Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-16
ARCADE SHOULD BE MADE FEATUREOF
HONOLULU ARCHITECTURE, HE ASSERTS
Resident Points Out Advantages of This Style for Buildings in
Tropic and Semi Tropic Countries = Opportunity for City
BeautierS

, tropical architecture of other coun-
tries. he reason for this was no
doubt because the early settlers OF
the Hawaiian islands were from tenn
per2te countries, and they knew but
little of advanced tropical architec-
ture; CT II they had seen II they did
4 not recognize the vaiue of the distinct.
i've features of such architecture and
so did not a1opt them, But In this
again. Honolulu Is not different from
other Anglo-Saxon cities. II is diff
fieult thing sometimes for people To
change or modify their architecture.
Architecture Of the Imperial Valley Of
California
The most notable example of where
the people have broken away from
the architecture their fathers were
used to and adopted what was best
suited to their needs is in the Imperial
Valley OF California Who was the
party responsible do not know But
the fact Is, the Imperial Valley has
the architecture best suited to the
country All buildings In the business
section are areaded over the walks.
The streets look no more like an
American city Of the North than do
the grass liuts OF Hawaii. Also bear
in nSind that some OF the Imperial
towns are quite husky youngsters.
| When the newer towns Of the valley
we're contemplated, notably inland
and Calpatria, building ordinances or
restrictions were passed before the
| first business, structure was erected,
and the provisions were that all the
business buildings should be con-
structed of brick, stone or cement,
and that they should be arcaded.
Buildings Arcaded Over the Walks
The arcaded building is not new.
It IS the prevailing type Of building
in the countries. lying south OF the
United States. The Spanish adopted
II when they built in Mexico and In
the West Indies; yet 1t was not until
the present century that the Anglo
Saxon in the United States recognized
its value and adopted 1t. Perhaps the
most familiar examples, to the resi-
dents Of Honolulu at least. are the
Spanish missions Of California and
the exposition buildings at San Diego.
Diego
Advantage Of the Arcaded Building
The advantages Of the arcaded build
| ing for a tropical climate are many.
First, the arcade furnishes protection
! for the pedestrians who use the walks.
No awning can give the projection
from both rain and sun as does the
arcade. Second, they make the stores
cooler and more inviting. Those who
have wandered along the walks under
meath the arcades of Havana will tes-
tify to this fact. Third, the arcaded
buildings give the builder more room.
! Perhaps those who read this last
statement will doubt this. How, you
will say, can an arcade make build
! ing larger? But the answer is simple.
| The building is over the sidewalk.
i For instance: A street has an eight
| foot walk The building Is built over
I, six of these eight feet OF walk, the
walk encroaching two feet into the
/ building to MAKE the walk full width
under the arcade. While there is less
/ floor space on the ground floor, all
! floors above will have the additional
six feet that extends over the walk.
Here again, perhaps some will object.
I They will say that buildings Of this
nature narrow the street AS to this
objection, 1t does not apply to the
amount of space used for traffic.
There is the same space for pedes-
/ TRANS, and the space between the
curbs is not narrowed. As to the
space above: True, 1t is narrower.
| But that is a benefit In a tropical
country. 1t cuts off light, and the
| trouble is that there Is too much sun
in the streets. What sun Is cut off
makes the streets cooler.
In the matter Of beauty. there IL no
comparison. The arcaded building Is
as far ahead of the average building
such as exists in Honolulu, built with
4 out the arcade, as the lines Of yacht
are over those of a tug boat. To COM
| pare the principal street Of FL Centric,
| Cal, with Fort street OF Honolulu Is
to compare the sublime to the ridi-
4 culous-a work of art to a bl0tch OF
paint. The architecture that has been
brought here from the cities OF the
North is no more appropriate to this
I country than would be the fur coats
! from those same countries OF the
| North Those who have seen the
Hotel Inglaterra of Havana, ! ask you
to shut your eyes and again picture
| in your mind the arcades and cool
patios Of that hotel, and then go and
look at the Alexander Young, and then
/ tell the people of Honolulu what you
think about the Alexander Young, and
I the arcaded architecture.