Archives for National Trust for Historic Preservation

Mahalo, Natatorium supporters!

20-Nov-19 | 5 Comments

A note from Mo Radke, president of the Friends of the Natatorium Dear Friends, After years of study, the City and County of Honolulu has issued its final environmental impact statement on the Natatorium. And the news is terrific! The final document confirms the conclusions of the draft EIS: Honolulu should rehabilitate the War Memorial Natatorium and reopen it as a public swimming venue. The city said it now proposes to repair the memorial by pursuing the so-called perimeter deck option, retaining “as much of the physical structure that defines the historic integrity of the Natatorium as possible.” The perimeter
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Categories: Environmental Impact Study, Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Statement.
Tags: City and County of Honolulu, environmental impact statement, environmental impact study, Fred Ballard, Friends of the Natatorium, Historic Hawai'i Foundation, Kay Napoleon, Lin Pang, Nancy Bannick, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Roger Lee, Ron Yasui, and Ronald Yasui.

Natatorium named official WWI Centennial Memorial

29-Sep-17 | 1 Comment

The Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium has been named one of America’s official World War I Centennial Memorials, in advance of next year’s observance of the 100th anniversary of the end of the first global conflict. The Natatorium is the only monument in Hawaii on the list of the first 50 World War I memorials nationwide announced this week by the federal World War One Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum & Library. Another 50 will be selected next year. “We’re very pleased to be among the first sites selected for by the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission as
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Categories: Friends of the Natatorium, History, and National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Tags: Friends of the Natatorium, National Treasure, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Waikiki Natatorium, World War I, and World War I Centennial Task Force.

Support the Natatorium… and score Bruno Mars tickets!

07-May-17 | Comments Off on Support the Natatorium… and score Bruno Mars tickets!

Friends, this is a bit complicated. But very, very, very cool. Stick with us, and we’ll explain as clearly as we can. Point 1: Heineken (yup, the beer company) sponsors The Cities Project. It’s an effort to do important, positive things in metropolitan areas around the world. Point 2: This year, the Cities Project has teamed up with our friends at the National Trust for Historic Preservation to support 11 important preservation and civic projects around the country. Point 3 (and this is a BIG one!): One of those projects is our effort – your effort, really – to preserve,
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Categories: Events, Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Support.
Tags: Bruno Mars, Cities Project, Heineken, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Waikiki Natatorium.

Your Voice Must be Heard! City Council to Consider Natatorium Resolution

14-Jan-17 | 7 Comments

You’ve read about it. Now support it! The new design concept for preservation, repair and reopening of the War Memorial Natatorium [see the image below] is on a Honolulu City Council committee’s agenda for this Thursday, Jan. 19. What’s Going On? The Zoning and Housing Committee will vote Thursday on a resolution urging the mayor and city officials to include the new design concept in the ongoing environmental impact study of the Natatorium’s future. If the city does not study this design, there’s a danger there will be no analysis of any viable, affordable preservation option. That would mean the
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Categories: Elected officials, Environmental Impact Study, Friends of the Natatorium, and National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Tags: City and County of Honolulu, environmental impact statement, environmental impact study, Honolulu City Council, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Waikiki Natatorium.

The Natatorium, Angkor Wat and the Tower of London?

25-Apr-15 | Comments Off on The Natatorium, Angkor Wat and the Tower of London?

The War Memorial Natatorium has stood physically on the shores of Waikiki since 1927. Now it also stands there virtually, captured — in three dimensions — by a stream of zeroes and ones. 3D Digital Model California-based nonprofit CyArk, working with our friends at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, has just created a digital model of the Natatorium. They bounced laser light off the walls, bleachers and decks to get millions of highly accurate measurements. With high-tech computer modeling tools, those measurements are being converted into a 3D onscreen model that can be rotated, studied and manipulated. [How do
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Categories: Friends of the Natatorium, Images, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Uncategorized.
Tags: CyArk, digital model, Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, preservation, and Waikiki Natatorium.

The Natatorium is Featured in Alaska Airlines Magazine

11-Feb-15 | 1 Comment

If you happen to be flying Alaska Airlines this month, dig into that seat pocket in front of you, pull out the February issue of Alaska Beyond magazine and flip to page 21. Yes: A very nice story on the Natatorium and our efforts — your efforts — to repair and reopen it. If you’re not flying, never fear: You can see the piece online. For a PDF of just the Natatorium story, go to this link posted by our friends at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. If you’d like to see the story in the context of the
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Categories: Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, News coverage, and Uncategorized.
Tags: Alaska Airlines, Alaska Beyond, Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Waikiki Natatorium.

Wow: What a Year for the Natatorium

31-Dec-14 | 1 Comment

A New Year’s Eve “Mahalo” for your outstanding support in 2014. This has been a year of important progress in the fight to save and reopen the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium. An Amazing Year for the Natatorium In 2014, the National Trust for Historic Preservation declared the Natatorium one of America’s Treasures, and put its resources – and its terrific, experienced, knowledgeable and dedicated staff – behind our effort. In 2014, you turned out in large numbers for an open meeting on the city’s environmental impact study, demonstrating major public support for the preservation option. In 2014, you – more
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Categories: Friends of the Natatorium, History, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Uncategorized, and Veterans.
Tags: environmental impact study, Friends of the Natatorium, National Treasure, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Waikiki Natatorium, and World War I.

New Natatorium Brochure: Print Your Copy and Share

01-Nov-14 | Comments Off on New Natatorium Brochure: Print Your Copy and Share

We now have a beautiful, informative new brochure on the campaign to preserve, repair and reopen the historic War Memorial Natatorium in Waikiki. You can find the publication right here. You’ll soon start to see this brochure at Friends of the Natatorium events around town. But why not print out a few copies now? Share them with ohana and friends. You can help us get the word out. We’re working to bring the Natatorium back to life because it’s Hawaii’s official monument to more than 10,000 volunteers from the then-territory who responded to the call to serve in World War
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Categories: Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Uncategorized.
Tags: Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Waikiki Natatorium.

Mahalo, Natatorium Supporters. Your Comments: Awesome.

22-Aug-14 | 3 Comments

You are simply the greatest. We thank you for your latest outpouring of support for preserving, repairing and reopening the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium. On Friday, the Friends of the Natatorium and the National Trust for Historic Preservation delivered comments from an amazing 1,161 people and organizations to the Honolulu Department of Design and Construction. These comments – and the as-yet uncounted number that so many of you mailed directly to the city – will help shape the environmental impact study now getting under way. As you know, the city proposes to demolish the Natatorium and replace it with an
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Categories: Elected officials, Environmental Impact Study, Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Statement, and Uncategorized.
Tags: EIS, environmental impact statement, environmental impact study, Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Waikiki Natatorium.

Memorials: Important Reading. Natatorium: Important Deadline

20-Aug-14 | Comments Off on Memorials: Important Reading. Natatorium: Important Deadline

From the op-ed page of today’s International New York Times comes this important meditation on “Why Our Monuments Matter.” We love the eloquent conclusion: “The great dislocation of our time indicates just how frail our monuments, our books, our thoughts and principles can be. Still, they exist — and they are our guide and our shield. But if our symbols are lost, we will be no better than ignorant armies riding pickup trucks through the endless dust, where canals, dried and gone, once made the desert bloom.” Have you submitted a comment yet on Honolulu’s plan to demolish the wonderful,
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Categories: Environmental Impact Study, Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, News coverage, and Uncategorized.
Tags: environmental impact study, Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, New York Times, op-ed, and Waikiki Natatorium.