First Hawaiian Center is the second tallest building in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
and the city of
Honolulu
Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...
, the largest city in the state. It is the world corporate headquarters of
First Hawaiian Bank, the oldest and largest bank based in Hawaii. The tower is one of the most well-known buildings in Honolulu, with a striking presence at the center of
downtown Honolulu's skyline.
Description
Located at 999 Bishop Street in
downtown Honolulu near Bishop Park, the First Hawaiian Center is the world corporate headquarters of
First Hawaiian Bank, Hawaii's oldest bank and multibillion-dollar company established by
Charles Reed Bishop, consort of Princess
Bernice Pauahi Bishop
Bernice Pauahi Pākī Bishop KGCOK RoK (December 19, 1831 – October 16, 1884) was an '' alii'' (noble) of the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii and a well known philanthropist.
Ancestry, birth and early life
Pauahi was born in Hon ...
.
First Hawaiian Center features the 24,000 square feet (2,200 m
2) of open plaza, park space and waterways in the middle of downtown Honolulu's financial district cityscape of towering commercial buildings and congested streets. It is within walking distance of the
Aliiōlani Hale,
Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace,
Hawaii State Capitol and
Iolani Palace. Considered a "unique marriage of commerce and the arts," First Hawaiian Center features three galleries programmed by the
Honolulu Museum of Art
The Honolulu Museum of Art (formerly the Honolulu Academy of Arts) is an art museum in Honolulu, Hawaii, Hawaii. The museum is the largest of its kind in the state, and was founded in 1922 by Anna Rice Cooke. It has one of the largest single co ...
. (The gallery spaces were formerly curated by The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu). The gallery exhibits works by Hawaii-based artists.
The First Hawaiian Center is home to the Innovation Center Pacific.
Development
First Hawaiian Center was completed and opened in 1996 by chairman and chief executive officer of First Hawaiian Bank Walter A. Dods. With over 645,834 square feet (60,000 m
2) of space and a height of 429 feet (131 m), the building cost over USD $175 million to construct. The architects were from the firm
Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates.
Architecture
First Hawaiian Center planning was met with controversy as Hawaii residents became concerned about the effect skyscrapers would have on the Hawaiian landscape. Architects compromised with the use of
Hawaiian architectural principles used in most contemporary Honolulu urban projects like those employed by architects of the
Hawaii Convention Center. Metaphoric designs were used in reference to natural phenomena found in Hawaii.
Two distinct architectural forms resulted in the compromise, one for the ''
makai'' side facing the ocean and one for the ''
mauka'' side facing the mountains. Horizontally louvered windows framed views of the sea and the horizon while vertically proportioned windows faced the mountains. A great deal of effort was made to incorporate as much natural light as possible into the building interiors.
See also
*
List of tallest buildings by U.S. state
*
List of tallest buildings in Honolulu
References
External links
First Hawaiian Bank
{{Portal bar, Hawaii, Architecture
Kohn Pedersen Fox buildings
Skyscrapers in Honolulu
Skyscraper office buildings in Hawaii
1996 establishments in Hawaii
Office buildings completed in 1996