4 at the newly renovated Hawaiian Hall.
Two of the kū returned to Hawai'i for the first time in more than a century since they were given to the British Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts.
They are the last three of their type and size — each about 6 feet tall and more than 800 pounds — known to exist in the world.
Kū typically represent different aspects of life: prosperity, warfare and procreation. The kū on display are the art of carving Kū, Na Maka O Kū; the many faces of Kū; and the politics of Kū.
The three kū stand together in the center of the Hawaiian Hall with a related interpretive display in the nearby J.M. Long Gallery.
"This exhibit represents a new chapter in the museum history," said Blair Collis, Bishop Museum chief operating officer. "It's an opportunity to welcome a living culture. The museum is not just a place to preserve culture, but to celebrate a living culture."
The kū from England was carved out of breadfruit tree wood with metal tools.
When it arrived in Honolulu this week, it was briefly detained because the box said it contained breadfruit, said Jonathan King, British Museum keeper. But it was soon discovered that it was not fruit, but an ancient statue.
It is believed to have been carved between 1790 and 1810, King said.
"We don't know when they were taken away," King said. "The research has only just begun."
The exhibit has been in the making for more than 30 years. It was made possible by a grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Hawaiian Airlines, said Donalyn Dela Cruz, museum spokeswoman.
Advertiser Staff Writer
History was made yesterday as the Bishop Museum debuted three ancient kū brought to the Islands from England and Massachusetts.
The exhibit of carved figures will be open for public viewing Saturday through Oct. 4 at the newly renovated Hawaiian Hall.
Two of the kū returned to Hawai'i for the first time in more than a century since they were given to the British Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts.
They are the last three of their type and size — each about 6 feet tall and more than 800 pounds — known to exist in the world.
Kū typically represent different aspects of life: prosperity, warfare and procreation. The kū on display are the art of carving Kū, Na Maka O Kū; the many faces of Kū; and the politics of Kū.
The three kū stand together in the center of the Hawaiian Hall with a related interpretive display in the nearby J.M. Long Gallery.
"This exhibit represents a new chapter in the museum history," said Blair Collis, Bishop Museum chief operating officer. "It's an opportunity to welcome a living culture. The museum is not just a place to preserve culture, but to celebrate a living culture."
The kū from England was carved out of breadfruit tree wood with metal tools.
When it arrived in Honolulu this week, it was briefly detained because the box said it contained breadfruit, said Jonathan King, British Museum keeper. But it was soon discovered that it was not fruit, but an ancient statue.
It is believed to have been carved between 1790 and 1810, King said.
"We don't know when they were taken away," King said. "The research has only just begun."
The exhibit has been in the making for more than 30 years. It was made possible by a grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Hawaiian Airlines, said Donalyn Dela Cruz, museum spokeswoman.
Volcano House may be closed till June 2012
Associated Press
VOLCANO, Hawaii — Volcano House will remain closed longer than expected.
The hotel and restaurant atop Kilauea on the Big Island was closed at the start of the year for a $3.5 million renovation.
An initial March deadline for concessioners to submit bids to operate Volcano House envisioned it to reopen this coming January.
But the deadline was pushed back to the end of June and has now been extended to Aug. 3 as the National Park Service amended details of the contract prospectus.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando said Thursday that the reopening could be delayed until June 2012.
The park service wanted a 12.5 percent of gross receipts, up from 5 percent paid most recently. The new figure is 9 percent.
___
Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, http://www.hilohawaiitribune.com
VOLCANO, Hawaii — Volcano House will remain closed longer than expected.
The hotel and restaurant atop Kilauea on the Big Island was closed at the start of the year for a $3.5 million renovation.
An initial March deadline for concessioners to submit bids to operate Volcano House envisioned it to reopen this coming January.
But the deadline was pushed back to the end of June and has now been extended to Aug. 3 as the National Park Service amended details of the contract prospectus.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando said Thursday that the reopening could be delayed until June 2012.
The park service wanted a 12.5 percent of gross receipts, up from 5 percent paid most recently. The new figure is 9 percent.
___
Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, http://www.hilohawaiitribune.com
20 'heritage sites' get roadside signs
Advertiser Staff
The Hawai'i Tourism Authority has launched a marketing campaign that includes new roadside markers at 20 points of interest across the state it has designated as Heritage Sites
The campaign is an upgrade of the decades-old roadside "warrior" marker program run by the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau, the agency HTA contracts to market Hawai'i in North America.
The new roadside markers combine the old red, brown and yellow warrior image with an additional panel that reads "Heritage Site of Hawai'i."
As well as the roadside markers, the campaign includes a guide on its website (www.gohawaii.com) in four languages with photos, descriptions and backgrounds of the various sites.
