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First Hawaiian Bank

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1969, Haydn H. Phillips. 1000 Mapunapuna St., Moanalua

A typical, modern branch bank, with its flat roof and boxy shape, enters into the realm of the delightfully extraordinary through its exceptional detailing and use of materials. The south-facing, sixty-foot-long “sunscreen” wall of seventeen-foot-high translucent Aurora marble panels lifts it above the ordinary. Inside, the marble teller counters echo the south wall and are accentuated by the rear koa-paneled walls. Prefinished, sage-green-tinted, aggregate-concrete wall panels, with a trim of lighter value, add to the texture of the interior and recall the exterior wall and column treatment. The patterned terrazzo floor incorporates and plays off the varied wall colors. Edward Brownlee's metal mural Metropolis provides a non-axial, ornamental focus, while the entrance doors' translucent marble transoms and midline band add an elegant decorative touch. The clean-lined exterior and its surrounding parking are softened by lawns, gardens, and the shade of three large monkeypod trees, bucolic remnants of the site's former life.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Don J. Hibbard
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Citation

Don J. Hibbard, "First Hawaiian Bank", [Honolulu, Hawaii], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/HI-01-OA184.

Print Source

Cover: Buildings of Hawaii

Buildings of Hawaii, Don J. Hibbard. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2011, 183-184.

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