Z~~EC2~n~T~r2Hamayasu,P.E.INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CEO

CITY COUUCLIHO~$OLULU~~~qQ~flD OF DIRECTORS

Carrie K.S. Okinaga, Esq.CHAIR

Ivan M. Lui-Kwan, Esq.VICE CHAIR

Robert BundaWilliam Buzz” Hong

Donald G. HomerKeslie W. K. Hui

Damien T. K. KimGlenn M. Okimoto, Ph.D.

David K. Tanoue

Wayne Y. Yoshioka

As requested in City Council Resolution 11~227,the Art in Transit Program is attached. Theestablished program will identify art opportunities at each of the 21 stations in the rail system,and provide for commissioning of artists for integration of artwork within the station entrystructures and platforms.

Sincerely,

~(ennethToru

interim Executive Director and CEO

Attachments

cc: HART Board

DEPT. COM. 774

IN REPLY REFER TO:

PECERY~~I1-435O92Rf~A ~I ~ I C ~ C CF {~ILJLU

HONOLULU AUTHORITY for RAPID ~ p~t4~ L~.

December 2, 2011

The Honorable ErnestY. Martin, Chairand Members

Honolulu City Council530 South King Street, Room 202Honolulu, Hawaii 96813-3065

Dear Chair Martin and Councilmembers:

CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU. AIII Place, Suite 1700, 1099 Alakea Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813Phone: (8O8)76&6159 Fax: (808)768.5110 w~v.honoIulutransit.org

A Public Art Vision Plan for the Honolulu Rail Transit Project

Art-in-Transit Program

November 2011

Prepared for: Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation

ART TRAIN

A Public Art Vision Plan for the

Honolulu Rail Transit Project

Art-in-Transit Program

How to Use This Plan

ART TRAIN sets forth a vision for an Art-in-Transit

Program for the Honolulu Rail Transit Project (HRTP).

In order to fully explain the Art-in-Transit Program

vision, the plan includes an overview of the HRTP and

the place that is Hawai‘i. A summary of each station

along the guideway is included to provide a better

understanding of station sites, architectural designs,

and station area cultural and historic information.

Finally, a vision for an Art-in-Transit program is

presented. This vision is specific to place. It seeks to

capture the history, culture, poetry and passions of

the people of the islands. Sixteen art opportunities

are included. These opportunities are considered a

palette, and, like the entire plan, visions. An Art

Program Manual, which defines the guidelines,

policies and procedures for the HRTP’s Art-in-Transit

Program, is included as an addendum to ART TRAIN.

ART TRAIN

2

Table of Contents

PROJECT OVERVIEW 3

PLACE 4

STATIONS 11

ART-IN-TRANSIT PROGRAM 45

ART TRAIN

3

Project Overview

The City & County of Honolulu, Hawai‘i has the

nation’s second highest metropolitan travel time

during peak commute hours, second only to Los

Angeles, and is ranked 4th

for highest per-capita use

of mass transit in the United States. Currently, there

is no urban rail system in Honolulu. The City and

County of Honolulu is planning a 20-mile, transit line

that will connect Honolulu with outlying suburban

areas to the west of the city on the southwestern part

of O‘ahu. The Honolulu Rail Transit Project (HRTP)

will include construction and operation of a grade

separated fixed guideway transit system between

East Kapolei and Ala Moana Center. All parts of the

guideway will be elevated, except near Leeward

Community College. There will be twenty-one

stations along the guideway. The primary goals of the

HRTP are to improve mobility for travelers, improve

transportation system reliability, provide accessibility

to new development in the ‘Ewa-Kapolei-Makakilo

area in support of the City’s policy to develop this as a

“second city,” and improve transportation equity for

all travelers. By 2030, about 116,300 trips per

weekday are expected, thereby removing an

estimated 40,000 vehicles from the roads each

weekday by the year 2030. Public Art will be an

integral component at each of the twenty-one

stations.

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4

Place

In the Hawaiian language, Hawai‘i means

“homeland.” Hawai‘i became a state in 1959. It is

the newest of the 50 United States, and the only state

made up entirely of islands. Hawai‘i is the

northeastern most island group in Polynesia,

occupying most of an archipelago situated in the

Pacific Ocean approximately 2,000 miles southwest of

the North American “mainland,” southeast of Japan,

and northeast of Australia. The state encompasses

nearly the entire volcanic island chain, which

comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1,500

miles. At the southeastern end of the archipelago,

the eight islands that make up the State of Hawai‘i

are (from northeast to southeast) Ni‘ihau, Kaua‘i,

O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Kaho‘olawe, Maui, and

Hawai‘i (called the “Big Island” so as not to confuse it

with the state name). Honolulu is the capital of

Hawai‘i. Honolulu means “sheltered bay” or “place of

shelter.”

Artifacts and oral histories indicate that Polynesians

from the Marquesas and possibly the Society Islands

may have first settled on the islands between 300 and

500 CE, followed by a second wave of migration from

Raiatea, Bora Bora and possibly Tahiti in the 11th

century. The first recorded European contact with

the islands was in 1778 by British explorer James

Cook. Cook named the islands the “Sandwich Islands”

in honor of his sponsor John Montagu, 4th

Earl of

Sandwich. He published the islands’ location, wrote

books about them, and reported the native name as

Owyhee. Although Cook was killed trying to abduct

the King of the Big Island of Hawai‘i, Kalani‘ōpu‘u, it

wasn’t long before Europe’s presence increased

bringing visitors, explorers, traders, whalers,

missionaries and, before long, disease to the once-

isolated islands. The 1780s and 1790s brought

chiefdoms and battles for power.

Official claim to the land now called Honolulu came in

1804 when King Kamehameha the Great conquered

O‘ahu in the Battle of Nu‘uanu Pali and moved his

royal court from the island of Hawai‘i to Waikīkī. His

court relocated to what is now downtown Honolulu in

1809 and, with the forced cession of the island of

Kaua‘i in 1810, all inhabited islands were subjugated

under the house of Kamehameha, a dynasty that

ruled the kingdom until 1872. Although the capital of

the Hawaiian Kingdom moved during the early part of

the nineteenth century, in 1845 Kamehameha III

declared Honolulu the permanent capital. He and the

kings that followed him transformed Honolulu into a

modern city. Despite the turbulent history of the late

19th

and early 20th

centuries such as the overthrow of

the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, Hawai‘i’s

subsequent annexation by the United States in 1898,

followed by a large fire in 1900 and the Japanese

attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Honolulu remained

the capital, largest city, and main airport and seaport

of the Hawaiian Islands. Today, Honolulu is a city of

commerce, technological advancement, and tourism.

But despite its contemporary city image, Honolulu

remains true to its native history, culture, traditions,

and language.

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Ancient Hawai‘i

THE LAND

The ancient Hawaiians felt a strong connection with

the land (‘āina) and its spiritual power (mana). They

believed that the forces that caused thunder and

lightning, or created sunshine and rainbows, were the

same elemental forces that allowed them to stand, to

walk, and chant. These godly forces were so

powerfully alive that they were recognized as beings

and identified with names. The Hawaiians perceived

a pantheon of gods, goddesses, and demigods as the

sources of fire, water, and snow, and as dwelling in

fish, animals, and plants. Pele (volcano goddess), Kū

(the architect and maker of war), Kāne (the creator),

Papa (the earth mother), Lono (god of fertility and

rain), and Kanaloa (ruler of the oceans) are some of

the better-known gods and goddesses.

THE KAPU SYSTEM

The social order of ancient Hawai‘i was defined by

the kapu system. Strict societal rules prevailed and

transgressors paid with their lives. Kapu offenses

were considered threats to spiritual power, or theft of

mana. Fishing out of season, stepping on a chief’s

shadow, and eating bananas or pig, if you were a

woman, were considered capital offenses. The ali‘i

(royal class) ruled the islands and enforced the kapu

system.

MYTHS AND LEGENDS

The direct relationship to nature was understood and

orally transmitted through living, imaginative stories,

myths, and legends. The traditional history

presented the world in such a way that values,

meaning, and morality were often of greater

importance than, or at least equal to, the physical

events being chronicled. These legends imparted the

knowledge that physical objects were the result of

creative deeds, and that facts were the by-product of

godly activity. For instance, Pele, the volcano

goddess, is also credited with bringing the visual art

of image making to the islands, because of the infinite

possibilities of lava rock structures attributed to her.

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6

FISHPONDS

Fishing was one of the most important livelihoods of

the ancient Hawaiians. Besides fishing along the

rugged shoreline and out at sea in carefully

engineered and crafted voyaging canoes, they

developed a very sophisticated aquaculture system

using loko i‘a (fishponds). The island of O‘ahu had

more fishponds than any other island because its

irregular coastline. At one time 200 ponds existed on

O‘ahu. Ponds were usually built by enclosing a

natural inlet or bay with coral or basalt rock walls,

and sand or dirt fill. Most ponds were brackish, but

there were also inland freshwater fishponds fed by

streams or springs. Some of the most common fish

raised were moi (threadfish), ‘ama‘ama (mullet),

āholehole (sliver perch), and awa (milkfish), but

ponds were also home to shrimp, crab, and eel.

According to legend, almost every water source,

including fishponds, were guarded by mo‘o (water

spirits).

VOYAGING CANOES

The sophisticated ancient Hawaiian voyaging canoes

(wa‘a) consisted of two identical hulls connected by

arched cross booms. Lashed on top of the arched

cross booms were narrow wooden platforms (decks)

called pola. Double-hull voyaging canoes were

equipped with a uniquely Hawaiian form of oceanic

spirit sail, called a “crab claw”. The sail materialfor

the crab claw was most often matting made of finely

plaited lauhala leaves, also called pandanus.

HOUSES

Houses of many different construction types existed

in the Hawaiian Islands. Usually a commoner

constructed his house with the help of friends. When

a chief needed a house, however, his retainers

assembled the materials and erected the structure

under the direction of an individual kahuna (priest)

expert in the art of erecting a framework and

applying thatch. Every step of the house building

process, from the selection of the site to the final

dedication, required careful religious supervision.

Certain prescribed rules governed the house's

location, method of construction, sleeping mat

arrangement, and the move-in procedure. Blessings

such as long life were expected to result from proper

respect of these rules.

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TARO

Taro (kalo), and its sophisticated farming system, was

more than a dietary staple. At the economic, political

and spiritual center of Hawaiian agricultural society,

the taro plant and its history grew to mythological

proportions. In tales of taro's origins, Taro is the

stillborn first child of Wākea, the sky father, and his

daughter Ho`ohokukalani (daughter to Papa, the

earth mother). This child was buried near the house

and grew into a plant they named Hāloanaka, or long

stalk trembling. The second son born to Wākea and

Ho`ohokukalani, Hāloa, took human form. From him,

the human race descended.

TEMPLES

Heiau (ancient Hawaiian temples) were places of

worship that were central to Hawaiian religious

beliefs. From the heiau, the kahuna communicated

with the gods and advised the ali‘i.

Heiau exist throughout the Hawaiian Islands, but their

use ceased with the destruction of the kapu (taboo)

system in 1819.

SURFING

The Ancient Hawaiians considered surfing a holistic

art. They referred to this art as he‘e nalu, which

translates into English as “wave sliding.” Prior to

entering the water, the Hawaiians prayed to the gods

for protection and strength to undertake the

powerful mystifying ocean. If the ocean were tame,

frustrated surfers would call upon the kahuna to

deliver great surf. The priest would also aid the

surfers in undertaking the spiritual ceremony of

constructing a surfboard. Once selected, the surfer

would dig the tree out and place fish in the hole as an

offering to the gods.