"Most of the sites have interpretive signage or tours to help educate visitors about the importance and history of the location," the HTA said on its website.
The sites:
O'AHU
• National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl
• World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument at Pearl Harbor
• Diamond Head State Monument
• 'Iolani Palace State Monument
• Ka Iwi State Scenic Shoreline, Makapu'u Trail
• Queen Emma Summer Palace
• Nu'uanu Pali State Wayside
KAUA'I
• Kīlauea Lighthouse at Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge
• Waimea Canyon State Park
LāNA'I
• Kaunolū Village
BIG ISLAND
• 'Akaka Falls State Park
• Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park
• Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
• Lapakahi State Historical Park
• Pu'uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park
• Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park
• Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site
MAUI
• Haleakalā National Park
• 'Iao Valley State Monument
MOLOKA'I
• Kalaupapa Lookout at the Pālā'au State Park
The Hawai'i Tourism Authority has launched a marketing campaign that includes new roadside markers at 20 points of interest across the state it has designated as Heritage Sites
The campaign is an upgrade of the decades-old roadside "warrior" marker program run by the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau, the agency HTA contracts to market Hawai'i in North America.
The new roadside markers combine the old red, brown and yellow warrior image with an additional panel that reads "Heritage Site of Hawai'i."
As well as the roadside markers, the campaign includes a guide on its website (www.gohawaii.com) in four languages with photos, descriptions and backgrounds of the various sites.
"Most of the sites have interpretive signage or tours to help educate visitors about the importance and history of the location," the HTA said on its website.
The sites:
O'AHU
• National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl
• World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument at Pearl Harbor
• Diamond Head State Monument
• 'Iolani Palace State Monument
• Ka Iwi State Scenic Shoreline, Makapu'u Trail
• Queen Emma Summer Palace
• Nu'uanu Pali State Wayside
KAUA'I
• Kīlauea Lighthouse at Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge
• Waimea Canyon State Park
LāNA'I
• Kaunolū Village
BIG ISLAND
• 'Akaka Falls State Park
• Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park
• Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
• Lapakahi State Historical Park
• Pu'uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park
• Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park
• Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site
MAUI
• Haleakalā National Park
• 'Iao Valley State Monument
MOLOKA'I
• Kalaupapa Lookout at the Pālā'au State Park
Architect Hara's touch is all around
By Lee Cataluna
When John Hara put together a book chronicling his 40 years of architecture in Hawai'i, the result was as understated yet inspiring as the man himself.
Inside the plain black cover, which bears just the name of his company, are photographs of some of the best examples of contemporary Hawai'i architecture — buildings you've visited and loved, though maybe you weren't sure why. Perhaps it was the way the sunlight filled a courtyard, or how tradewinds cooled the rooms, or that feeling of being in Hawai'i without anything obvious telling you so.
Talking over lunch at the Honolulu Academy of Arts Pavilion Caf , which he designed, Hara gestured to the original 1927 building.
"I have a picture of myself attending art classes here when I was in the fifth grade," he said.
Hara was born in Honolulu in 1939 and grew up on Nu'uanu Street, before it was Nu'uanu Avenue, near where the Pali Longs is now. His father, Ernest Hara, was an architect who had an office in the back of his grandfather's plumbing shop.
"My father went to USC in the 1930s, and came back during World War II. There were no architects in private practice at that time, so he went to work for the Army Corps of Engineers."
After the war, his father started his own business, mostly designing homes for nisei families who had saved up the money to move off the plantations and build their own houses.
"My father was an architect, but I never really worked with him. There are aesthetic differences," Hara said. "His main thing was to make people happy."
Hara graduated from Punahou in 1957. He was a "fairly serious musician" who played oboe for the Honolulu Symphony while in high school. He went to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he played chamber music and made side money playing in church.
"Coincidentally, it was the best school for architecture," he said. His teachers included renowned architects Louis Kahn, Robert Venture and Romaldo Giurgola, who would become a lifelong friend.
Hara graduated in 1962.
"After graduation, I decided since I was on the East Coast, I might as well see Europe, so I bought a one-way ticket and went to work for one of my former professors in the south of France," Hara said.
He worked in Europe for several years before he came home to teach architectural design at the University of Hawai'i. He established John Hara Associates in 1970.
Over the years, his firm, which he has deliberately kept small, has worked on some of the biggest projects in town.
He envisioned the Mamiya Science Center at Punahou School, which endeavored to "make science visible" by using glass walls and lots of windows and natural light in the classrooms. He designed the Case Middle School on the Punahou campus, which has a LEED gold certification and won a slew of awards. He built Kamehameha Schools' Kunuiakea Athletic Field Complex.
