AQUARIUM

Hawaii Pacific Aquarium
Honolulu, Hawaii
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE, 1996 AIA HONOLULU STUDENT DESIGN AWARDS

Waikiki 2021: An Urban Planning Proposal
Waikiki 2021 is an urban planning proposal for the redevelopment of Ala Wai Canal. The main focus of the study is the design of a world-class aquarium that will support the new Hawaii Convention Center and will enhance the recreational value of the Ala Wai Canal and other future Waikiki development.

Background
With the new Hawaii Convention Center about to be completed, the development of Waikiki will dramatically take on a new surge. In order to accommodate this imminent change, the new development plan for Waikiki reevaluates existing land use and potential growth in strategic areas, particularly the Ala Wai Canal.

The Ala Wai Canal
The Ala Wai Canal was constructed in 1921 to drain and reroute the streams around Waikiki. As a consequence, Waikiki gained 85% valuable land. The Canal also serves as a visual relief and a physical barrier between the resort district and the rest of Honolulu. However, through the years, the Ala Wai Canal has become a stagnant land/ water feature that has not been developed to its full potential. With the coming of the new Hawaii Convention Center at its heel, it is clear that the Ala Wai Canal and its surrounding vicinity will experience a heightened interest, especially in the tourist industry.

The Hawaii Pacific Aquarium
As the state of Hawaii becomes less dependent on the agricultural industry and US military spending as sources of income, the islands' economy is forced to rely more on the existing tourist industry. To be able to compete in the global market, Hawaii can not risk to depend only on its beautiful weather, beaches, and natural environment to lure visitors to the islands.

Although Hawaii has the Waikiki Aquarium and Sea Life Park in Oahu as marine attractions, both suffer in size, scope, and even marketibility. The goal of the new aquarium is to exhibit marine species from areas here and even beyond the Hawaiian islands; hence, becoming the center of marine exhibit for the entire Pacific region.

The new aquarium will boost the economic value of the Ala Wai Canal, particularly at the mauka (mountain) side. The aquarium will also complete a spatial connection between the Waikiki district across the Canal and the Hawaii Convention Center. The physical gap among these three major points will be a hotbed for new commercial developments, specially along the Canal, between the new Hawaii Pacific Aquarium and the Hawaii Convention Center.

Diamond Head: A Visual and Spatial Connection
As an architectural icon, the two dominant forms jutting out of the aquarium are inspired by the powerful profile of nearby Diamond Head. But the kinship extends far beyond the skin of the building. The escalator inside the Tropical Forest also echoes the stairs and tunnel found at the summit of Diamond Head. The juxtaposition of solid mass and curvilinear glass reflects the unbending coexistence of land and water in Hawaii. Intense, yet placid. Powerful, yet giving.

Pacific Ring Of Fire
Exhibit spaces are organized around an open concourse that elicits the islands' lifestyle in which leisure activities occur outdoor, taking advantage of the year-long sunny weather. Exhibits showcasing marine life here and beyond the Hawaiian shores are gathered around a circular arrangement. A simple, direct, and symbolic interpretation of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

The TERRA FIRMA Team: Roger Gaspar, Grant Sumile, Kevin Mashino and Dean Yama