Honolulu Zoo Entrance

151 Kapahulu Avenue, Honolulu, HI, United States

Website

Get Directions View Large Map

Tropical modernism structures

This one’s for you, Tikiphiles!

In 1962 the designer of the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Alfred Preis, was enlisted to create an eye-catching entry building for the flourishing Honolulu Zoo, resulting in an awesome Polynesian-inspired Hawaiian modern undulating A-Frame, with design elements not dissimilar to that of his USS Arizona Memorial.

This island-style structure served as a first impression to visitors of the Zoo for nearly 50 years but in 2011 it was shuttered and replaced with a new entry building.

The Preis structure was to have been demolished but fortunately it was designated historically significant and is still a fixture at the Zoo, albeit a seemingly neglected one for now. In time it’s to be restored and repurposed as a Visitors Center.

You can still enjoy it though if you stroll through Queen Kapi’olani Park.

Posted in See Honolulu Tagged In alfred preis, architect, Architecture, hawaii, Honolulu, Honolulu Zoo, MCM, Mid Century Modern, Modernism, oahu, polynesian, See, and Tiki

Visited 8683 times, 3 Visits today

Pagoda Floating Restaurant
Occidental Building
Tagged In alfred preis,architect,Architecture,hawaii,Honolulu,Honolulu Zoo,MCM,Mid Century Modern,Modernism,oahu,polynesian,See and Tiki

Related Listings

University of Hawaii

2444 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI, United States

View More Details

Mid-century modern buildings Founded in 1907 and relocated from Thomas Square to its current Manoa Valley location in 1912, The University of Hawaii campus at Manoa expanded dramatically during the post war boom… Read more…

Amana Street

Amana Street, Honolulu, HI, United States

View More Details

Mid-century modern buildings The Pawa’a neighborhood was one of Honolulu’s most modernized districts back in the 1960s and although one could easily spend hours taking in the entire area’s Tropical… Read more…