Scandinavian firm Snøhetta paired up with Honolulu-based WCIT Architecture to design a proposal for the Barack Obama Presidential Center Library at the University of Hawaii.
Snøhetta wasn’t the only high-profile firm commissioned by this university in the tropics; Allied Works and MOS, the latter pairing up with Honolulu-based Workshop-Hi, also submitted designs for Hawaii’s bid to host the library, Inhabitat reports.
So far, Hawaii is seen as an underdog in the race, as its competitors in the contiguous U.S.—New York’s Columbia University and the University of Chicago—are considered favorites to win the bid. Also in the race is the University of Illinois in Chicago.
The three final cities each have a personal connection to President Obama: Honolulu is the city of the president’s birth and early childhood, New York city is where he spent his time as an undergraduate at Columbia University, and Chicago is where he taught law, met his wife, and started his political career.
All three designs for the University of Hawaii are set on a beach site adjacent to Kaka’ako Waterfront Park. The plan by Snøhetta and WCIT Architecture features a building that “appears square from the outside, but opens at one corner into a rounded courtyard with a pool. One end of the structure meets the ground, providing public access to a roof planted with grasses,” Dezeen reports.
The designs for the University of Hawaii aim to elevate the facility from just a library into a center for learning, public space, and multipurpose center.
“It will be a place where the president can come and meet with leaders from Asia … to bring Asia to Hawaii and to the rest of the world,” Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell told local station KHON2 News.
Read more at Dezeen.
Related Stories
Building Team | Jan 6, 2017
CannonDesign launches REALIZE Life Safety Solutions
“The Final Rule presents a considerable update to the life safety directives most healthcare systems have become accustomed to,” says Joe Cassata, principal at CannonDesign.
Building Team | Jan 3, 2017
How does your firm’s hit rate stack up to the AEC competition?
If your firm is not converting at least a third of project proposals when competing for new work, it may be time to reassess your marketing tactics and processes.
Building Team | Dec 30, 2016
An open letter to the AEC C-suite
Women AEC professionals need you to take action.
Building Team | Dec 14, 2016
Hackathons set the stage at events for women in AEC and BD+C Under-40s
Popular among engineers, hackathons are forums that encourage “constructive collision” by bringing people into a room, letting them self-organize around common interests and goals, and having them work together in groups over two or three consecutive days to devise workable inventions that fill identifiable needs.
Building Team | Dec 14, 2016
Will Trump-led America be a boon or bust for U.S. AEC firms?
Regardless of which side of the aisle you stand on, election night was a jaw-dropping moment.
Building Team | Dec 8, 2016
The NYC Public Design Commission recognizes 12 projects with its 2016 Excellence in Design Award
2016 marked the 34th year the Public Design Commission has handed out its Excellence in Design Awards.
Building Team | Dec 2, 2016
Alexandria Real Estate Equities becomes first real estate investment trust to be named a First-in-Class Fitwel Champion
Fitwel building certification was developed to foster positive impacts on building occupant health and productivity through improvements to workplace design and policies.
Building Team | Nov 15, 2016
Major architecture firms are flocking to Dubai’s Design District
Three more major firms are making a permanent home in Dubai.
Architects | Nov 11, 2016
Six finalists selected for London’s Illuminated River competition
The competition is searching for the best design for lighting the bridges of central London.
Building Team | Nov 7, 2016
Taking cues from nature: How biomimicry can drive ROI for hoteliers
Biomimicry takes inspiration from nature’s form, processes, and ecosystems to solve human problems. This design method, which incorporates lessons learned from nature, can constantly morph in response to new challenges in our environments, writes Gensler's Lorraine Francis.