He also worked on many homes, both designing new residences and renovating existing houses. His book shows the floor plans and photographs of elegant homes in Kāhala, Diamond Head and the heights overlooking Honolulu.
In one project, he took on a house designed by one of the fathers of Hawai'i architecture, Charles W. Dickey. Hara took off the famous Dickey signature roof, which had been damaged, and replaced it. He also renovated the existing structure.
"We left what we could of the original walls, because that cannot be replicated today," he said. "Where we added new, we made it clear that it was an addition rather than try to match it exactly. It's difficult to mimic a 75-year-old wall, so we don't try. Trying to copy what was done, that's not my thing."
The Maui Arts and Cultural Center was a long-term project that started with initial discussions in 1983 and didn't begin construction until 1993. The planning committee, headed by the late Pundy Yokouchi, wanted community input to inform the design. Hara is still working on an addition to the MACC, a pavilion named in Yokouchi's honor.
Another project described in the book is Hara's work on the Big Island's Mauna Kea Beach Hotel after the 2006 earthquake. He and his wife, Marie, a writer and UH English professor, had honeymooned there when it was new.
"I think I took more photos of the buildings than (of) my wife," he jokes. His challenge was to restore the grace and elegance of the original hotel but update the 1960s-style rooms.
"The sense of what the old hotel meant was articulated by the old-time guests, who saw the renovations and said, 'Great! You didn't screw it up!' " he said.
The idea to gather all these projects into a book came from Giurgola, his former professor and dear friend, a man Hara calls "one of the last great architects." Giurgola was visiting and they were driving near the Ala Wai when he said, "John, I've been thinking ..." and Hara thought, "Oh, no!"
Giurgola suggested that his associate Pamille Berg serve as writer on the project.
"You need someone who understands architecture to write about architecture, and she does," Hara said.
The book is organized chronologically, with selected buildings representing four decades of work. The text describes the design challenges of each project and draws attention to sometimes subtle yet magical details, as in this description of the stone wall at the MACC:
"As an echo of cultural tradition and a sense of celebration of place, the buildings are elevated above the adjoining terrain on a platform partially enclosed by a massive hand-built, dry-stone masonry wall by Thomas Kamaka Emmsley in the ancient Hawaiian tradition. Unmistakable quiet references to the tradition of Hawaiian architecture occur in the use of the lanai as a unifying sheltered arcade which links and defines the Center's form."
Hara isn't selling the book. He's giving it away to friends and clients. His former students have asked for copies.
"The test will be how many show up at the Friends of the Library sale," he jokes.
Next for his firm is the UH-West O'ahu campus. Construction is scheduled to begin in August.
His design is informed by the history of plantation architecture in that area, "but played out in an abstract concept," he said. "We should not forget history, but perhaps it should not be replicated."
When John Hara put together a book chronicling his 40 years of architecture in Hawai'i, the result was as understated yet inspiring as the man himself.
Inside the plain black cover, which bears just the name of his company, are photographs of some of the best examples of contemporary Hawai'i architecture — buildings you've visited and loved, though maybe you weren't sure why. Perhaps it was the way the sunlight filled a courtyard, or how tradewinds cooled the rooms, or that feeling of being in Hawai'i without anything obvious telling you so.
Talking over lunch at the Honolulu Academy of Arts Pavilion Caf , which he designed, Hara gestured to the original 1927 building.
"I have a picture of myself attending art classes here when I was in the fifth grade," he said.
Hara was born in Honolulu in 1939 and grew up on Nu'uanu Street, before it was Nu'uanu Avenue, near where the Pali Longs is now. His father, Ernest Hara, was an architect who had an office in the back of his grandfather's plumbing shop.
"My father went to USC in the 1930s, and came back during World War II. There were no architects in private practice at that time, so he went to work for the Army Corps of Engineers."
After the war, his father started his own business, mostly designing homes for nisei families who had saved up the money to move off the plantations and build their own houses.
"My father was an architect, but I never really worked with him. There are aesthetic differences," Hara said. "His main thing was to make people happy."
Hara graduated from Punahou in 1957. He was a "fairly serious musician" who played oboe for the Honolulu Symphony while in high school. He went to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he played chamber music and made side money playing in church.
"Coincidentally, it was the best school for architecture," he said. His teachers included renowned architects Louis Kahn, Robert Venture and Romaldo Giurgola, who would become a lifelong friend.
Hara graduated in 1962.
"After graduation, I decided since I was on the East Coast, I might as well see Europe, so I bought a one-way ticket and went to work for one of my former professors in the south of France," Hara said.
