[ A WALKING TOUR ]
State art museum looks
a bit like a hotel and
an Italian palazzo
If the building at the corner of Hotel and Richards Streets looks vaguely like a hotel and a little like an Italian palazzo -- elements of the Davanzatti Palace in Florence come to mind -- you'd be right on both counts. The site was the home of the original Royal Hawaiian Hotel, and when architect Lincoln Rogers designed its replacement in 1928, he had the sunny porticos of bella Italia in mind. It's a building that belongs under a brilliantly cerulean Maxfield Parrish sky.
But it was neither. The structure was a haven for empty-pocket servicemen, a posh private business headquarters, a rambling governmental overflow center and now a center for modern Hawaiian art.
During the buildup of military forces in Hawaii during the Great War and into the 1920s, the powerful Young Mens Christian Association was deeply involved with the non-service aspects of servicemen's lives, and the "Y" bought the site in 1917. It became apparent that a wholesome alternate was needed to burgeoning River Street brothels and Hotel Street juke joints and so, when the Royal Hawaiian relocated to Waikiki, the land was snapped up by the YMCA. The hotel's wooden skeleton had $800,000 in "renovations" by Rogers and emerged a new structure.
Dubbed the Army-Navy YMCA, Rogers' confection served nobly through the war years, dealing with hundreds of thousands of dislocated soldiers and sailors. It was directly across the street from the notorious Black Cat Cafe.
The years took their toll, however, and by 1987, the building was pretty shabby, even though it had been designated a national historic site in 1978. It was offered to the state for $5 million, but the state balked at the cost of renovations. It was sold instead to developer Chris Hemmeter for $11 million, who laid on another $30 million in renovations to become his corporate headquarters. The tacky front parking lot became a spacious lawn and architectural details were brightened and restored -- plus a four-story annex was added to the rear.
When Hemmeter corporate decided to blow town just a couple of years later, the complex was sold to Japan's BIGI Corp. for $80.5 million, at the time a record price for dollars per square footage. But BIGI's bubble burst in Japanese recession and they sold the building back to the state for $22.5 million in 2000. State workers moved in, operating like gypsies, often working off desks placed haphazardly in hallways. Then-Gov. Ben Cayetano designated a major portion of the structure to house the state's collection of art.
In late 2002, the Hawaii State Art Museum on the first and second floors was opened.
Army and Navy YMCA
Opened: 1928 Architect: Lincoln Rogers Style: Spanish Mission Revival Address: 250 S. Hotel St. National Register: 1978 Hawaii Register: No
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BURL BURLINGAME / BBURLINGAME@STARBULLETIN.COM
Originally dubbed The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, the palatial building at Hotel and Richards streets is now home to the Hawai'i State Arts Museum.
YEW CHAR PHOTO / 1928
The Young Mens Christian Association bought the site in 1917 housing servicemen through the war years.
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Quicktime VR Panorama
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Every Sunday in the Star-Bulletin Travel section, rediscover the charms of old Hawaii through a tour created by the Honolulu Historic Trail Committee and Historic Hawai'i Foundation and supported by the city's Office of Economic Development. The yearlong project commemorates Honolulu's bicentennial.
See Holoholo Honolulu for past articles.
