Democracy by Design

Historic Hawai‘i Foundation was honored to be part of a task force appointed by the State Legislature and Governor David Ige to commemorate and celebrate the milestone 50 year anniversary of the Hawai‘i State Capitol Building. Other members of the task force included the Hawai‘i State Archives, State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, DAGS, local architects and planners, legislators and First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige. Senator Brian Taniguchi served as chair.

On Saturday, March 16 more than a 130 people gathered in the Capitol auditorium for the Democracy by Design Symposium, featuring six enlightening and inspiring sessions. (Videos of all six sessions are available below. To view the speakers’ individual PowerPoint presentations click the green buttons to your right.)

The day-long event was free and open to the public. State Senator Brian Taniguchi and Kiersten Faulkner, Executive Director of Historic Hawai‘i Foundation, welcomed attendees and Faulkner served as moderator throughout the day.

Democracy by Design – Part 1

Democracy by Design – Part 2

Democracy by Design – Part 3

Democracy by Design was the theme of a full-day symposium exploring the role of design in fostering open government and democratic engagement planned for the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Capitol.

ABOUT THE CAPITOL

The Capitol was dedicated on March 15, 1969 on the tenth anniversary of the passage of the Statehood bill by Congress. Governor John Burns used his opening address to the legislature to expound on the openness and spirit of Hawai‘i:

“The open sea, the open sky, the open doorway, open arms and open hearts—these are the symbols of our Hawaiian heritage…It is by means of this striking architecture of this new structure that Hawai‘i cries out to the nations of the Pacific and of the world this message: `We are a free people…we are an open society…we welcome all visitors to our Island home.’ ”

ABOUT THE SYMPOSIUM

DATE: Saturday, March 16, 2019

TIME: 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; reception 3:45 to 6:00 p.m.

PLACE: State Capitol Auditorium

COST: Free and open to the public. Registration required.

PARKING: Department of Health, Lot L, on the backside of the DOH, behind Washington Place (Take Punchbowl Street makai. Stay to the right. Turn right from Punchbowl onto Miller Street across from Queens Medical Center. From Miller, turn left behind Department of Health Building. Look for signs for Lot L.)

The Symposium will include sessions on the history of the site and how it was selected for the capital, an overview of the building and landscape features and characteristics, and the role it has played in urban planning and the development of the civic center. Historians will also discuss other sites that have been government and civic centers in the Hawaiian Islands from pre-Statehood eras, and how to support civic engagement and democracy.

SESSIONS & SPEAKERS

MORNING: 9:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

How the State Capitol Came to Be: Don Hibbard, Architectural Historian

Architecture and Design of the Capitol: Bettina Mehnert, AHL; David Miller, AHL

Civic Center and Urban Planning: Kelema Moses, Occidental College; Katie Stephens, AHL

Lunch: 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

AFTERNOON: 12:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Other Capitals of the Hawaiian Islands: Ronald Williams, State Archives

Legislative Milestones of Past 50 Years: Robbie Dingeman, HONOLULU Magazine

The Future of Civic Engagement: William R. Chapman, Interim Dean, UH School of Architecture; Luke A. Evslin, Councilmember, County of Kaua‘i; Colin Moore, Director of the Public Policy Center, UH School of Political Science

Reception: 3:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

TASK FORCE – FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HAWAII STATE CAPITOL – 2019

Senator Brian T. Taniguchi,
Chairman of the Task Force

Mamiko Carroll, Information Specialist,
State Foundation on Culture and the Arts

Karen Ewald,
Director of Art in Public Places Program and Hawai‘i State Art Museum

Kiersten Faulkner, Executive Director,
Historic Hawaii Foundation

John M. Hara, FAIA,
John Hara Associates, Inc.

Don Hibbard, Architectural Historian

Dawn Amano-Ige, First Lady,
State of Hawaii

Adam Jansen, Administrator,
Hawaii State Archives

Jonathan Johnson, Executive Director,
State Foundation on Culture and the Arts

Chris Kinimaka, Chief,
DAGS/Public Works Division/Planning Branch