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8

HULA

Hula is a dance form accompanied by oli (chant) or

mele (song). The hula dramatizes or portrays the

words of the oli or mele in a visual dance form. Hula

dancing is a complex art form, and there are many

hand motions used to represent the words in a song

or chant. For example, hand movements can signify

aspects of nature, such as the basic coconut tree

motions, or a wave in the ocean.

CHANTING

Other than petroglyphs, the ancient Hawaiian people

kept no written records. Other than the petroglyphs

they knew no written language. Yet they lived with a

sophisticated hierarchical system of land divisions, a

complex classification in ranks from commoner to

highest chief, and a detailed genealogy. To keep track

of this vital knowledge, any transition that might be

of importance, either to others or to future

generations, had to be memorized and passed on. To

aid with memorizing, a system of verses emerged

which over the years developed into an ingenious art

form. The verses were known as the oli (chants).

TRAILS

Ancient trails facilitated trading between upland and

coastal villages, and communications between

districts, ahupua`a (ancient land divisions), and

extended families. Ancient trails were usually narrow,

following the natural topography of the land, and

sometimes paved with smooth, water-worn,

steppingstones (`alā or pa`alā). There were strict

rules, punishable by death, governing access to the

precious resources of the mountains and ocean. Trail

use restrictions were according to the laws of the

chief ruling over the particular land division in which

the trail was located. However, the alaloa (long trails)

circumscribing the island, were open to all in times of

peace.

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PETROGLYPHS

The ancient Hawaiians referred to petroglyphs as ki‘i

pōhaku (ki‘i means “image,” and pōhaku means

“stone”). Today, petroglyphs are virtually the only

prehistoric art of the Hawaiian Islands not in

museums, private collections, or hidden away in

caves. Common subjects of Hawaiian petroglyphs are

canoes, paddles & sails, stick figures, supernatural

beings with horns, bird heads or wings, dogs, turtles,

and chickens. Fish petroglyphs are rare. Common also

are cryptic symbols of curving lines, dots, and circles.

TATTOOS

The word “tattoo” originates from the Tahitian,

ToTooTongan, and the Samoan word, tatau. When

the Hawaiians migrated to the Hawaiian Islands, they

adapted the name for their body art to kākau.

Hawaiian tattoo practices were linked closely with

ancient tradition and laws. Tattoos held great

spiritual and social significance for ancient Hawaiians.

The act of tattooing was highly ritualized and sacred,

and only kahuna could apply them. Tattoos had the

power to distinguish a person's place in the social

hierarchy and to protect him from negative forces,

and some tattoos were believed to possess powers of

their own.

LEI MAKING

The history of lei making in Hawai‘i began with the

arrival of the Polynesians. Throughout the South

Pacific, Polynesians honored their gods by twining

greens into wreaths and adorning their own bodies

with strings of flowers and vines. When they arrived

in Hawai‘i, in addition to the useful plants they

brought for food, medicine and building, they also

brought ginger (‘awapuhi), a fragrant flower used for

decoration and adornment. During the settlement

period - roughly 750 AD through the 1300s - lei

throughout Polynesia were very similar. Types

included temporary fragrant lei such as maile and

hala as well as non-perishable lei like lei niho palaoa

(whale or walrus bone), lei pūpū (shell) and lei hulu

manu (feather). After long ocean voyages ceased and

Hawaiians entered a period of cultural isolation

(1300s-1778), they developed a richer variety of lei. In

a lifestyle that fused ritual and nature with every

aspect of daily life, lei were a ubiquitous ornament

worn during any type of work activity, celebration or

rite, by maka`āinana (commoners) as well as ali`i.

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Storied Landscape

LAND DIVISIONS

In ancient times, the islands were subdivided, the

land was equally divided, and a name given to each in

order to identify it. An entire island, or mokupuni,

was divided in smaller parts, down to a basic unit

belonging to a single family. Each mokupuni was

divided into several moku, the largest units within

each island, usually wedge-shaped and running from

the mountain crest to shore. Each moku was divided

into ahupua‘a, narrower wedge-shaped land

sections, that usually included uplands and coastal

areas so that nature and people of these regions

mingled, and had access to the diversity of the

different climates and resources within their land

area.

AHUPUA‘A

The special characteristics of an ahupua‘a defined its

wahi pana (spirit of place), sometimes translated as

“storied landscape”. The kahuna (priests) accepted

their creative skills and abilities to experience the

qualitative or “beingness” of nature as an inheritance

from the ‘aumākua (ancestral spirits) and the Ko‘olau

(higher gods). Together with the ali‘i and the

commoners, they showed their gratitude and

reverence by presenting offerings at shrines and

heiau (temples), and by worshipping before sacred

pōhaku (stones) and wooden ki‘i (images). The word

ahupua‘a derives from ahu, meaning "heap" or

"altar", and pua‘a, meaning “pig”. The boundary

markers for ahupua‘a were traditionally heaps of

stones used to support offers to island chiefs, which

were often pigs. According to Hawaiian mythology,

Kāne and Kanaloa established each moku and

ahupua‘a boundary by throwing a stone.

O‘ahu was divided into six moku: Wai‘ānae, ‘Ewa,

Kona, Ko‘olaupoko, Ko‘olauloa, and Waialua. The

land, or ‘āina, of each ahupua‘a has both shared and

unique histories. The guideway of the HRTP will pass

through two moku, ‘Ewa and Kona, and twenty

ahupua‘a. To enhance understanding of the

agricultural and land history associated with station

sites, the moku and ahupua‘a in which each lies is

identified and defined within the Station

Characteristics section of this document.

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Stations

Currently, the twenty-one stations of the guideway

are segmented into eight contract packages. Each

Station(s) Design Group has different award, design

and construction schedules. Design of the initial

segment – Farrington Station(s) Design Group (which

is actually the second segment of the guideway) –

began in February 2011. Design initiation for all other

segments will be staggered. Construction of all

stations is anticipated to be complete the last quarter

of 2017 or first quarter of 2018. Station(s) Design

Groups and their respective stations are from ‘Ewa

(west) to Diamond Head (east):

West O‘ahu Stations Design Group

1. East Kapolei Station

2. UH West O‘ahu Station

3. Ho‘opili Station

Farrington Stations Design Group

4. West Loch Station

5. Waipahu Transit Center Station

6. Leeward Community College Station

Kamehameha Stations Design Group

7. Pearl Highlands Station

8. Pearlridge Center Station

9. Aloha Stadium Station

Airport Stations Design Group

10. Pearl Harbor Naval Base Station

11. Honolulu International Airport Station

12. Lagoon Drive Station

Dillingham Stations Design Group

13. Middle Street Station

14. Kalihi Station

15. Kapālama Station

City Center Stations Design Group

16. ‘Iwilei Station

17. Chinatown Station

18. Downtown Station

Kaka‘ako Stations Design Group

19. Civic Center Station

20. Kaka‘ako Station

Ala Moana Center Station Design Group

21. Ala Moana Center Station

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Station Standards

Although each station has its own individual character

and design, they share standard design features,

amenities and requirements. To shorten and simplify

individual station descriptions, these standards are

listed below.

Station entrance buildings are either two

levels (entry, platform) or three levels

(entry, concourse, and platform).

Most platform configurations have a side

platform configuration (two platforms

either side of the elevated guideway). Four

stations have center platforms.

Platforms are 240-feet long.

Most stations include entry-level plazas

with access via stairways, escalators or

elevators to a concourse level.

Platform level access is via stairways,

escalators, or glass elevators.

Floors and columns are cast-in-place

concrete.

Most station entrance buildings have high

ceilings that span either two or three levels.

All station facilities are designed to be open

for view, airflow and sunlight to take

advantage of the tropical weather

conditions of the island of O‘ahu.

Appropriate roof overhang and canopies

are provided for inclement weather.

The canopy design is standardized for all

stations providing visual identity for the

transit system. The cantilevered, stretched

fabric membrane canopy evokes a sail-like

visual effect.

Station entrance levels may include the

following amenities: plazas, ticket vending

machines, maps, trash receptacles, fare

gates, signage, and support spaces for the

maintenance and operation of the station.

Some will have traction power substations.

Station platform levels will have seating,

map cases, trash receptacles, and

windscreens.

Most stations will provide bus drop-off

areas, park-and-ride facilities, kiss-and-ride

and taxi zones, and bicycle racks.

All stations are ADA compliant.

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Station Characteristics

Stations Characteristics are divided into three

categories:

Station Type

Station Description

Historic and Cultural Significance

The “Station Descriptions” contained in this

document are subject to change.

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14

West O‘ahu Stations Design Group

Stations

The three stations within the West O‘ahu Stations

Design Group are:

East Kapolei Station

UH West O‘ahu Station

Ho‘opili Station

District (Moku)

All three stations in the West O‘ahu Stations Design

Group are located in the ancient ‘Ewa District. In the

Hawaiian language, ‘Ewa means “unequal”. It is said

that when Kāne and Kanaloa were surveying the

island of O‘ahu, they stood atop the Red Hill and

looked down upon the broad plains of what is now

‘Ewa. When they saw the beautiful land below them,

it was their thought to include as much of the flat

level land as possible. They hurled the stone as far as

the Wai‘ānae range and it landed somewhere in the

Waimānalo section. When they went to find it, they

could not locate the spot where it fell, so ‘Ewa

became known as “the stone that strayed”, or the

“unequal” land. ‘Ewa is one of the largest districts on

O‘ahu. ‘Ewa is located between Moanalua, Lihue,

and Wai‘ānae and surrounds the Pearl River, or

harbor.

O‘ahu ali‘i, favoring ‘Ewa’s beautiful, rolling landscape,

chose to have their homes there. In the late 19th and early

20th centuries, ‘Ewa was one of the largest population

centers on the Island, with industry focused on sugar

cane production. The ‘Ewa Mill was a major

employer that set up residential villages. Sugarcane is

no longer grown on the ‘Ewa Plain and the area is

now one of O‘ahu’s suburban growth centers.

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East Kapolei Station

Station Type: Center Platform with Concourse

Station Description: The East Kapolei Station is the

west terminus of the alignment. The station will be

situated adjacent and Diamond Head direction of

North-South road. It will be one of four stations

along the corridor that has a center platform

configuration. Station entrance structures are

located on either side of North-South Road. The two

entrance buildings will be connected by an elevated

pedestrian walkway spanning North-South Road at

the station concourse level. The site design includes

landscaping at the plazas of each entrance building.

While the station area is mostly rural today, land use

is expected to change significantly in the future and

will include a mix of commercial and residential

developments. These developments will include the

University of Hawai‘i West O‘ahu campus to be

located approximately one-half mile from the station.

A variety of access modes are anticipated including

walk, bicycle, local bus, park-and-ride, kiss-and-ride,

Handi-van, and taxi zones.

Historic and Cultural Significance: The East Kapolei

Station site is located in what was once the Honouliuli

ahupua‘a. In the Hawaiian language, honouliuli

means “blue harbor”. While much of the agriculture

of the ‘Ewa Plain at one time consisted of sugarcane

and pineapple fields, and later pumpkin and

watermelon fields, the area surrounding the station

site is currently a grassy plan with low vegetation and

low brush. In ancient times, the ‘Ewa Plain was a

dense forest alive with plants, insects, and birds that

are now extinct.

