When Hawaii became the 50th state of the USA in 1959, a period of intense construction and a growing tourism industry followed. Luckily, this coincided with the most creative phase of the mid-century modern masters, who designed buildings that took full advantage of the archipelago's unique, consistently pleasant climate. Tropical modernism is therefore one of the main focuses of this guide, which presents the architectural history of Honolulu Hawaii's capital city on the island of Oahu through almost 150 buildings. The selection ranges from vernacular architecture and nineteenth-century churches right through to war memorials, iconic 1960s hotels, and recent exclusive and inclusive condominiums and apartments, concluding with evolved proposals addressing the climate and housing crisis. Compiled by four leading experts and longtime Honolulu residents, this book is more than just a reliable travel companion. With extensive map material, a large number of archive images and color photos, in-depth essays, and extra YouTube viewing material, it also invites armchair travelers to dream of Hawaii.

Autorentext
After toiling for 24 years in the Hawaii State Historic Preservation Office, first as an architectural historian and then as division administrator, Don Hibbard entered the private sector and for the past 20-plus years has provided heritage specialist services to various architectural firms, governmental agencies, and individuals in Hawaii. In addition, he has taught courses in historic preservation and architectural history at the University of Hawaii and Hawaii Pacific University. Two of his books, The View from Diamond Head (Honolulu: Editions Limited, 1986) and Designing Paradise (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2006), consider the development of Hawaii's visitor industry and architecture as a conveyor of history and a sense of place. Other books include Hart Wood, Architectural Regionalism in Hawaii (2010) and Buildings of Hawaii (2011).