Ugliest Building in Honolulu?

[pzarquon]

Re: Ugliest Building in Honolulu?

The Nauru complex (there's a counterpart coming up) is pretty garish, but it gets points from me for having a style and sticking with it - however cold. For better or worse, its general look (stark white with ice blue glass) looks like it's becoming the overall style for that "revitalized" chunk of Kaakaako.

An obnoxious building, in my book, will often come ahead of one that has no soul whatsoever (hence Kukui Tower topping my "ugly" list).

I have to admit having a soft spot for the Municipal Building. It looks like a bunker, sure, but that's because it was one of the first buildings in Hawaii specifically designed to resist seismic damage. It sure looks distinctive, and it has odd quirks that grow on you: the open, tall lobby, and the fact that each floor is actually a "hump" -- offices on each end actually need to have wooden wedges to keep bookshelves and desks level.

What do you think of buildings that have odd external surfaces? Your mention of the Gold Bond Building (which is pretty plain) reminded me of the IBM Building near Ward Centre, and then the Ala Moana Building (which I think has recently removed its "vertical blinds"). And there's a residential tower that overlooks the (former) municipal parking lot downtown, ewa of St. Andrew's Cathedral, that has this odd metal-leaf thing that looks more like decay than design.

I suppose they were trying something different, but getting fancy can sometimes create problems. I think the "vertical blinds" at the Ala Moana Building, for example, probably were more trouble to maintain than they were worth.

[Albert]

Re: Ugliest Building in Honolulu?

Waikiki Sheraton. Followed by Hilton Hawaiian Village's "Rainbow Tower".

[zztype]

Re: Ugliest Building in Honolulu?

Not! Ilikai more ugly!

[pzarquon]

Re: Ugliest Building in Honolulu?

You don't like the Ilikai? It's a landmark! I mean, it isn't pretty anymore, but it's distinctive... and when it was built in the 60s, it was something else. Check out the history page on the Ilikai website. It even mentions the "Hawaii Five-O" intro.

The place was renovated a few years ago, but I haven't been there since. Much crowing about restoring the lobby staircases, if I recall.

[kimo55]

Re: Ugliest Building in Honolulu?

You don't like the Ilikai? It's a landmark! I mean, it isn't pretty anymore, but it's distinctive... and when it was built in the 60s, it was something else. Check out the history page on the Ilikai website. It even mentions the "Hawaii Five-O" intro.

The place was renovated a few years ago, but I haven't been there since. Much crowing about restoring the lobby staircases, if I recall.

ilikai;
nice back inna old days.
Now, that it is owned by that japanese coproration, they ruined it. esp. the mauka facade. Ug a lee.


That history page; coulda put up more on their connection to Hawaii 5-0. Much missing.

[Palolo Joe]

Re: Ugliest Building in Honolulu?

Ugliest building in Honolulu? My vote goes to the Ala Moana Building.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Ugliest Building in Honolulu?

You know someone should find out which balcony in the Ilikai Jack Lord stood on in that opening sequence of Hawaii 5-O. That room should be called the Lord Suite.

One Waterfront Towers as before-mentioned does remind me of two Hoover Upright vacuum cleaners standing side by side.

But remember when the Ranch House in Aina Haina became Rockchilds when it was bought from Spenclift to that Japanese owner? It became that garrish high class metro looking restaurant? The food was great and the interior was spectacular and to some point it would have fit in at Downtown or Waikiki but all that neon didn't fit in the quiet community of Aina Haina.

The Ala Moana building had two distinctive features that made it a Honolulu landmark. The first was the obvious...the round top that internally rotated that french restaurant (what was that name? LaRound I think). It took three military heavy-lift helecoptors to set it in place. The second of course was the vertical blinds that would automatically open and close to adjust to the sun hitting those affected panels. Another feature of the Ala Moana Building was the people catcher. That heavy netting above the second-floor that reached out to catch potential suicider's.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Ugliest Building in Honolulu?

Somebody told me that the buildings of the Kūhiō Park Terrace public housing project in Kalihi have the same identical three-wing design as the 'Ilikai Hotel in Waikīkī. Is this true? And if so, how come?

[kimo55]

Re: Ugliest Building in Honolulu?

You know someone should find out which balcony in the Ilikai Jack Lord stood on in that opening sequence of Hawaii 5-O. That room should be called the Lord Suite.

This is not a "room" or suite. Wasn't then and isn't now.
Besides, that whole part of the hotel has been completely rebuilt and renovated. Not at all recognizable.

[kimo55]

Re: Ugliest Building in Honolulu?

Scrivener's contest reminds me of the ward theatre.
Ah, yes. Who can forget the ward complex. easy one there. Always notice that detail of that irrelevant, uneccessary froufrou architectural "sail" element from the big clunky bunker monstrocity of an "entertainment complex" wherein brainwashed modern consumers imbued with the basest of stimuli needs, hole themselves up in dark noisy cavernous boxes while their sensibilites and intelligence and nutritional requirements are happily insulted and have their senses asaulted with what is now known as "entertainment", (but what is actually shallow, forgettable empty diversions) while willfully thinning their wallets to (human and mechanical) robotic happy recipients of all cash and plastic money, in exchange for overly inflated synthetic diversions and distractions...
This soul-less clunky junky mess was designed by group city international architectural firm. Looks and feels like a freakin prison. Don't like being herded into and out of awkward, badly situated, stupidly designed businesses.
Saw some classic rock thingy sponsored by 105.9 a couple years ago, there; We had to walk the gauntlet; through a very irritatingly crowded and noisy room with a too low ceiling fulla screaming idjits wasting their life, money and brain cells on vending and amusement machines of all types. We had to find this lil ok size theatre. Boy... I told the guys; eh. Let's se this at Pipeline like the last one. and they wholeheartedly agreed; NO more dave an buster's junk. So a few weeks later, the thing was reprised in the much better venue.

and Bucco de Beppo!?
Aaaah!
Don't get me started!
My brother's birthday, we unfortunately chose that place.
BAAAD news.

[jdub]

Re: Ugliest Building in Honolulu?

i've always thought the First Hawaiian Bldg is a remarkable underachievement.

[cezanne]

Re: Ugliest Building in Honolulu?

i've always thought the First Hawaiian Bldg is a remarkable underachievement.

It is. The owners and the builders are probably still in court for building deficiencies.

[ReggaeKy]

Re: Ugliest Building in Honolulu?

"Dog the Bounty Hunter's" mullet.

[kimo55]

Re: Ugliest Building in Honolulu?

"Dog the Bounty Hunter's" mullet.

how many people live in that thing?!

[tutusue]

Re: Ugliest Building in Honolulu?

Resurrecting this thread as PZ mentioned it in another thread!

My 2 story office building has to top the lowrise, ugliest building with the least personality list! On South St., between Halekauwila and Queen. I'm really surprised a developer hasn't latched on to it as it's smack dab in the middle of the Kakaako renaissance. Of course, I hope that doesn't happen...for a few years at least. I just wish they'd thatch the roof!