Kapolei, now an unincorporated community, is

considered Honolulu’s “second city”. The community

takes its name from a volcanic cone, Pu‘u o Kapolei.

In the Hawaiian language, pu‘u means hill and Kapolei

means beloved Kapo. According to legend, Kapo was

sister to Pele. It is said that there is a noted hill called

Pu‘u o Kapolei, which is one of the most famous of

ancient hills. The chant composed for games in the

olden days began with the name of this hill and went

on (with place names) all around the island. The

chant was used for those who swung rope, played

wooden ‘ūkēkē instruments, or those who juggled

with stones, noni fruit, or kukui nuts.

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UH West O‘ahu Station

Station Type: Side Platform with Concourse

Station Description: The UH West O‘ahu Station will

be situated adjacent to North-South Road, next to the

Kroc Center. Station entrance structures will be

located on either side of North-South Road. The two

entrance buildings will be connected by an elevated

pedestrian walkway spanning North-South Road at

the station concourse level. The site design includes

landscaping at the plazas of each entrance building.

The area is currently agricultural but will undergo

major new development, including the new

University of Hawai‘i campus and a mixed-use master

plan community. The UH West O‘ahu campus will be

located approximately ¼ mile west of the station

entrances. As the land is developed, the street

network will be expanded. It is anticipated that

access modes will include walk, bike, bus, kiss-and-

ride, taxi, and private shuttle.

Historic and Cultural Significance: Like the East

Kapolei Station area, the West O‘ahu Station site will

be situated in what was once the Honouliuli

ahupua‘a. Coral plains, and large terraces filled with

taro plants, bananas and sugarcane grew in

Honouliuli. Because of its mesic and wet forests,

Honouliuli, through the efforts of the Honouliuli

Preserve and The Nature Conservancy, is home to

over 90 rare and endangered plant and animal

species. In ancient times, the ‘Ewa Plain was a dense

forest alive with plants, insects, and birds, such as the

‘i‘iwi and ō‘ō, many of which are now extinct.

In the ‘Ewa plains, there exists a legend of two old

women that turned to stone. It is said that if a

traveler were to leave the city of gold, Honouliuli, and

climb Pu‘u o Kapolei, ‘Ewa would be hidden from

view. Down some small inclines, there was a plain

called Pūkaua, and, on the mauka side of the road, a

large rock. According to legend, there were two

peculiar women with strange powers. While they

were fishing at Kualakai one evening, they caught

a‘ama crabs and pipi shellfish. As they returned to

the plain, they met a one-eyed person. They became

frightened and began to run, leap, falling and

sprawling, rising up and running on, without thought

of the a‘ama crabs and seaweeds that dropped on

the way. At daylight one of the women said to the

other, “Let us hide lest people see us,” and so they

turned into the large rock of Pūkaua plain.

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Ho‘opili Station

Station Type: Side Platform, No Concourse

Station Description: The Ho‘opili Station will be

situated in the median of a future East-West road

Diamond Head of North-South Road. Station

entrance structures will be located on either side of

the roadway. The site design includes landscaping at

the plazas of each entrance building. While the

station area is mostly rural today, land use is

expected to change significantly in the future and will

include a mix of commercial and residential

developments. The combination of mixed-use

development and a pedestrian-friendly street

network will provide maximum opportunities for

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) near the station.

A variety of access modes are anticipated including

walk, bike, bus, kiss-and-ride, and Handi-Van.

Historic and Cultural Significance: In the Hawaiian

language, ho‘opili means coming together. The

Ho‘opili Station will serve a new-planned community

that is envisioned to bring together families and

residents searching for a sustainable and lifestyle-

enhanced quality of life. Like the East Kapolei Station

and the UH West O‘ahu Station, the Ho‘opili Station

site is located in what was once the Honouliuli

ahupua‘a. The station will be situated adjacent to the

planned conservation site for the endangered

Ko‘oloa‘ula, or Red ‘ilima (Abutilon menziesii), and

the species is known to grow in this area.

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Farrington Stations Design Group

Stations

The three stations within the Farrington Stations

Design Group are:

West Loch Station

Waipahu Transit Center Station

Leeward Community College Station

Preliminary design is complete on The Farrington

Stations. Representative renderings are included.

District (Moku)

All three stations are located in the ‘Ewa District of

O‘ahu.

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West Loch Station

Station Type: Side Platform with Concourse

Station Description: The West Loch Station will be

situated in the Farrington Highway street median at

the intersection of Farrington Highway and

Leo‘ole/Leoku Streets. At-grade station entrance

structures will be located on either side of Farrington

Highway. The two entrance buildings will be

connected by an elevated pedestrian walkway

spanning Farrington Highway at the station concourse

level. An off-street transit center, which also includes

landscaping, will be situated on the makai side of

Farrington Highway adjacent to the makai Station

Entrance Building. A large plaza, measuring

approximately 64 feet wide by 165 feet long, will

welcome users. The area surrounding the station is a

mix of commercial and low-density housing.

Farrington Highway, a heavily travelled arterial, is

characterized by strip commercial development and

large commercial parking lots fronting the street. A

variety of access modes are anticipated with local bus

being most dominant followed by walk/bike, kiss-and-

ride, and taxi.

Historic and Cultural Significance: The West Loch

Station will be situated in what was once the

Hōa‘ea‘e ahupua‘a. In the Hawaiian language,

hāa‘ea‘e is “a chant with lengthened vowels”. The

lowlands near West Loch were once filled with

terraces where kalo (taro) and Breadfruit grew in

abundance. The entire West Loch of Pearl Harbor

was once called Kaihuopalaai.

The site was named for the daughter of Konikonia

and his wife Hina‘ai mālama. As legend goes,

Kaihuopalaai saw a godly man by the name of

Kapapaapuhi standing by the fishpond where the

mullet were kept. When she fell in love with him, she

was changed into the fishpond. West Loch is also

sometimes remembered as the location of the West

Loch Disaster. 163 men were killed, and 396

wounded, when a naval vessel, being loaded with

ammunition and gas, accidentally exploded on May

21, 1944, sinking not only itself, but also several other

nearby Landing Ship Tank vessels.

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Waipahu Transit Center Station

Station Type: Side Platform with Concourse

Station Description: The Waipahu Transit Center

Station will be situated in the Farrington Highway

street median near Mokoula Street. The design of

the Waipahu Station is reminiscent of the old

Waipahu Sugar Mill, for which the area is known.

Station entry structures and plazas will be located on

either side of Farrington Highway. The entry

buildings will be connected by an elevated pedestrian

walkway spanning Farrington Highway at the station

concourse level. The mauka entrance will have direct

access to the existing Waipahu (bus) Transit Center

on Hikimoe Street. The makai entrance will be

oriented to Farrington Highway. A long linear

entrance plaza to the side of the building breaks open

to a smaller entry plaza, 55 feet by 45 feet, to

encourage pedestrian-oriented redevelopment

consistent with the vision of the Waipahu

Neighborhood Oriented Development Plan. The

station area is urban with a mix of commercial, light

industrial and residential land uses. Farrington

Highway is a busy, heavily travelled street. It is

currently a difficult environment for pedestrians and

bicyclists. Buses and Handi-vans will use the existing

Waipahu Transit Center. A kiss-and-ride zone is

planned.

Historic and Cultural Significance: The place now

called Waipahu was originally in the Waikele

ahupua‘a. Waipahu was only a small place where a

tapa anvil was said to have come out and drifted

down the steam. In the flatland where the

Kamehameha Highway once crossed the lower valley

of Waikele Stream, there were terraces where

bananas, beans, and sugarcane grew.

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Waipahu means “bursting water”, which is derived

from wai, meaning “water”, and pahū, meaning

“burst or gush forth”. It is said that Madam

Ka‘ahupāhau (a shark goddess) was known to bathe

in the fresh water of the gushing spring of Waipahu.

Before Western civilization set foot in Hawai‘i, the

Hawaiians considered Waipahu to be the capital of

O‘ahu. Royalty in the Kingdom of Hawai‘i would

often gather to enjoy the fresh water from the

Waipahu spring. Waipahu, situated along the

northern shore of both Pearl Harbor’s Middle Loch

and West Loch, was also known as a sugar plantation

town. The O‘ahu Sugar Company opened in 1897.

Operations were shut down after the 1995 harvest.

The Waipahu plantation stable area was once the site

of the former heiau at Waikele. In about 1650, the

Heiau Po‘okanaka, was surprised during temple

worship and slain with his priest and attendant chiefs

by direction of the mō‘ī of O‘ahu. In 1973, the City

and County of Honolulu and the State of Hawai‘i

purchased 40 acres opposite the Waipahu sugar mill

to establish the Waipahu Cultural and Garden Park.

Today, the living history museum is known as Hawai‘i

Plantation Village.

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Leeward Community College Station

Station Type: Center Platform with Concourse; At-

Grade with Sunken Plaza

Station Description: The Leeward Community

College (LCC) Station will be the only at-grade station,

and one of four stations with a center platform

configuration. It will be situated at the northern edge

of the Leeward Community College campus. The

single station entrance will be situated on the makai

side of Ala‘ike Street near a surface parking lot. An

underground pedestrian passageway will connect the

partially below-grade entrance structure to the

station platform. The site design includes parking lot

redesign, a maintenance vehicle parking area, and a

larger than average landscaped area adjacent to the

station. Consideration has been given to planting a

salvaged native tree grove in this area. Other land

uses in the station area include Waipahu High School

and single-family housing. Virtually all the demand at

the station will involve walk and bicycle access from

LCC and the surrounding area. A Handi-van zone, and

kiss-and-ride and taxi zones are planned. Facilities for

local bus and park-and-ride will not be provided.

Historic and Cultural Significance: The Leeward

Community College Station is located on the eastern

edge of the Middle Loch of Pearl Harbor in what was

once the ancient ahupua‘a of Waiawa, which means

“milkfish water”. Leeward Community College is a

public, commuter community college. The 49-acre

campus also houses the temporary campus of the

University of Hawai‘i – West O‘ahu. Fishponds and

pineapple fields were once abundant in Waiawa. The

area is also known for the Maika Playing Fields,

smooth, level-hard packed tracks of ground, where

the game, Maika was played. Maika was a game of

precision, almost as distinctly Hawaiian as surf riding

or sledding. In the game a three-inch diameter and

inch and a half thick disc made of stone, called ‘ulu or

‘olohū, was tossed between sticks.

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Kamehameha Stations Design Group

Stations

The three stations within the Kamehameha Stations

Design Group are:

Pearl Highlands Station and Parking

Structure

Pearlridge Station

Aloha Stadium Station

District (Moku)

All three stations are located in the ancient ‘Ewa

District.

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Pearl Highlands Station and Parking

Structure

Station Type: Side Platform with Concourse

Station Description: The Pearl Highlands Station and

Parking Structure will be located on approximately 21

acres between Kamehameha and Farrington

Highways at the interchange of H-1 and H-2. The

Pearl Highlands Station is projected to have the third-

highest passenger volume of all stations in the system

and will serve as the transfer point for all transit users

in central O‘ahu. Waiawa Stream, its associated

floodway, and steep sloping terrain with large trees

and shrub characterize the station site. In order to

mitigate construction impact in the area, replanting

of riparian and native species is planned. The

elevated guideway near the station has been

designed to clear the post project 100-year

floodwater surface level. The station area includes

busy roadways, a mix of light industrial, “big box”

retail, and residential buildings. Convenient bridge

connections will provide safe and easy access from

the neighborhood and adjacent development. Access

modes anticipated include bus, park-and-ride, kiss-

and-ride, walk, bicycle, taxi, and Handi-Van.

