The Waikikian - Part 4

The Roof! One of the elements that made the Waikikian so special. "Wimberly used the roof form to create a unique feature that agreed with traditional Polynesian design. During the design process Wimberly used soap bubbles on wire frames to model the difficult form in three dimensions. Shortly after the Waikikian opened, the Honolulu Advertiser ran several articles in early October 1956, featuring the hotel and its distincitve roof. It was called an outstanding Honolulu landmark and a 'photographic must'."






"Besides choosing the roof form for its association with traditional Polynesian buuildings, Wimberly stated that he knew that something out of the ordinary was needed for the Waikikian becasue he was building in the shadow of Henry Kaiser, whose Hawaiian Village Hotel had just opened next door."






The graceful roof rested on only two points. Vertical uprights steadied the shell to keep it from rocking, but they did not support it.