He worked in Europe for several years before he came home to teach architectural design at the University of Hawai'i. He established John Hara Associates in 1970.
Over the years, his firm, which he has deliberately kept small, has worked on some of the biggest projects in town.
He envisioned the Mamiya Science Center at Punahou School, which endeavored to "make science visible" by using glass walls and lots of windows and natural light in the classrooms. He designed the Case Middle School on the Punahou campus, which has a LEED gold certification and won a slew of awards. He built Kamehameha Schools' Kunuiakea Athletic Field Complex.
He also worked on many homes, both designing new residences and renovating existing houses. His book shows the floor plans and photographs of elegant homes in Kāhala, Diamond Head and the heights overlooking Honolulu.
In one project, he took on a house designed by one of the fathers of Hawai'i architecture, Charles W. Dickey. Hara took off the famous Dickey signature roof, which had been damaged, and replaced it. He also renovated the existing structure.
"We left what we could of the original walls, because that cannot be replicated today," he said. "Where we added new, we made it clear that it was an addition rather than try to match it exactly. It's difficult to mimic a 75-year-old wall, so we don't try. Trying to copy what was done, that's not my thing."
The Maui Arts and Cultural Center was a long-term project that started with initial discussions in 1983 and didn't begin construction until 1993. The planning committee, headed by the late Pundy Yokouchi, wanted community input to inform the design. Hara is still working on an addition to the MACC, a pavilion named in Yokouchi's honor.
Another project described in the book is Hara's work on the Big Island's Mauna Kea Beach Hotel after the 2006 earthquake. He and his wife, Marie, a writer and UH English professor, had honeymooned there when it was new.
"I think I took more photos of the buildings than (of) my wife," he jokes. His challenge was to restore the grace and elegance of the original hotel but update the 1960s-style rooms.
"The sense of what the old hotel meant was articulated by the old-time guests, who saw the renovations and said, 'Great! You didn't screw it up!' " he said.
The idea to gather all these projects into a book came from Giurgola, his former professor and dear friend, a man Hara calls "one of the last great architects." Giurgola was visiting and they were driving near the Ala Wai when he said, "John, I've been thinking ..." and Hara thought, "Oh, no!"
Giurgola suggested that his associate Pamille Berg serve as writer on the project.
"You need someone who understands architecture to write about architecture, and she does," Hara said.
The book is organized chronologically, with selected buildings representing four decades of work. The text describes the design challenges of each project and draws attention to sometimes subtle yet magical details, as in this description of the stone wall at the MACC:
"As an echo of cultural tradition and a sense of celebration of place, the buildings are elevated above the adjoining terrain on a platform partially enclosed by a massive hand-built, dry-stone masonry wall by Thomas Kamaka Emmsley in the ancient Hawaiian tradition. Unmistakable quiet references to the tradition of Hawaiian architecture occur in the use of the lanai as a unifying sheltered arcade which links and defines the Center's form."
Hara isn't selling the book. He's giving it away to friends and clients. His former students have asked for copies.
"The test will be how many show up at the Friends of the Library sale," he jokes.
Next for his firm is the UH-West O'ahu campus. Construction is scheduled to begin in August.
His design is informed by the history of plantation architecture in that area, "but played out in an abstract concept," he said. "We should not forget history, but perhaps it should not be replicated."
Harmonious restoration
By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer
As 'Iolani Palace unveils its newly refurbished Music Room in October, it will be a triumph of art and passion over drudgery and detail.
The palace, built in 1882, was the home of King Kalākaua and his queen, Kapi'olani, and, later, Queen Lili'uokalani. After the overthrow of the monarchy in 1893, many of its treasured furnishings were lost, and it gradually fell into disrepair.
The goal has been to bring the Music Room back to its initial stature. Leading the team charged with that monumental task, 'Iolani Palace curator Stuart Ching has morphed into many things: archivist, archaeologist, coach, conservator, diplomat and super sleuth. He's a little bit Indiana Jones, Dave Shoji, Henry Kissinger and James Bond all in one.
Ching brought together a team of experts from all over the country and worked with companies worldwide to restore the room and create replicas of everything inside it, from fabrics printed more than 200 years ago to handcrafted furnishings. His team includes, for example, Mark Harpainter, a furniture conservator from Berkeley who worked on pieces that once belonged to Marie Antoinette.
For centuries, beloved items that belonged in 'Iolani Palace were unknowingly bought at auctions and carried off to far-flung places, stored in family attics or subjected to the ravages of time and use. It is Ching's job to search throughout the world and identify these important historical artifacts, then to find a way to bring them home.
The Music Room is the first major project for the palace since the Blue Room was refurbished in 1992.
