Built 1927 Opened 1927 Added to NRHP 1 December 1978 | NRHP Reference # 78001020 Phone +1 808-538-7061 Architect Julia Morgan | |
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Location 1040 Richards St., Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Part of Hawaii Capital Historic District Address 1040 Richards St #220, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA Architectural styles Beaux-Arts architecture, Mediterranean Revival architecture Similar Aliiolani Hale, Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady, ʻIolani Barracks, C Brewer Building, Washington Place Profiles | ||
The YWCA Building at 1040 Richards Street, Honolulu, Hawaii, popularly called the Richards Street Y, is now officially named Laniākea, which means 'open skies' or 'wide horizons' in the Hawaiian language. It was designed by San Francisco architect Julia Morgan, who considered it one of her favorites. It opened in 1927 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 as a contributing property within the Hawaii Capital Historic District.
Julia Morgan, the first female graduate of the École des Beaux Arts in Paris, was also overseeing the restoration of Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California, at the time. She combined modern structural concrete engineering with traditional Mediterranean design elements—arches, loggias, balconies, and decorative grille work—to create a unique building well adapted to the Hawaiian climate and evolving Hawaiian regional style.