Hawaii State Capitol

Located in Honolulu, Hawaii, the Hawaii State Capitol Building is the home of the legislative and executive branches of the Hawaii state government, housing the offices of the Governor, Lieutentant Governor, and members of the state legislature. It opened on March 15, 1969, replacing adjacent Iolani Palace as the center of state government.

The Capitol was designed in the International Style by Belt, Lemon and Lo, along with John Carl Warneke and Associates. Unlike other state capitols modeled after the U.S. Capitol building, the Hawaii State Capitol's distinct architectural features symbolize various natural aspects of Hawaii. Among them:

• The building is surrounded by a reflecting pool, symbolizing the Pacific Ocean.
• The two legislative chambers are cone-shaped, symbolizing the volcanoes that formed the Hawaiian Islands.
• The columns around the perimeter of the building have shapes resembling coconut palm trees.
• The Capitol is built in an open-air design, allowing sun, wind, and rain to enter; the Capitol rotunda in particular opens to the sky.

• About the Hawaii State Capitol
• Description of Hawaii State Capitol from CUPOLA