Historic and Cultural Significance: The Pearl

Highlands Station will be, like the Leeward

Community College Station, located in what was once

the Waiawa ahupua‘a. The station will serve

residents of Central O‘ahu, specifically Pearl City,

Waikele, Crestview, and portions of Waipahu. Pearl

City is situated along the northern shore of Pearl

Harbor, Waiawa was known for its Maika Playing

Fields where men engaged in the game of Maika, a

game of accuracy, as distinctly Hawaiian as surfing or

sledding.

On the same kahua, or floor, men engaged in

another game, which they called Maita or Uru Maita.

In the game, like in Maika, two sticks were stuck in

the ground only a few inches apart, at a distance of

thirty or forty yards, and between these, but without

striking either, the parties at play strove to throw,

rather than roll (as in Maika) their stone. At other

times, the only contention was who could throw or

bowl it furthest along the kahua.

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Pearlridge Station

Station Type: Side Platform with Concourse

Station Description: The Pearlridge Station will be

situated in the Kamehameha Highway street median

in the ‘Aiea area of Honolulu. Station entrance

structures will be located on both the makai and

mauka sides of Kamehameha Highway. An elevated

walkway will connect the station concourse level to

both entrance structures. The station area is highly

urbanized and includes strip malls, small independent

stores, light industrial activities, and medium-rise

residential developments. Pearlridge Shopping

Center, located within walking distance of the station,

is the main commercial activity in the area. On-street

bus stops and a bus transit center are planned for the

future. Pedestrian and bicycle access will be an

important component of the Pearlridge Station. The

nearby Pearl Harbor bicycle trail is very popular.

Bicycle parking will be provided. There will not be a

park-and-ride facility or kiss-and-ride and taxi zones.

Historic and Cultural Significance: The Pearlridge

Station site is located in what was once the ancient

ahupua‘a of Waimalu. Currently, the station will

serve the ‘Aiea area of Honolulu. Waimalu means

“sheltered water”. The extensive flats on the East

Loch of Pearl Harbor were formerly terraces irrigated

from Waimalu Stream, and Waipi Spring, east of the

Waipahu Pond. In the early 1800s, the area’s low

country overflowed with sugar and banana

plantations. The many stone, wall-surrounded estates

in the area were graced with fishponds. ‘Aiea has

several miles of shoreline on Pearl Harbor. The

December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

greatly impacted the area. One damaged ship, the

USS Vestal, beached at ‘Aiea Bay to prevent sinking.

Many photographers took pictures of the battle from

the hills in ‘Aiea. Today, ‘Aiea is an important suburb

of Honolulu. The town's sugar history came to a close

in 1996, when C&H Sugar closed the refinery. In 1998,

the 99-year old sugar mill was torn down.

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Aloha Stadium Station

Station Type: Center Platform, No Concourse

Station Description: The Aloha Stadium Station will

be situated adjacent to Kamehameha Highway near

Salt Lake Boulevard. A station entrance structure will

be located directly below the station platforms. Land

use activities include a major sports facility, Aloha

Stadium, mauka and ‘Ewa of the station, and the

Pearl Harbor Visitors Center situated makai and

Diamond Head of the station. The station area is

dominated by auto-oriented land uses, including

surface parking lots that serve the Stadium. A mix of

single-family housing and apartment buildings are

located mauka of the station. A park-and-ride lot, off-

street bus transit center, and Handi-Van, kiss-and-ride

and taxi zones are planned. Due to the wide, busy

streets in the area, there will be limited opportunities

for convenient pedestrian connections between the

station and surrounding neighborhoods.

Historic and Cultural Significance: The Aloha

Stadium Station site is located in what was once the

Hālawa ahupua‘a. Hālawa is the eastern-most

ahupua‘a of the ‘Ewa District. According to ancient

legend, there was place called Leilano, located at the

boundary between the ‘Ewa and Kona Districts,

which was said to be the opening (about two feet in

circumference) through which ghosts of people

slipped through to enter eternal light. Through this

opening appeared the supernatural branches of the

breadfruit of Leiwalo. If a ghost who lacked

‘aumākua (ancestral spirits or personal gods) to save

him climbed on a branch of the western side of the

breadfruit tree, the branch withered at once and

broke off, thus plunging the ghost down to the pit of

darkness.

The boundaries of Leiwalo were Papakōlea (guarded

by a plover), Koleana (guarded by a big caterpillar),

and Napehā (guarded by a lizard).

Located west of downtown Honolulu and two miles

north of Honolulu International Airport, Aloha

Stadium was built in 1975 at a cost of $37 million. It

was intended as a replacement for the aging Honolulu

Stadium on King Street, demolished in 1976.

Currently Aloha Stadium is home to the University of

Hawai‘i Warriors football team. It has also been

home to the National Football League's Pro Bowl and

the NCAA's Hula Bowl. Aloha Stadium hosts

numerous high school football games during the

season, and serves as a venue for large concerts and

events. A swap meet in the stadium's parking lot

every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday draws large

crowds.

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Airport Stations Design Group

Stations

The three stations in the Airport Station Design Group

are:

Pearl Harbor Naval Base Station

Honolulu International Airport Station

Lagoon Drive Station

District (Moku)

The Pearl Harbor Naval Base Station is located in the

‘Ewa District. The Honolulu International Airport and

Lagoon Drive Stations are located in what was once

the Kona District. In 1859, the Kona District was

officially named Honolulu. Its boundaries were

described as: “from Maunalua to Moanalua inclusive,

to be styled the Honolulu District”. In the Revised

Laws of Hawai‘i 1925 the district is described as:

“from Makapu‘u Head in Maunalua to Moanalua

inclusive, and the islands not included in any other

district, to be styled the Honolulu District”.

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Pearl Harbor Naval Base Station

Station Type: Side Platform with Concourse

Station Description: The Pearl Harbor Naval Base

Station will be situated in the Kamehameha Highway

street median near Radford Drive at the Mākalapa

Gate entrance to the naval base. A station entrance

structure will be situated on the mauka side of the

roadway and will include an elevated pedestrian

walkway spanning Kamehameha Highway at the

station concourse level. A large pedestrian plaza will

provide a transition between the street and station

entrance. The Station site plan includes protecting

the site’s existing Banyan, Earpod, and Tropical

Almond trees. The attack on Pearl Harbor by the

Empire of Japan on December 7, 1941, brought the

United States into World War II. On January 29, 1964,

the naval base was recognized as a National Historic

Landmark district. Within its bounds, it contains

several other National Historic Landmarks associated

with the attack on Pearl Harbor, including the USS

Arizona, USS Bowfin, and USS Utah. Due to the

dominance of military-owned land, land use in the

area is not expected to change significantly in the

future. Walk and bike are anticipated to be the

primary access modes. Bicycle parking, bus access,

and a Handi-van zone will be provided. There will be

no park-and-ride facility, or kiss-and-ride and taxi

zones.

Historic and Cultural Significance: The Pearl Harbor

Naval Base Station will be located in what was once

the Hālawa ahupua‘a, the eastern-most ahupua‘a of

the ‘Ewa District. The flatlands along the Hālawa

Stream were formerly terraces where taro grew.

There is a legend about a man named Kamapua‘a,

who slept on the beach at Hālawa.

On waking, Kamapua‘a urinated in the sea and that is

why the fish of Pu‘uloa have such a strong odor.

Kunana Pond was situated at the base of the Hālawa

Stream and was once connected with Kūāhua Island.

The name is from the mother of Ka‘ahupahau who

often fished there. Her name was Kuanana, child of

Nana.

Pearl Harbor, a lagoon harbor, was originally an

extensive shallow embayment called Wai Momi

meaning “pearl water”, or Pu‘uloa meaning, “long

hill”. Small pearl oysters and speckled clams were

once quite abundant in the waters. In Hawaiian

legends, Pu‘uloa was regarded as the home of the

shark goddess, Ka‘ahupahau, and her brother (or

son), Kahi‘uka. Keaunui, the head of the powerful

‘Ewa chiefs, is credited with cutting a navigable

channel near the Pu‘uloa saltworks, which made the

estuary, then known as “Pearl River”, accessible for

the navigation of canoes and larger vessels.

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Honolulu International Airport Station

Station Type: Side Platform, No Concourse

Station Description: The Honolulu International

Airport Station will be situated on Ala Onaona Road,

between the Airport Lei Stands and parking garage

exit booths. The station entrance building will have an

at-grade connection to the Overseas and Inter-Island

Terminals of the airport. Located three miles

northwest of downtown, Honolulu International

Airport is the principal aviation gateway of the City

and County of Honolulu, and the State of Hawai‘i.

The airport has four major runways, which it shares

with the adjacent Hickam Air Force Base, two

designated offshore runways for use by seaplanes,

and three terminal buildings. A fleet of buses, known

as "Wiki Wiki" buses (from the Hawaiian word

"quick") provides inter-airport transportation. Given

the station’s immediate proximity to the airport,

walking will be its dominant mode of access. Existing

ground-level pedestrian routes will be updated and

enhanced. Bicycle parking, local bus, and Handi-Van

zones will be provided. There will be no park-and-

ride facilities, or kiss-and-ride and taxi zones.

Historic and Cultural Significance: The Honolulu

International Airport Station marks the transition

from the ‘Ewa District to the Kona District. Much of

the airport land is in what was once the Moanalua

ahupua‘a, a beautifully cultivated plain with taro

fields, sugar plantations, and banana trees. Honolulu

International Airport opened in March 1927 as John

Rodgers Airport, named after a World War I naval

officer. It was renamed Honolulu Airport in 1947. By

1950, it was the third-busiest airport in the US.

In 1951, the word "International" was added to its

name. Due to the airport’s proximity to the center of

the Pacific Ocean, it was historically a stop for many

transpacific flights to and from North America.

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Lagoon Drive Station

Station Type: Side Platform, No Concourse

Station Description: The Lagoon Drive Station will be

situated on the mauka shoulder of Aolele Street west

of Lagoon Drive. Station entrances will be located on

either side of Aolele Street. The site design includes

two on-street bus stops. A new crosswalk will be

installed across Aolele Street to provide access

between the entrances and bus stops. A pedestrian

connection to Ualena Street will be included. An

existing maintenance facility for the airport is situated

on the makai side of the station. Most of the land

around the station is owned by the State and the

general nature of land uses in the area is not likely to

change dramatically over time. Narrow streets and a

lack of sidewalks make the area around the station

difficult for pedestrians and bicyclists, but, even so, it

is anticipated that pedestrians and bicyclists will make

up a significant portion of total station demand. A

Handi-Van loading zone will be provided. There will

be no park-and-ride facility, or kiss-and-ride and taxi

loading zones.

Historic and Cultural Significance: Like the Honolulu

International Airport Station, the Lagoon Drive

Station site is located in what was once the Moanalua

ahupua‘a. Accounts differ as to where Moanalua got

its name. Some say it is named for two encampments

(moana and lua) at taro patches, where travelers

bound for ‘Ewa rested. In another story, a young

chief, Kulai ‘Aiea, fell in love with a girl bathing in Iemi

pool. He cried out moana ka ho‘i ka wai o kena lua

wai (how wide the water of that water hole). She

accepted his offer of love. Much later, when Kahekili

of Maui conquered O‘ahu, he placed his son,

Kalanikupule, in charge of Moanalua.

