ABOUT THE BUILDING

1350 Ala Moana was built in 1968 as a statement piece; it was envisioned as the grand residential luxury high rise of Hawaii, the first and best of its era. Designed by the most famous 20th century Asian American architect and engineer, Minoru Yamasaki and Alfred Yee, it represented cutting edge artistic and structural mid-century vision. Its classic design remains statuesque to this day. As Yamasaki's most memorable project was the tragically destroyed World Trade Center Twin Towers of New York City, 1350 stands as a proud testament to his work and an architectural jewel in the heart of Honolulu.

A native of Seattle, Yamasaki's first internationally recognized project, the Pacific Science Center, was constructed in that city for the 1962 World's Fair. There, his signature details, tall, thin pointed arches inspired by Europe's ecclesiastical Gothic architecture are in commanding evidence. Derived from a medieval technological innovation, they appear very modern even today, glowing white against the sky. He added elegance with vertical fins and windows that draw the viewer's eye upwards and cause his buildings to appear to soar. Among his other landmark projects, he designed the Federal Reserve Bank building of Richmond, Virginia, the Minneapolis Northwestern National Life Building, and the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music utilizing the sleek, formal look he was known for. His body of work is significant and can be seen in American corporate, educational, religious, airline and residential buildings. Yamasaki's style was also admired internationally and he designed beautiful projects in Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

1350 Ala Moana's physical position on Ala Moana Boulevard allowed Yamasaki to align the building on a Mauka/Makai (or north/south) axis, taking advantage of Oahu's natural winds to cool the building. In 1968 it stood proud and solitary, with no other competition for airflow. Air conditioning wasn't really necessary. He also was able to use the vertical fins to create cooling shade from east/west sunlight, and the bedroom closets to buffer heat and contribute to his preference for thinner windows. What we might initially understand to merely represent Yamasaki's aesthetic ideal is instead an example of his innovative incorporation of making well thought out adaptations to geographical and climate conditions.
Image
With the genius of Honolulu's own Alfred Yee's structural engineering contributions to the design, 1350 Ala Moana was built to last. Yee was an innovator in the development and use of precast, prestressed concrete which created a scientifically tested technique to build complex and tall designs safely and more quickly than older methods. The first precast, prestressed concrete tower in the entire country, the Diamond Head Apartments, was built thanks to a collaboration between Alfred Yee and Vladimir Ossipoff. Yee's influential engineering also allowed for the emotionally impactful design of the floating portion of the Arizona Memorial.

The brilliance of these two mid-century Asian American pioneers created a building that has motivated its stewards to focus on preserving not only its place as a leader amongst Honolulu's luxury condominiums, but also its strength and its safety. 1350 Ala Moana was the first, and may well be still, the only residential building in the state that has a security system that includes retinal scanning to gain entry. Over the last 15 years owners have dedicated themselves to the preservation of this important Honolulu icon. Based on the advice and expertise of professionals, they have studiously worked on renovation of the structure and upgrading building safety systems. The goal is that 1350 Ala Moana can continue to provide homes with allure and aloha for its many lucky residents.

Community Information

Image
Image
Image
Image