Julia Morgan: The Icon behind the historic YWCA Laniakea

Zoe Loos, a graduate of the YWCA’s Young Women’s Network Board shares her admiration for female icon and role model, architect Julia Morgan, who designed the YWCA of Oahu Laniakea building. (Content below from the YWCA of Oahu).

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Julia Morgan:
Celebrating the woman who gave us Laniakea
by Zoe Loos, Volunteer/Graduate of the YWCA Young Women’s Network Board

After reading that Julia Morgan, the designer of the YWCA of Oʻahu, recently received the
AIA Gold Medal award, I falsely assumed that Julia Morgan was still alive. Although she has left us long ago, she continues to live. She is as much alive as anyone I know. She’s living through her work, which still remains as elegant and important as it did over 100 years ago. I am lucky enough to live within her life. When I step into work every morning I am witnessing the essence of the woman who built the YWCA of Oʻahu Laniakea. I now appreciate the building and I appreciate the woman behind the building as well.

What made me love Julia Morgan even more than working in Laniakea was learning about her accomplishments. She was the only woman in her class to graduate with a degree in Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. She was also the first woman to be admitted and graduate from Ecole des Baux-Arts in Paris, France. She defied the sexism that bombarded her everyday. She made a name for herself, designed countless buildings embodying multiple styles, and she was a hard worker. Morgan is a role model for women everywhere.

Laniakea was built in 1927 and it was developed and designed for women. It’s the only YWCA facility designed by Julia Morgan that is still owned by its original owner and operated for it’s original purpose. Morgan didn’t even come to Honolulu during the building process. She amazingly directed construction from San Francisco where she was working on Hearst Castle. Laniakea is a landmark in Honolulu. It has an eclectic architectural design, flared with Mediterranean style tile floors, roofs, courtyards, and arches. Morgan never saved any of her own blueprints, not a single copy. She believed that only the owners should have copies, if they even wanted them. Morgan’s philosophy was that her buildings would speak for themselves. I couldn’t agree more.

To really understand Julia Morgan, grasp the importance of her life and her work, take a walk. Go on a quiet day when the hustle and bustle of all this city life becomes too much; enter the “open sky” which is Laniakea. Take a deep breath, listen, and understand the importance of this building, Julia Morgan, and the mission of the YWCA of Oʻahu.

The YWCA is offering free hour long tours showcasing Julia Morgan and the historically significant Laniakea building. Email wchang@ywcaoahu.org
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