After the battle of Nu‘uanu, Kalanikupule fled, but

was finally caught and sacrificed on an altar at

Pu‘ukapa. Kamehameha gave Moanalua to

Kame‘epili’s adopted son, Lot. It was later passed to

Ruth Ke‘elikolani, and then to Bernice Pauahi, who

willed the entire ahupua‘a to Samuel M. Damon in

1884. In 1974, the Damon family offered the valley to

the people of Hawai‘i as a park for the preservation

of native Hawaiian flora and historic sites.

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Dillingham Stations Design Group

Stations

The three stations within the Dillingham Stations

Design Group are:

Middle Street Transit Center Station

Kalihi Station

Kapālama Station

District (Moku)

All three stations are located in what was once the

Kona, now Honolulu, District. The Dillingham area

was named for Walter Francis Dillingham (1875-

1963). Called the Baron of Hawai‘i Industry,

Dillingham was a businessman and industrialist.

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Middle Street Transit Center Station

Station Type: Side Platform with Concourse

Station Description: The Middle Street Transit Center

Station will be situated on Kamehameha Highway

near the existing Middle Street Transit Center. A

station entrance structure will be located on the

mauka side of the roadway and will include an

elevated pedestrian walkway spanning Kamehameha

Highway at the station concourse level. Currently,

there is no landscaping planned for the Middle Street

Transit Center. The station area is dominated by light

industrial and commercial land uses with large

surface parking lots, and the O‘ahu Community

Corrections Center. This transit center serves as the

major focal point for bus service in Kalihi and, when

the station opens, will support bus/rail transfers. A

relatively small share of daily station demand will

involve pedestrians and bicycles. Handi-Van loading

and park-and-ride areas are available at the adjacent

Middle Street Transit Center. No kiss-and-ride or taxi

zones are planned.

Historic and Cultural Significance: The Middle Street

Station site is located in what was once the Kalihi

ahupua‘a. The name comes from ka lihi, which

means "the edge". The Kalihi Valley was once

covered with extensive terraces. In the 1830s a

voyager described the Kalihi Valley as “a broad

pasture with tall waiving grasses intersected by a

footpath, reminiscent of rural scenes in England”. It

is said that there was once a shallow cave called

Keana Kamano on the Kamanike side of the Valley. It

was called the cave of the sharks because the shark

gods from Pearl Harbor often rested there.

The cave led into the underground of the island of

O‘ahu. One branch of the cave led around and under

the mountains to Pearl Harbor. Another branch led

to the center of the island where there was a sacred

pool for swimming. In the early 1900s, an earthquake

closed the caves. At the southern edge of Kalihi lies

the Kamehameha Schools – Kapālama campus and

the Bishop Museum, noted for its historic displays of

Hawaiian culture.

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Kalihi Station

Station Type: Side Platform, No Concourse

Station Description: The Kalihi Station will be

situated in the Dillingham Boulevard street median at

Mokauea Street. Station entrance buildings will be

situated on both the mauka and makai sides of the

roadway. An elevated pedestrian walkway from each

building will provide station platforms for the

respective eastbound and westbound trains. There is

no concourse level connecting the two platforms.

While currently there is a lack of green space near the

station site, plazas are planned for both entrances,

and the arrangement of the makai entrance building

will create a courtyard. The station area includes

residential developments mauka of Dillingham

Boulevard and Mokauea Street. Walk and bicycles

will make up most of the daily demand. On-street bus

and Handi-Van zones are planned. There will be no

park-and-ride facilities, or kiss-and-ride and taxi

zones.

Historic and Cultural Significance: The Kalihi

neighborhood community is flanked by downtown

Honolulu to the east and Māpunapuna, Moanalua

and Salt Lake to the west. Like the Middle Street

Station, the site for the Kalihi Station is located in

what was once the Kalihi ahupua‘a. The ahupua‘a

consisted of Kalihi Uka, Kalihi Waena and Kalihi Kai.

Historically, Kalihi Kai was the site of the former

Leprosy Receiving Station, where those suspected of

leprosy were examined prior to treatment or being

sent to Kalaupapa on the island of Moloka‘i. Legend

has it that when Kāne and Kanaloa journeyed along

the coast of O‘ahu and came to Kalihi they found a

number of ‘awa roots. They pulled up the roots and

prepared them for chewing. Kanaloa looked for fresh

water to go with the ‘awa, but couldn’t find any.

Kāne pushed his staff into the earth, and broke open

a hole from which water leaped forth. This pool of

fresh water is known as Kapuka Wai o Kalihi, or the

“water door of Kalihi”. Kalihi was also known for its

fishponds – ‘Āpili, Pahouiki, Pahounui, ‘Auiki, and

Ananoho – which have since been filled in.

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Kapālama Station

Station Type: Side Platform, No Concourse

Station Description: The Kapālama Station will be

situated in the Dillingham Boulevard street median at

Kokea Street near the Kapālama Stream. Station

entrance buildings will be located on the mauka and

makai sides of the roadway. An elevated pedestrian

walkway from each building will provide station

platforms for the respective eastbound and

westbound trains. There will be no concourse level

connecting the two platforms. Plazas will be located

at each station entrance. The station area has a mix

of land uses that includes industrial, retail, and

residential. The most significant generator of station

demand will be Honolulu Community College (HCC),

which is located on Dillingham Boulevard mauka of

the station. Most station users will be pedestrians

and bicyclists. There are on-street bus stops with

shelters that will likely be replaced with new shelters

that match the rail station design. One loading zone

for Handi-Vans is planned. There will not be a park-

and-ride facility, or loading zones for kiss-and-ride

and taxis.

Historic and Cultural Significance: The site of the

Kapālama Station is in what was once the Kapālama

ahupua‘a. The name comes from ka pā lama in the

Hawaiian language, which means "the enclosure of

lama wood". Lama was the Hawaiian name for the

endemic ebony trees of the genus Diospyros that

were used in religious ceremonies. In ancient times,

an enclosure made of the sacred wood from the lama

tree, surrounded an establishment in which the

young ali‘i, chief and chiefess, were kept just before

pairing off for offspring. The first-born child of a high

chief and chiefess was considered high-ranking ali‘i.

Once mating was accomplished, they were allowed to

leave. The ahupua‘a of Kapālama had two streams

watering its terraces, which was almost continuous

from ‘Iwilei up to the foothills above School Street, an

area measuring about three quarters of a mile both in

depth inland and in breadth.

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City Center Stations Design Group

Stations

The three stations within the Center City Stations

Design Group are:

‘Iwilei Station

Chinatown Station

Downtown Station

District (Moku)

All three stations are located in what was once the

ancient Kona District, now the Honolulu District.

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‘Iwilei Station

Station Type: Side Platform with Concourse

Station Description: The ‘Iwilei Station is situated on

the makai corner of Dillingham Boulevard and Ka‘aahi

Street. A station entrance structure will be located

on the makai side of Dillingham Boulevard. The

station area includes a mix of commercial, industrial,

and residential land uses, including Major Wright

Homes and Kukui Gardens, both U.S. Housing and

Urban Development low-rise complexes. The

adjacent train depot is a vestige of the area’s identity

as an industrial and warehousing district. Mid-rise

senior and low-income housing is planned for the

station area. Pedestrians and bicycles are anticipated

to account for about a quarter of daily demand.

There are two existing bus zones on Dillingham

Boulevard. Additional bus zones, and dedicated

Handi-Van, kiss-and-ride, and taxi zones will be

provided. There will be no park-and-ride facility.

Historic and Cultural Significance: The ‘Iwilei Station

site is located in what was once the Nu‘uanu

apuhua‘a. Nu‘uanu means “cool terrace”, referring

to the cold wind, or “notch in the mountain” referring

to the plat at the top of the Pali. It is said that in

upper Nu‘uanu there were many small taro-planted

valleys, which opened into the main valley on either

side of the Nu‘uanu stream. Nu‘uanu is perhaps best

known for the Battle of Nu‘uanu. In the year 1795

Kamehameha the First, King of Hawai‘i, in pursuance

of his policy of uniting the whole Hawaiian group

under his sway, came with immense army to O‘ahu to

make war against Kalanikupule, king of Maui and

O‘ahu, and son of Kahekili, the famous warrior king of

Maui.

Kamehameha landed at Waikīkī to Wai‘alae, to the

windward of Diamond Head, and made his way to the

Nu‘uanu Valley. The position of the O‘ahu army was

on the steep side of the hill, about three miles in the

rear of the town of Honolulu. Believing themselves

secure, they defied the enemy with insulting gestures

and bravado. Kamehameha’s forces charged. In the

onslaught many of the O‘ahuans were slain, and the

rest pursued with great slaughter until they were

driven to the end of the valley, and fell some 600 feet

to their deaths.

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There are said to be petroglyphs on the west bank of

the Nu‘uanu stream, as well as on the rocks of a

section of land once called Kahapaakai (the salt pans).

The trail to Nu‘uanu began at Kalanikahua, led to

Kaumakapili pond, and on to the gap at Nu‘uanu Pali.

One old legend of the area is of the Guardian Dogs of

Kapena Falls. It is said that a couple that lived on the

trail had five dogs, one named Poki, and that the dogs

were kupua, or supernatural beings, in dog form.

One day two men were journeying on the trail. The

dogs barked in warning. One heeded the warning.

The other petted the dogs and continued his journey,

only to be robbed and killed. From then on when

people journeyed by Kapena Falls, they left gifts for

the dogs: flowers, leis, ferns and food.

In the 1800s, ‘Iwilei’s convenient dock and local

railroad terminus location served as a red light district

for Captain Cook’s sailors. By the 1900s, as a means

to relegate the then legal and lucrative trade of

prostitution to one area, city elders built a multi-block

stockade. The district thrived until 1916 when the

police closed the stockade. A prosperous industrial

complex lorded by pineapple canneries and gasworks

grew and thrived in ‘Iwilei until the late 1980s. ‘Iwilei

is also the home of the Hawaiian Pineapple Company

Ltd., which opened in 1907, but was later

transformed into a 250,000 square-foot outlet

shopping center, Dole Cannery.

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Chinatown Station

Station Type: Side Platform with Concourse

Station Description: The Chinatown Station will be

situated on Nimitz Highway between River and

Kekaulike Streets at the western edge of the

downtown district of Chinatown. A single entrance

will be located on the mauka side of Nimitz Highway.

The station area has a variety of land uses, including

the historic O‘ahu food market, which is visited by

locals and tourists. The station site is characterized

by Chinatown’s rich cultural legacy as well as its

proximity to the Harbors Edge, a historic maritime

gateway to the islands. Walk and bicycle will be the

primary access modes at this station. A park-and-ride

facility and a loading zone for Handi-Vans are

planned. There are no bus stops in the station area

and no dedicated kiss-and-ride or taxi zones are

planned.