HUNTING FOR CLUES
The palace's mission is to research and authenticate every detail to make the Music Room look as much as possible as it did in the days of the monarchy. No one who spent time in that room is living today, so the team of experts pieced together details from photos in the state archives, Bishop Museum and the palace's collection, as well as decades of Honolulu newspaper images.
"Every object is a separate project," Ching said. Every minute detail is considered, down to the curtain tie-backs.
Clues were gleaned from old newspaper reports such as this one from the Pacific Commercial Advertiser, Nov. 16, 1886: "In the front is the music room, in which the heavy style of furniture is discarded for a lighter and more appropriate one, the appointments being in excellent taste."
One of Ching's most critical responsibilities is to identify and hire conservators in each area of expertise, from draperies to furnishings.
The palace has brought on fabric and furniture experts from throughout the world to study tiny remnants of fabric, faded wood chairs, and bits of carpet and draperies. They have also researched the practices of the original companies that made each item in the room as a special order for Hawai'i's beloved monarchs.
SLEUTHING FABRICS
Upholsterers often leave clues behind — but you have to have a great deal of knowledge to read them.
"Upholsterers honor their predecessors' work and won't take it all off. They build on it. It's very forensic and archaeological ," said Nancy Britton, conservator for upholstered works of art for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, who worked on restoring upholstery in the Music Room. For example, a conservator might find tiny fibers around a tack hole — and this would offer clues to the fabric used on the original piece.
The fabrics used in the draperies and upholstery for the Music Room offer interesting insights into what it takes to complete an accurate refurbishment.
Three tie-backs for curtains are all that remain of the original fabric furnishings from the palace. These were discovered at the Washington State Historical Society and returned to the palace in 1973.
Textile conservator Linda Hee, who lives in Nu'uanu, and Spencer Leineweber, director of the Heritage Center of the University of Hawai'i School of Architecture, were called in to help determine the original fiber and color of the drapery tie-backs. They are comprised of three layers: a silk exterior, wool interior and cotton core. Although they now appear gray, the original color was a rich blue, Hee said.
While it may seem odd that wools were used so frequently throughout the palace (on chairs, in carpets and draperies), Deborah Kraak, a specialist in historic textiles from Wilmington, Del., said it's all about the fashions of the times.
The monarchy were up on the latest in interior fashions. "Chic is a word that comes up often," Kraak explained.
Ching hired Kraak to inventory and analyze the textiles in the room. She conducted media searches to find mentions of the original fabrics, and studied and interpreted photos to analyze the drape, weight and light reflectivity. These are all clues to how and where it was made.
Kraak determined that the best company to design fabric for the Music Room drapes — 200 yards of custom-dyed rich gold satin mohair — would be the famed textile company Scalamandre, in New York. The company, in turn, arranged to have the fabric woven to its exacting specifications in Switzerland.
Celia Oliver, a Vermont textile specialist, has just arrived in Honolulu to complete and install the draperies. The public will be welcome to watch her work throughout June. Palace staffers advise that the best time to watch will be in the afternoon, when audio tours will be available.
Kraak and design historian John Burrows of Boston were hired to help with the Music Room carpets. The fabric experts looked extremely closely at photographs of the room to determine exact details.
"We had to see how it behaves on the floor and how much the chairs sink into it to determine it was probably a tapestry weave with no backing," Kraak said. "We will have it made with a stiff ground weave. It's a minor compromise to allow the traffic of the public."
PRECIOUS ITEMS
Other elements of the Music Room are exceedingly important to the palace history — as well as the history of Hawai'i.
Kings Kamehameha III, IV and V, King Lunalilo and King Kalākaua all sat in a throne chair placed in the room. A photo of Queen Lili-'uokalani standing in front of the chair was key to the refurbishment, and experts studied details of its exact appearance.
By studying palace receipts, Ching determined that the chair was made of koa by Christian Lafrenz in 1847. It was upholstered in crimson silk damask in a large-scale flower and leaf pattern.
After the overthrow of the monarchy, the throne was transferred to Bishop Museum, and its refurbishing is a joint effort with the museum, which has agreed to return it to the palace.
Seven occasional chairs have also been refurbished. They are made from koa and walnut, and feature a variety of motifs: grapes, shells and taro. The Gothic Revival chairs were originally ordered from Boston-based Davenport company in 1882.
Since they were sold at auction after the overthrow of the monarchy, each has a different history. They are being refurbished by the furniture expert, Harpainter.
The palace has searched for 30 years for one of eight window benches ordered by the monarchy in 1882. One has been found.
Martha Morse of Virginia returned a window seat to 'Iolani Palace that had been in her family for decades when she learned of its provenance. Morse visited the palace for the first time in March.
