Situated on a full-block site in Honolulu, this 30-story bank headquarters, office building and exhibition space for the Contemporary Museum is located next to Bishop Park, the heart of the city’s financial district.
The building is set back from a major pedestrian artery allowing for a public arcade and a plaza, which introduces public art and a water feature. To reduce the impression of the building as a massive volume, various functions are distinguished by unique volumetric pieces. A parallelogram-shaped podium, housing a 3-story banking hall and main entrance lobby, aligns with the lower scale of nearby buildings and the angle of Merchant Street.
The office tower, composed of two nestled triangles sharing an exposed vertical elevator core, responds to various site conditions such as the landscape, solar orientation, views, and nearby high-rises. The façades are articulated accordingly, with a limestone and glass curtain wall with vertical sun-shading to the east and west, and a metal and glass curtain wall with horizontal sun-shading to the south.