Historic and Cultural Significance: The Chinatown

Station site is located in what was once the Pāuoa

ahupua‘a. Pāuoa is an “ear”, or side valley to

Nu‘uanu. The flatland in the bottom of Pāuoa Valley,

between Pacific Heights and King Street, was once

covered with terraces. The Battle of Nu‘uanu

commenced in Pāuoa. Fought in May 1795, the

battle was key to King Kamehameha I's war to unify

the Hawaiian Islands. It is known in the Hawaiian

language as Kaleleka‘anae, which means "the leaping

mullet", and refers to the number of O‘ahu warriors

driven off the cliff in the final phase of the battle. The

Chinatown Historic District is one of the oldest

Chinatowns in the United States. The area was

probably a fisherman port during ancient times, but

little evidence remains.

During the 19th century laborers were imported from

China to work on sugar plantations in Hawai‘i; many

became merchants after their contracts expired. Two

major fires destroyed many buildings in 1886 and

1900. The latter was intentionally started in an

attempt to destroy a building infected with bubonic

plague. However, on January 20, 1900, the winds

shifted, and the fire got out of control, destroying

most of the neighborhood. Many of the buildings in

Chinatown date from 1901. In 1904, the O‘ahu

Market was opened at the corner of King and

Kekaulike streets. The simply designed functional

construction (a large open-air, but covered space

divided into stalls) remains in use today. The

Chinatown district was added to the National Register

of Historic Places on January 17, 1973.

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Downtown Station

Station Type: Side Platform with Concourse

Station Description: The Downtown Station will be

situated on Nimitz Highway between Bishop and

Alakea Streets in the Central Business District of

Downtown Honolulu. Station entrances will be

provided on both sides of Nimitz Highway. The

station area is dominated by high-density commercial

and residential uses, including office and

condominium towers, and federal, state, and

city/county buildings. The mauka entrance will serve

high-density developments in Downtown Honolulu.

The makai entrance will serve restaurant and retail

activities in the Aloha Tower Marketplace, and future

development. Walk, bicycle, and existing local bus

service will be major access modes at this station. A

loading zone for Handi-Van vehicles is planned. There

will be no park-and-ride facility, or kiss-and-ride and

taxi zones provided at the station.

Historic and Cultural Significance: Downtown

Honolulu is the current and historic central part of

Honolulu—bounded by Nu‘uanu Stream to the west,

Ward Avenue to the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the

north, and Honolulu Harbor to the south—situated

within the larger Honolulu District, and what was

once the ahupua‘a of Pāuoa. Both modern and

historic buildings and complexes, many of the latter

declared National Historic Landmarks, are located in

the area. Downtown Honolulu can be subdivided into

four neighborhoods, each with its own central focus

and mix of buildings. These areas are the Capitol

District, the Central Business District, Chinatown, and

the Waterfront.

The Capitol District contains federal, state, and city

governmental buildings and is centered on the

Hawai‘i State Capitol, ‘Iolani Palace, and Honolulu

Hale (city hall). Skyscrapers characterize the Central

Business District. Honolulu's waterfront area centers

on Aloha Tower, once the tallest building in Hawai‘i,

where cruise ships docked before the advent of air

travel between Hawai‘i and the U.S. Mainland. Cruise

ships now dock at Honolulu Harbor. Also called

Kulolia and Ke Awa O Kou, Honolulu Harbor is the

principal seaport of Honolulu and the State of

Hawai‘i.

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Kaka‘ako Stations Design Group

Stations

The two stations within the Kaka‘ako Stations Design

Group are:

Civic Center Station

Kaka‘ako Station

District (Moku)

Both stations are located in the ancient Kona District,

now the Honolulu District.

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Civic Center Station

Station Type: Side Platform with Concourse

Station Description: The Civic Center Station will be

situated on Halekauwila Street between South and

Keawe Streets. An entrance to the station will be

provided on the makai side of Halekauwila Street.

The station area contains a mix of mid-rise

government buildings, high-density housing, surface

parking lots, and light industrial and retail uses. The

station is on the ‘Ewa side of the Kaka‘ako

Community Development District. There have been

recent high-density housing and commercial

developments in the area. The presence of surface

parking lots and other undeveloped parcels indicate

that further land use changes could occur, including

transit-oriented development. Access modes include

walk, bicycle, bus, and Handi-Van. There will be no

park-and-ride facilities. One kiss-and-ride zone is

planned. No taxi zones are planned.

Historic and Cultural Significance: The Civic Center

Station area is primarily comprised of federal, state,

and city governmental buildings such as the Hawai‘i

State Capitol, Honolulu Hale (City Hall), and ‘Iolani

Palace, with its famous statue of King Kamehameha I.

The site of the Civic Center Station sits near the

border of the Pāuoa and Makīkī ahupua‘a. There is a

legend of a girl who once lived in Makīkī. The girl

would travel to Moana to listen to the beautiful

chants of a girl there, and wave to her. From so far

away, the girl in Moana could not tell if the person

waving was girl or a man. She decided that if it were

a girl they would be friends; if it were a man they

would marry. She found it was a girl. The place

where she used to stand is called Aniani ku, meaning

“beckoning”.

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Kaka‘ako Station

Station Type: Side Platform, No Concourse

Station Description: The station will be situated

Diamond Head of the Ward Avenue/Halekauwila

Street intersection. The station area is located in the

Kaka‘ako Community Development District, between

the Honolulu central business district and Ala Moana

Center. A station entrance building and plaza will be

located on the Diamond Head side of Ward Avenue

near the Halekauwila Street T-intersection. Large

retail uses, small industrial activities, and high-density

housing characterize the station area. With the

extensive amount of low-density uses and surface

parking lots in the station area, further land use

changes are likely. Walk and bicycles will be the

dominant access modes at the station. Bus transfers,

and Handi-Van and kiss-and-ride zones, will occur on

Ward Avenue. No park-and-ride facility is planned.

Historic and Cultural Significance: The Kaka‘ako

Station is located in what was once the ahupua‘a of

Makīkī. In the early 1800s, much of Kaka‘ako was a

coastal wetland dominated by fishponds and salt

ponds. The shoreline of Kaka‘ako, also known as

Kewalo, was a place of fishing, canoe landings,

cleansing, and religious practices. As commercial and

residential uses started to replace the fish and salt

ponds, the mud flats and marshes were filled. In the

1880s, the shoreline was extended by huge public

works projects that reclaimed land from low-lying

coastal areas. Until the 1950s, Kaka‘ako was an

eclectic and diverse neighborhood, with homes above

shops, churches, schools, and parks. In the 1950s, the

area was rezoned to industrial. Today, the

neighborhood, through its Ward Neighborhood

Master Plan, is trying to revive the cultural and

residential character of earlier periods. The Hawaiian

name Kaka‘ako has several possible meanings. One

possible meaning comes from the root words kaka,

meaning to thrash or beat, and ako, meaning thatch.

In the early 1800s, the marshy conditions may have

supported an abundance of bulrushes, which were

used in making thatch. Some say that Kaka‘ako

derives from the words kaka‘a, meaning to revolve,

and kō, meaning to fulfill or come to pass, a prophetic

meaning of the name.

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Ala Moana Center Station Design

Group

Stations

Ala Moana Center Station is the sole station in the Ala

Moana Station Design Group.

District (Moku)

Ala Moana Center Station is in the ancient Kona

District, now the Honolulu District.

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Ala Moana Center Station

Station Type: Center Platform with One Side Platform

Station Description: The Ala Moana Center Station is

the eastern terminus of the guideway. The station

platform will be situated along Kona Street on the

mauka side of Ala Moana Center. A station entrance

will be located in the adjacent Ala Moana Center

Parking Garage. New elevated pedestrian walkway

access will be provided on the station platform level.

The station will serve the regional shopping complex,

nearby high-density housing, commercial, and hotel

developments, and transit patrons who are

transferring to and from buses in the Ala Moana area.

The station area is dominated by a major

concentration of retails uses, offices, and other

commercial activities, and the Ala Moana Regional

Park. Access modes include walk/bike and bus. Taxi

zones exist; no kiss-and-ride or park-and-ride zones

are planned.

Historic and Cultural Significance: The Ala Moana

Center Station site is on the western edge of Waikīkī

in what was once the Mānoa ahupua‘a. Waikīkī

means “sprouting fresh water” in the Hawaiian

language. In the 1800s, Waikīkī was a retreat for

royalty, who enjoyed surfing there on early forms of

longboards. Today, Waikīkī is a desirable tourist

destination. Mānoa means “wide or vast”. Sweet

potatoes grew in the terraces of Mānoa. King

Kamehameha owned one of the more famous and

productive potato fields, which was located in an area

called ‘Ualaka‘a, or “rolling sweet potato”. Legend

has it that one day a famous bow and arrow expert

spied a mouse eating one of the potatoes on a nearby

hill. When he shot his arrow, the mouse fell dead,

and the potato rolled down the hill.

Ala Moana Center is the largest shopping mall in

Hawai‘i, and the largest open-air shopping center in

the world. Prior to its construction, the land was a

swamp. Dredging projects spearheaded by Walter F.

Dillingham created excess coral, which filled the

swamp. In 1948, after purchasing the land from the

estate of Bernice Pauahi Bishop, Dillingham initiated

the Ala Moana Center. The project, which broke

ground in 1957, was developed and designed by Don

Graham.

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Art-in-Transit Program

The Art-in-Transit Program will include the

incorporation of public artworks at each of the

twenty-one stations along the guideway. Depending

on funding, art may also be located at key areas along

the guideway.

Vision

It is envisioned that the HRTP’s Art-in-Transit Program

will celebrate the people and place that is Hawai‘i.

Hawai‘i has rich and multi-layered histories, cultures,

and traditions that echo through its lands, and enlist

pride in its people. It is further envisioned that the

Art-in-Transit Program will recognize the poetic,

spiritual, holistic, and multi-sensory nature inherent

in the places and people of Hawai‘i, and will create

artworks that aren’t just about people and place, but

are people and place.

Objectives

The primary objectives of the Honolulu Rail Transit

Project’s Art-in-Transit Program are: 1) to use public

art as a vehicle to thematically unify the look and

character of all stations within the alignment; and 2)

to celebrate the unique identities of the communities

served by the Project.

Goals

Integration of Art and Architecture – Wherever

possible, artworks should be integrated with

architecture. Integration will create seamless

environments, stretch artwork budgets, and create

opportunities for artist/architect collaborations.

Site-Specific – Wherever possible, even if not fully

integrated, artworks will be site-specific. The Art-in-

Transit Program will not purchase existing works of

art. Artists will be selected to design artworks

specifically for the Honolulu Rail Transit Project.

Collaboration – The art program seeks to maintain a

collaborative environment between artists, architects

and engineers.

Aloha – Artworks are viewed as a means to create

inviting, people-friendly places that welcome

residents and non-residents to Hawai‘i and Honolulu.

Education – Education is a primary goal of the Art-in-

Transit Program. Wherever possible, artworks

developed for the system will have an educational

component.

Create and Define Places – It is envisioned that

artworks will define and create new ways of

experiencing places.

World-Class – Artists will strive to create iconographic

and memorable artworks that set the Honolulu Rail

Transit Project apart, and stretch the envelope in

terms of creativity, design, and application.

Wayfinding – It is envisioned that artworks will aid,

rather than detract from, the way-finding experience

of station users.

Themes

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It is envisioned that the Art-in-Transit program will

celebrate all the indigenous cultures of Hawai‘i. It is

also envisioned that artwork designs will be led by

four themes: Loina (culture and customs); Mo‘ōlelo

(storytelling); Aloha ‘Āina (love of the land); and

ka‘ahele (travel). The application of these themes is

considered broad and metaphoric, and, perhaps, a

point of departure, that could in fact take artworks in

entirely different directions. Yet, it is hoped, that like

a fine woven tapestry, the first thread will not be

distinguished from the last.