Ching knows there is another window bench out there in the world somewhere, and he is searching for it.
"Families often own things and they don't know they came from the palace," Ching explained. "When they find out, they are sometimes willing to donate them back to us."
The searching, researching and restoration will continue as the palace seeks to regain more of its historic glory.
Advertiser Staff Writer
As 'Iolani Palace unveils its newly refurbished Music Room in October, it will be a triumph of art and passion over drudgery and detail.
The palace, built in 1882, was the home of King Kalākaua and his queen, Kapi'olani, and, later, Queen Lili'uokalani. After the overthrow of the monarchy in 1893, many of its treasured furnishings were lost, and it gradually fell into disrepair.
The goal has been to bring the Music Room back to its initial stature. Leading the team charged with that monumental task, 'Iolani Palace curator Stuart Ching has morphed into many things: archivist, archaeologist, coach, conservator, diplomat and super sleuth. He's a little bit Indiana Jones, Dave Shoji, Henry Kissinger and James Bond all in one.
Ching brought together a team of experts from all over the country and worked with companies worldwide to restore the room and create replicas of everything inside it, from fabrics printed more than 200 years ago to handcrafted furnishings. His team includes, for example, Mark Harpainter, a furniture conservator from Berkeley who worked on pieces that once belonged to Marie Antoinette.
For centuries, beloved items that belonged in 'Iolani Palace were unknowingly bought at auctions and carried off to far-flung places, stored in family attics or subjected to the ravages of time and use. It is Ching's job to search throughout the world and identify these important historical artifacts, then to find a way to bring them home.
The Music Room is the first major project for the palace since the Blue Room was refurbished in 1992.
HUNTING FOR CLUES
The palace's mission is to research and authenticate every detail to make the Music Room look as much as possible as it did in the days of the monarchy. No one who spent time in that room is living today, so the team of experts pieced together details from photos in the state archives, Bishop Museum and the palace's collection, as well as decades of Honolulu newspaper images.
"Every object is a separate project," Ching said. Every minute detail is considered, down to the curtain tie-backs.
Clues were gleaned from old newspaper reports such as this one from the Pacific Commercial Advertiser, Nov. 16, 1886: "In the front is the music room, in which the heavy style of furniture is discarded for a lighter and more appropriate one, the appointments being in excellent taste."
One of Ching's most critical responsibilities is to identify and hire conservators in each area of expertise, from draperies to furnishings.
The palace has brought on fabric and furniture experts from throughout the world to study tiny remnants of fabric, faded wood chairs, and bits of carpet and draperies. They have also researched the practices of the original companies that made each item in the room as a special order for Hawai'i's beloved monarchs.
SLEUTHING FABRICS
Upholsterers often leave clues behind — but you have to have a great deal of knowledge to read them.
"Upholsterers honor their predecessors' work and won't take it all off. They build on it. It's very forensic and archaeological ," said Nancy Britton, conservator for upholstered works of art for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, who worked on restoring upholstery in the Music Room. For example, a conservator might find tiny fibers around a tack hole — and this would offer clues to the fabric used on the original piece.
The fabrics used in the draperies and upholstery for the Music Room offer interesting insights into what it takes to complete an accurate refurbishment.
Three tie-backs for curtains are all that remain of the original fabric furnishings from the palace. These were discovered at the Washington State Historical Society and returned to the palace in 1973.
Textile conservator Linda Hee, who lives in Nu'uanu, and Spencer Leineweber, director of the Heritage Center of the University of Hawai'i School of Architecture, were called in to help determine the original fiber and color of the drapery tie-backs. They are comprised of three layers: a silk exterior, wool interior and cotton core. Although they now appear gray, the original color was a rich blue, Hee said.
While it may seem odd that wools were used so frequently throughout the palace (on chairs, in carpets and draperies), Deborah Kraak, a specialist in historic textiles from Wilmington, Del., said it's all about the fashions of the times.
The monarchy were up on the latest in interior fashions. "Chic is a word that comes up often," Kraak explained.
Ching hired Kraak to inventory and analyze the textiles in the room. She conducted media searches to find mentions of the original fabrics, and studied and interpreted photos to analyze the drape, weight and light reflectivity. These are all clues to how and where it was made.
Kraak determined that the best company to design fabric for the Music Room drapes — 200 yards of custom-dyed rich gold satin mohair — would be the famed textile company Scalamandre, in New York. The company, in turn, arranged to have the fabric woven to its exacting specifications in Switzerland.
Celia Oliver, a Vermont textile specialist, has just arrived in Honolulu to complete and install the draperies. The public will be welcome to watch her work throughout June. Palace staffers advise that the best time to watch will be in the afternoon, when audio tours will be available.
