YWCA
Fitness Center & Locker Room Renovation
Honolulu, Hawaii
BACKGROUND:
Designed by renowned architect Julia Morgan, the YWCA on Richards
Street opened its doors in 1927. Known locally as Laniakea Center,
the landmark facility was the first cast-in-place concrete structure
in Honolulu and is on both the National and State of Hawaii registers
of historic places.
One of the YWCA's primary offerings for its members is fitness
programs, and thus the facility must compete with the many private
for-profit fitness centers in Honolulu. In this first phase of renovation
at Laniakea Center, Ferraro Choi was charged with preserving the
historic character of the building, while at the same time creating
a new health and fitness center that covers over 5,000 square feet
on two floors.
PROGRAM:
The project program called for total replacement of existing locker and fitness areas on the first and second floors of the Laniakea Center mauka wing. Program spaces included:
- Women's lockers, showers, and restrooms;
- Men's lockers, showers, and restrooms;
- Increase overall locker count to 300;
- Family changing room;
- Reception;
- Storage;
- Fitness center.
CONCEPT:
Part of the design concept was to enhance circulation patterns between activity nodes at the Laniakea Center. Previously spread out on two floors, the men's and women's locker rooms were consolidated on the ground floor and conveniently located to provide a wet access route to the existing swimming pool. A new reception area was strategically and centrally located to provide a single controlled point of access and a new circulation link was established to the administrative offices.
The shower and locker room facilities were completely refurbished and upgraded with modern plumbing, electricity and air conditioning. New skylights were added to provide natural ambient light and windows that had been previously covered up by years of remodeling were reinstated in the historic facade facing the pool.
CONCLUSION:
Mike
Leidemann of the Honolulu Advertiser said of the first phase renovation, "...(the project) also included work that helped recover some of the original
architectural features that had been hidden by decades of 'improvement.'
Some of those features brought back by the Architect included opening
up high ceilings and covered windows."
For more information on the YWCA, please visit their website:
Back to PROJECT PORTFOLIO
733 BISHOP STREET, SUITE 2620
HONOLULU, HI 96813-4016
TEL: (808) 533-8880
FAX: (808) 599-3769
EMAIL: info@ferrarochoi.com
COPYRIGHT©2008
LAST UPDATE:06.15.2008
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