Loina

While there is no direct Hawaiian word for culture,

the Hawaiians refer to their customs as nā hana i

kuluma, or loina. The roots of Hawaiian culture

stretch south to older areas of Polynesia and beyond

to the islands of the Western Pacific and the edges of

Asia. The first settlers to Hawai‘i brought with them

the more ancient Polynesian traditions and lifestyles

such as woodcarving, bark cloth (called kapa in

Hawai‘i and tapa elsewhere in the Pacific),

petroglyphs, and tattoo art. Over generations, they

adapted their beliefs and ways of living, adding new

gods like Pele to their pantheon and honing new skills

such as surfing, feather work, lei making, hula,

quilting and painting.

Mo‘ōlelo

Mo‘ōlelo is the Hawaiian word for storytelling,

including stories of history, legend, and myth. The

word comes from mo‘o ‘ōlelo, meaning “succession

of talk”. All stories were oral, not written.

Storytelling is best evidenced in the ancient arts of

folk music, chanting, and hula. In the Hawaiian

language, the word mele refers to any kind of poetic

expression, though it now translates as song. The

two kinds of Hawaiian chanting were mele oli and

mele hula. The first was a cappella of individual

songs, and the latter is accompanied dance music

performed by a group. While the Hawaiians

composed and performed chant and mele alone, hula

has never been danced without verbal

accompaniment. In ancient times, the chant

remained the primary focus with the dance adapted

to enhance the chant. Fluid gestures added grace to

the dance but did not necessarily mirror the chant's

words. Hula evolved, combining dance, religious

observance, celebration, and poetic literary

composition. Hawaiian oral literary traditions, many

of them surviving today as hula chants, were a record

of historical and legendary events, a repository of

cultural values and knowledge, and artful expressions

about the mysteries of life.

Aloha ‘Āina

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Aloha ‘Āina means “love of the land”. It is the

profound respect Hawaiians have for Hawai‘i, and its

natural resources. The stories of Hawaiian gods and

‘aumākua (ancestors) contain infinite variety but all

reflect the core values of the society: respect for the

land (‘āina), sea (kai), fresh water (wai), and one

another; care and stewardship of plants (lā‘au) and

animals (holoholona); and striving for balance

(weigh), structure, and unity (lōkahi). For Hawaiians,

there is a primal connection to the universe, to

nature, to the land and the sea, a connection that

comes from a deep spiritual as well as genealogical

belief system. Nature is where all begins. The word

‘āina means, literally, “that which feeds”. Thus

nature feeds man and man watches over nature in

turn. The ‘āina is not just soil, sand, water, or sky. It

is heart.

Ka‘ahele

The Hawaiian word ka ‘ahele means travel. Ancient

Hawaiians travelled by either foot or canoe. Both

were essential to their survival, and both relied on

sophisticated and complex systems.

The Hawaiian voyaging canoe was a feat of

engineering that allowed for a fast, efficient, and safe

mode of travel. There are a number of Hawaiian

words relating to trails. Alanui refers to trails in

general. There were many types of alanui. The ala‘au

was a path going through a stream. The alanui kaka`i

pali extended along the crest of a cliff, while the ala

pili pali went along the side of a steep slope. An

ala`oki was a shortcut, and the ka`ele wa`a was a

short path in a gully. An alanui pupuni was a

government road or trail. Ancient runners also used

trails. Kukini, or swift runners, were an elite class of

men selected to undergo rigorous physical and

mental training. Such runners were needed in battles,

as messengers and spies, and as athletes in the

popular sport of foot racing. Today, new trails

meander across those built later for saddle-pack

animals. Four-wheel drive roads roughly parallel

ancient foot trails, obliterating or incorporating them

in places. Some of O‘ahu’s modern highways follow

earlier historic routes. Hawai‘i’s ancient and historic

trails, and the events associated with them, are a

special heritage. The trails link us to our past, and

future.

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FTA Guidelines

Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding requires

that regional rail projects follow guidelines and

schedules. Artworks are subject to the same

guidelines and schedules.

Funds. FTA Circular 9400.1A, June 1995, entitled

Design and Art in Transit Projects “reaffirms that

costs for design and art are eligible costs for FTA-

funded projects, provides guidance for the

incorporation of quality design and art into transit

projects funded by FTA, and, within recommended

parameters (one half of one % to 5% of overall

Project construction costs), leaves the allocation of

funds for art to the discretion of the local transit

agency. The percentage range application applies to

all Project construction costs, regardless of the

funding source (Federal, State and Local).

Program and Process. The following guidelines are

set forth for the Art-in-Transit program and the artist

selection process.

The transit agency should provide adequate

administration for the art program

A justifiable process should be used in the

selection of artists

The selection process should be open to all

artists regardless of race, color, creed,

national origin, sex, or age

Selection of artists should be done by art

and design professionals

The community should be involved in the

selection process

Artistic undertakings should not promote

private or corporate business interests

Criteria. The following criteria should be used in the

selection of artists and implementation of art

projects.

Quality of art or design

Impact on mass-transit customers

Connection to site and/or adjacent

community; art that relates in form or

substance to the cultures, people, natural

and built surroundings, or history of the

area in which the project is located.

Appropriateness for site including safety

and scale

Durability of materials

Resistance to vandalism

Minimum maintenance

.

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Art Opportunities

Layers

Art opportunities are divided into two layers. These

include System-Unifying Art Opportunities and

Station-Specific Art Opportunities.

Considerations

The following considerations apply to all art

opportunities. Art opportunity-specific

considerations are included within individual art

opportunity descriptions.

Selected artists will be expected to consider

the Art-in-Transit Program’s Vision,

Objectives, Goals, Standards and Themes

outlined in this document.

In most cases, artists will be selected based

on a proven familiarity with the

requirements, situations, and collaborative

nature of large-scale construction projects.

All materials used in the creation of public

artworks should be permanent, and be able

to withstand the elements, adverse

weather, or other unexpected conditions.

In certain circumstances, artists may be

required to submit detailed construction

documents and specifications. These

documents and specifications will require

the stamp of a professional engineer

licensed in the State of Hawai‘i.

Selected artists will adhere to Project

schedules, code requirements, and site

requirements.

Selected artists should familiarize

themselves with the Honolulu Rail Transit

Project’s Design Language Pattern Book.

Selected artists should be sensitive to other

artworks, or design initiates, planned for

their particular stations, or surrounds,

including the form-liner designs planned for

the cast concrete columns supporting the

elevated guideway, and the Leeward

Community College entry wall. The

columns and wall designs are part of

Kiewit’s (the guideway Design/Build

Contractor) scope of services. For a better

understanding of this effort, selected artists

may want to review the Aesthetic Design

Concepts for WOFH Guideway Station

Columns, Sound Barrier & Ahupua‘a

Markers.

The Honolulu-High Capacity Transit Corridor

Project Art-in-Transit Program selection

process will operate within FTA guidelines,

and the guidelines, policies and procedures

set forth in the Art Program Manual, an

addendum to this document.

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System-Unifying Art Opportunities

System-unifying art opportunities, either through

theme or location, create a consistent vision and

iconographic identity for the system.

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Opportunity 1 – Light Totems

Light Totems is viewed as an opportunity for an artist

to create light artworks in the station glass elevators.

These elevators are standard at every station. They

connect the entry level, concourse level (in those

stations with concourses), and platform level of each

station and, in some cases, extend beyond the

platforms into the sky. In ancient Hawai‘i, totems, or

ki‘i (sometimes called tiki today), were images of

gods that were generally totemic in shape and carved

out of wood. In Hawaiian mythology, Kāne, god of

life and creation, was a creative force, the father of

gods and men. The word Kāne alone means, “man”.

He created the sky, earth, and upper heaven. He is a

symbol of life in nature. In many chants and legends

of ancient Hawai‘i, Kāne is paired with the god

Kanaloa (god of the sea). Alternately known as

Kanehekili, meaning “thunderer”, or Kāne Hoalani

meaning “lightning breaking through the sky”, the

Light Totems can be viewed as a metaphor for not

only the light of the sky, but the mana (energy and

spiritual power), or light, inside all of us. The Light

Totems might also be considered a metaphor for the

light rail project itself, its new and exciting vision, and

the vision of its shiny cars breaking through the sky.

Considerations

The Light Totems are approximately 50 feet

high (19 feet above station platforms), and

have a 10 by 11-foot footprint.

It is anticipated that the Light Totems will

become iconographic markers for the HRTP.

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The glass elevators of all twenty-one

stations will be designed by one artist to

ensure consistency of vision and theme

Given the specialized nature and technical

considerations inherent in the creation of

light artworks, a limited selection process is

suggested.

The scope of work could include a

combination of sound and light, or also

could be a collaborative effort with the

sound artworks opportunity (Opportunity

5).

This art project may involve a design only

fee. It is anticipated that the selected artist

will produce a final design that identifies

and specifies the technical requirements

necessary to program the design. The GEC

may supply materials and install the Light

Totems per the artist’s specifications. In

this case, the artist will oversee installation

to ensure the artwork programming is

consistent with his or her design intent.

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Opportunity 2 – Kapa Screens

Kapa Screens is viewed as an opportunity for the

design of station windscreens. Windscreens are

standard features of every station platform. Kapa is a

fabric that was made by Native Hawaiians from the

bast fibres of certain species of trees and shrubs. It is

similar to tapa found elsewhere in Polynesia but

differs in the methods used in its creation. Kapa was

based primarily on the creative combination of linear

elements that cross and converge to form squares,

triangles, chevrons and diagonal forms, giving a

feeling of boldness and directness. Kapa was used for

clothing like the malo worn by men as a loincloth,

pā‘ū worn by women as a wraparound, and kīhei

used over the shoulders. Other uses for kapa

depended on caste and a person's place in ancient

Hawaiian society. Kapa moe (bed covers) were

reserved for the ali‘i, while kapa robes were used by

the kāhuna. Kapa was also used as banners from

which lei were hung and images of the gods were

printed. It is envisioned that the Kapa Screens will be

unique at every station, yet that size and materiality

will be consistent, thereby unifying the guideway

experience.

Considerations

There will be 3 to 4 windscreens per station

platform (6 to 8 on side platform stations; 3

to 4 on center station platforms). Each

windscreen will measure approximately 8

feet high and 10 feet wide. Benches will be

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situated in front of windscreens.

The Kapa Screens are envisioned as

patterns in themselves – their linear and

repetitive presence acting as rhythmic

pauses of color and interest along the

guideway journey. Like the beauty of hula

and the poetic rhythm of chanting, it is

envisioned that the Kapa Screens at all

stations will together create a symphony of

culture and place that unifies the entire

guideway.

Designs may or may not be representative

of traditional Hawaiian kapa, but should

represent the spirit of kapa, or other

Hawaiian patterns such as Palaka (a 20th

century fabric prevalent in Waipahu).

The Kapa Screens at each given station may

all be the same or read as “flip-books” –

imagery that grows and evolves.

Artwork designs should be considerate of

the train rider experience as well as the

platform waiting experience.

Artists will be selected through an open Call

to Artists. The scope of services will be

design and fabrication only. The GEC will

install the Kapa Screens.

It is anticipated that final artworks will be

sandwiched between shatter-resistant glass

panels that are then attached to

encasement structures.