Kraak and design historian John Burrows of Boston were hired to help with the Music Room carpets. The fabric experts looked extremely closely at photographs of the room to determine exact details.
"We had to see how it behaves on the floor and how much the chairs sink into it to determine it was probably a tapestry weave with no backing," Kraak said. "We will have it made with a stiff ground weave. It's a minor compromise to allow the traffic of the public."
PRECIOUS ITEMS
Other elements of the Music Room are exceedingly important to the palace history — as well as the history of Hawai'i.
Kings Kamehameha III, IV and V, King Lunalilo and King Kalākaua all sat in a throne chair placed in the room. A photo of Queen Lili-'uokalani standing in front of the chair was key to the refurbishment, and experts studied details of its exact appearance.
By studying palace receipts, Ching determined that the chair was made of koa by Christian Lafrenz in 1847. It was upholstered in crimson silk damask in a large-scale flower and leaf pattern.
After the overthrow of the monarchy, the throne was transferred to Bishop Museum, and its refurbishing is a joint effort with the museum, which has agreed to return it to the palace.
Seven occasional chairs have also been refurbished. They are made from koa and walnut, and feature a variety of motifs: grapes, shells and taro. The Gothic Revival chairs were originally ordered from Boston-based Davenport company in 1882.
Since they were sold at auction after the overthrow of the monarchy, each has a different history. They are being refurbished by the furniture expert, Harpainter.
The palace has searched for 30 years for one of eight window benches ordered by the monarchy in 1882. One has been found.
Martha Morse of Virginia returned a window seat to 'Iolani Palace that had been in her family for decades when she learned of its provenance. Morse visited the palace for the first time in March.
Ching knows there is another window bench out there in the world somewhere, and he is searching for it.
"Families often own things and they don't know they came from the palace," Ching explained. "When they find out, they are sometimes willing to donate them back to us."
The searching, researching and restoration will continue as the palace seeks to regain more of its historic glory.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
GOVERNOR LINGLE ESTABLISHES HAWAI‘I SURFING RESERVES
Executive Order Recognizes Surfing’s Cultural, Historic and Sports Significance; Promotes Protection of World-Renowned Surf Spots
HONOLULU – On June 2, Governor Linda Lingle issued an executive order to establish surfing reserves at two of Hawai‘i’s most important and well-known surfing areas. The executive order “acknowledges the cultural, sports and historic significance of important surf sites in Hawai‘i,” and “raises public awareness about the importance of protecting, nourishing and developing Hawai‘i’s world famous surf sites.”
The Governor’s order establishes the Duke Kahanamoku Surfing Reserve, which includes surf breaks bounded by the Ala Wai and the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium, as well as the North Shore Surfing Reserve, which includes surf breaks from Ali‘i Beach in Hale‘iwa to Sunset Beach. Both surf reserves are located off the waters of O‘ahu.
“Hawai‘i has some of the most famous and beautiful surf sites in the world and its native sons, such as Senator Fred Hemmings, have deservedly gained international recognition in the sport of surfing,” said Governor Lingle. “I am pleased we can formally acknowledge the cultural, sports, and historic significance of surfing in Hawai‘i.”
The executive order does not provide any funding for the surfing reserves, but enables the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), which is statutorily responsible for managing all waters and coastal areas of the state, to receive donations that could be used for signs or markers that identify the surf reserves. In addition, under the executive order, DLNR may assist in promoting federal, state and county collaboration in identifying, nourishing and protecting Hawai‘i surfing reserves.
The idea to designate surfing reserves in Hawai‘i was first introduced during the 2010 session of the Hawai‘i State Legislature by Senator Fred Hemmings, a former World Surfing Champion. Sen. Hemmings’ bill was approved unanimously by the State Senate, but was recommitted by the House in the final hours of the last day of the session. Sen. Hemmings’ idea to establish surfing reserves in Hawai‘i was patterned after the National Surfing Reserves Australia program, which currently recognizes about a dozen iconic surfing sites throughout Australia because of their intrinsic environmental, heritage, sporting and cultural value.
“Hawai‘i is the genesis of surfing,” said Sen. Hemmings. “We must regain the cultural and sports leadership of the world of surfing, and surfing reserves is a step in that direction. I appreciate and thank Governor Lingle for establishing surfing reserves for Hawai‘i.”
HONOLULU – On June 2, Governor Linda Lingle issued an executive order to establish surfing reserves at two of Hawai‘i’s most important and well-known surfing areas. The executive order “acknowledges the cultural, sports and historic significance of important surf sites in Hawai‘i,” and “raises public awareness about the importance of protecting, nourishing and developing Hawai‘i’s world famous surf sites.”
The Governor’s order establishes the Duke Kahanamoku Surfing Reserve, which includes surf breaks bounded by the Ala Wai and the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium, as well as the North Shore Surfing Reserve, which includes surf breaks from Ali‘i Beach in Hale‘iwa to Sunset Beach. Both surf reserves are located off the waters of O‘ahu.
“Hawai‘i has some of the most famous and beautiful surf sites in the world and its native sons, such as Senator Fred Hemmings, have deservedly gained international recognition in the sport of surfing,” said Governor Lingle. “I am pleased we can formally acknowledge the cultural, sports, and historic significance of surfing in Hawai‘i.”
The executive order does not provide any funding for the surfing reserves, but enables the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), which is statutorily responsible for managing all waters and coastal areas of the state, to receive donations that could be used for signs or markers that identify the surf reserves. In addition, under the executive order, DLNR may assist in promoting federal, state and county collaboration in identifying, nourishing and protecting Hawai‘i surfing reserves.
The idea to designate surfing reserves in Hawai‘i was first introduced during the 2010 session of the Hawai‘i State Legislature by Senator Fred Hemmings, a former World Surfing Champion. Sen. Hemmings’ bill was approved unanimously by the State Senate, but was recommitted by the House in the final hours of the last day of the session. Sen. Hemmings’ idea to establish surfing reserves in Hawai‘i was patterned after the National Surfing Reserves Australia program, which currently recognizes about a dozen iconic surfing sites throughout Australia because of their intrinsic environmental, heritage, sporting and cultural value.
“Hawai‘i is the genesis of surfing,” said Sen. Hemmings. “We must regain the cultural and sports leadership of the world of surfing, and surfing reserves is a step in that direction. I appreciate and thank Governor Lingle for establishing surfing reserves for Hawai‘i.”
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
O’MALLEY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF HISTORIC HAWAI‘I FOUNDATION
New HHF Trustees, Officers Elected at 36th Annual Meeting May 20
HONOLULU, HI: Michael J. O’Malley was elected president of Historic Hawai‘i Foundation (HHF) on May 21, 2010, by unanimous vote of its members at its 36th annual meeting.
Michael J. O’Malley, JD, is a senior partner with Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel, LLP. Previously, he was a director in the Honolulu office of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, and a partner in the Honolulu law firm of McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon, LLP. He graduated from Claremont-McKenna College summa cum laude and Harvard Law School, where he was editor-in-chief of the Harvard Journal on Legislation. Among his community activities are board positions on Kapiolani Health Foundation (Chair), Hawai‘i Tax Foundation (President), Hawai‘i Dental Service (Vice President), the Jas. Glover Holding Company and Greenbook Financial. O’Malley has served on HHF’s board of trustees since 2005.
Historic Hawai‘i Foundation’s members also elected the following people to its Board of Trustees:
• Norbert Buelsing, President of A&B Properties, Inc.
• Greg Dickhens, Executive Vice President and Senior Advisor, Kyo-Ya Company, LLC
• Cindy Evans, State Representative, 7th Representative District (North Kona/South Kohala)
• Amerjit Ghag, Principal, Red Circle
• Ann Becker Gommers, Past President & CEO, Thompson Becker International, Inc. (retired)
• Wendie McAllaster, ASLA, Senior Associate, Helber Hastert & Fee Planners, Inc.
• Ronald Sato, AICP, Senior Planner, Helber Hastert & Fee Planners, Inc.
• Kimo Todd, CPA, JD, Partner, Candon, Todd & Seabolt, LLC
• Tom Young, AIA, Principal, Group 70 International.
Historic Hawai‘i Foundation also elected new officers at the annual meeting. The new executive committee is comprised of:
- President: Michael J. O’Malley, Senior Partner, Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel
- First Vice President: Robert K. Iopa, President, WCIT Architecture
- Second Vice President: Frank Haas, Dean of Hospitality, Business Education and Law, Kapi‘olani Community College
- Secretary: Eric G. Crispin, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Financial and Physical Management, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
- Treasurer: Robert Nobriga, Chief Financial Officer, Hawai‘i National Bank
- At Large Officer: Wendie McAllaster, Senior Associate, Helber Hastert & Fee Planners, Inc.
- At Large Officer: Curt Nakamura, General Manager, Topa Financial Center
- Past President: Ray Soon, President, Solutions Pacific.
Historic Hawai‘i Foundation is a membership-based 501(c)(3) charitable organization that preserves and encourages the preservation of historic sites on all the islands of Hawai‘i. More information is available at www.historichawaii.org.
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