The Kapa Screens must conform to pre-

determined dimensions. The size,

materiality and media of the final artworks

will be defined prior to release of the Call to

Artists.

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Opportunity 3 – Petroglyph Gates

Petroglyph Gates is viewed as an opportunity for

artists to design patterns reminiscent of ancient

Hawaiian petroglyphs for incorporation into the glass

panels of the platform screen gates that will front

arriving trains. There are more than 100 places in the

Hawaiian Islands where petroglyphs may be found,

and these ancient carvings continue to provide clues

to the ancient past of the Hawaiian Islands. Billowy

pāhoehoe lava flows appear to be the most common

surface upon which petroglyphs were created. The

second most common surface where petroglyphs are

found is on boulders, including rounded boulders, as

well as on the flat faces formed where boulders have

split. Petroglyphs are also found on vertical cliff

faces, such as some cliff walls in Nu‘uanu Valley,

O‘ahu, and on limestone beach shelves along

shorelines.

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Considerations

Similar to the Kapa Screens, the Petroglyph

Gates are envisioned as patterns in

themselves – their linear and repetitive

presence will act as rhythmic pauses of

color and interest along the guideway

journey.

Designs may or may not be representative

of traditional Hawaiian petroglyphs, but

should represent the spirit of petroglyphs.

The gates will extend the entire length of

the platform.

It is anticipated that artwork designs will be

etched into the glass portion of the

platform screen gates. The gates stand

approximately 5 feet tall. The glass portion

of the gates is approximately 2 to 3 feet tall.

The gate structures must conform to pre-

determined dimensions. The size of the

final artworks will be defined prior to

release of the Call to Artists.

Artwork designs should be considerate of

the train rider experience as well as the

platform waiting experience.

Artists will be selected through an Open Call

to artists. The scope of services for this art

opportunity is design and fabrication only.

The GEC will install the Petroglyph Gates.

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Opportunity 4 – Station Identification

Signage

Station Identification Signage is viewed as an

opportunity for an artist to design the signage posts

planned for each station. The signage posts are

viewed as sculptural elements that allow for the

attachment, application, or integration of station

identification signage.

Considerations

Station Identification Signage is viewed as a

sculptural artwork that either supports or

integrates station signage.

The selected artist may design one template

sculptural element for reproduction and use

at every station, or a series of

complimentary sculptural elements.

The artist’s scope of work – design only, or

design and fabrication only (installation may

be provided by the Project GEC) – will

depend on the selected artist, and the

artwork final design.

This art opportunity will be a “competition.”

Artists will submit their proposed designs

per specifications outlined in a “Call for

Designs”.

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Opportunity 5 – Sound Artworks

Sound Artworks is viewed as an opportunity to

incorporate sound into station infrastructure,

specifically places that will have a captive audience

such as escalators, elevators or walkways. Music,

dance, chanting, and storytelling are integral

components of Native Hawaiian culture. It is

envisioned that one artist, who is familiar with the

requirements of incorporating sound systems into

infrastructure, will be selected to identify

opportunities and technical requirements for the

incorporation of sound artworks. It is further

envisioned that the sound artworks will periodically

rotate, creating fresh and ever-changing experiences

for repeat transit users.

Considerations

Depending on his or her findings

during the opportunity and

infrastructure identification process,

the selected artist may or may not

develop his or her own sound

artworks.

One sound artist will be selected to

identify opportunities and

infrastructure for all twenty-one

stations. The sound artworks should

occur in the same place at every

station.

The selected artist will be paid a lump

sum fee for services based on an

agreed upon scope and hourly rate.

Given the specialized knowledge

required for this opportunity, it is

suggested that the artist be selected

through a limited or direct selection

process.

The infrastructure necessary to receive

sound artworks will be purchased and

installed by the Project GEC.

A separate artist selection process will

take place to identify artists – visual

and performing – to create the actual

sound artworks for the identified

opportunities.

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Station-Specific Art Opportunities

Station-specific art opportunities celebrate the

unique neighborhoods and/or places served by

individual stations.

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Opportunity 6 – Aloha Artworks

Aloha Artworks is envisioned as an opportunity for

artists to design artworks that invite and welcome

people to each station along the guideway. A

standard station has two entry buildings: a makai

entry building, and a mauka entry building. The

artwork designed for each station should reflect the

unique communities each station serves, and act as

“entry experiences” for particular stations. The

Hawaiian language is highly metaphorical. It is a

language comprised of only five vowels (a, e, i, o, and

u) and seven consonants (h, k, l, m, n, p, and w), and

many hidden meanings as evidenced by the word,

aloha. Aloha not only means hello, goodbye and love,

it also means sympathy, kindness, compassion,

affection and fondness. Aloha is more than a greeting

or expression of love – it is the basis of what

Hawaiians consider to be one of the culture’s core

values. The Aloha artworks are considered

opportunities for artists to celebrate and tell the

stories (mo‘ōlelo) of both the communities along the

guideway, and Hawai‘i as a whole. In this way, art is

considered a mo‘ōlelo of place, culture, and core

values, as well as a mo‘ōlelo of the richness and

largeness of one small word: Aloha.

Considerations

It is envisioned that the artworks for

the station entry areas will be site-

specific. The grand height of many of

the station entries allows for

monumental suspended sculpture, as

well as environmental artworks.

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It is envisioned that the Aloha

Artworks will occur in station entry

areas – between station plazas and

ticketing areas.

Canoes were often hung from ceilings

in the native Hawaiian culture. Aloha

Artworks could make reference to this

practice.

Education is considered a primary goal

of the Honolulu Rail Transit Project’s

Art-in-Transit Program. As mo‘ōlelo of

Hawaiian place, culture, and values,

the Aloha Artworks are considered

prime opportunities for education.

Artists will be selected through an

open selection process.

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Opportunity 7 – Station Plaza Artworks

Station Plaza Artworks is viewed as an opportunity

for artists to create holistic artwork experiences for

station entry plazas. Many of the stations have plaza

areas that act as transitions between the street and

station experiences. Like the Aloha Entry Artworks,

the Station Plaza Artworks are envisioned as

opportunities for artists to design artworks that invite

and welcome people to each station along the

guideway, and celebrate the unique neighborhood

each station serves. A standard station has a makai

entry building, and a mauka entry building. It is

envisioned that the artworks designed for the plazas

of each station will both reflect the unique

communities each station serves, and act as “entry

markers” for particular stations.

Considerations

It is envisioned that Station Plaza Artworks

will be holistic, and that artwork designs will

be integrated into the landscape

architecture of stations. Artwork design

may include paving patterns, seating

components, sculptural components, and

planting systems.

Each station along the guideway will be

situated in, and serve, a unique audience. It

is envisioned that Station Plaza Artworks

will not only serve system riders, it will also

celebrate and serve the communities each

serves.

It is anticipated that some of the Station

Plaza Artworks will be interactive in nature,

thereby inviting and engaging both system

users and neighborhood members in fun,

educational, or playful experiences.

Artists will be selected through and open

Call to Artists. Depending on the selected

artists’ final designs, their scope may

include fabrication. It is anticipated that

the GEC will install artworks at the same

time as they install station plazas.

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Opportunity 8 – Trails of O‘ahu

Trails of O‘ahu is viewed as an opportunity for artists

to celebrate the many ancient Hawaiian trails. Trails

(alanui) were the only means of overland

transportation. Although the canoe was a principle

method of travel, human survival depended on

extensive cross-country networks that enabled

gathering of food and water, and harvesting of

materials needed for shelter, clothing, medical care,

tools, canoe building, religious observances, and

much more. Trails also facilitated trading between

upland and coastal villages, and communications

between districts, ahupua`a, and extended families.

The trails were usually narrow, following the natural

topography of the land, and sometimes paved with

smooth, water-worn, steppingstones (`alā or pa`alā).

Considerations

It is envisioned that the Trails of O‘ahu

artworks will “trail” from the station

ticketing areas, up to the concourse

level, through the pedestrian walkways

and onto station platforms. It is

further envisioned that the artworks

will aid with passenger wayfinding.

The trails may be straight, winding, a

series of unconnected but repetitive

directional elements, or other

configuration as long as the artworks

read as “trails”.

Station floor materials have not been

set yet. It is anticipated that flooring

materials will vary from station to

station.

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Selected artists must be sensitive to

certain Hawaiian imagery or symbols

that cannot be walked on and,

therefore, should not be included in

the artwork designs.

Artists will be selected through an

open selection process. Depending on

the selected artist’s final design, their

scope may include fabrication. It is

anticipated that the GEC will install

artworks at the same time they install

station flooring.

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Opportunity 9 – Underground Walkway

Due to its location, the Leeward Community College

Station configuration is unique. It is the only part of

the guideway that is not elevated. Instead of a

concourse level with an elevated pedestrian walkway,

there is an underground pedestrian walkway. It is

envisioned that the Underground Walkway will

become a gallery of sound, light or rotating electronic

or video artworks. While the underground nature of

the walkway could result in an unpleasant

experience, it is envisioned that the artwork in this

area will make it not only a pleasant experience, but

also an engaging experience.

Considerations

The underground walkway is 75 feet long,

20 feet wide and 9 feet tall.

A skylight, or oculus, is the only natural light

source in the underground walkway. The

skylight is 16 – 18 feet in diameter.

The Underground Walkway is viewed as an

opportunity to create an artwork that relies

on, or functions better, in an enclosed, dark

space.

Given the specialized knowledge required

for this opportunity, it is suggested that the

artist be selected through a limited

selection process.

It is envisioned that the selected artist will

involve Leeward Community College

students, faculty, or administration in their

design process.

The artist’s scope of services will include

design and execution of the artwork, and

identification of the infrastructure

necessary to support the artwork. The GEC

may install the infrastructure per the artist’s

detailed specifications.

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Opportunity 10 – Maintenance and

Store Facility

A Maintenance and Storage Facility is planned for the

HRTP. This facility poses an opportunity for artist

integrated design works, stand-alone artworks, plaza

treatment, and other artworks.

Considerations

Maintenance facilities are opportunities for

collaborative design approaches.

Art opportunities might include integration

of artist-designed patterns to the building

itself, as well as opportunities for sculptural

features, landscape design, and entry gates.

All artists will be selected through open

selection processes. The artists’ scopes

may include design, fabrication, and in

some cases installation. Depending on the

design approach, the GEC may install some

of the artworks.

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Opportunity 11 – Student Art Projects

Education is a primary goal of the HRTP. It is

envisioned that the Art Program will partner with

area schools in the creation of artist-led Student Art

Projects.

Considerations

It is envisioned that artists will be identified

to work with local schools in the design and

application of artworks.

The artists’ design processes may be

incorporated into school curricula.

It is anticipated that the primary areas for

student artworks will be walls. Treatment

to, or the creation of, sculptural and seating

components, and ceiling areas may also be

considered.

Student Art Projects are viewed as an

opportunity for students to tell the stories

of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, and the HRTP through

their eyes.

Artists that lead the Student Art Projects

will be selected through open selection

processes.

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Opportunity 12 – Station Walls and

Ceilings

Station Walls and Ceilings is envisioned as an

opportunity for artists to create murals, mosaic, relief

sculpture, or other artworks on the walls and ceilings

of stations. While walls will be sparse, there will be

some adjacent to and opposite escalators, along

pedestrian transit areas, and at end points.

Considerations

While stations are expected to be open-air

buildings, there will be some walls. The

identification of these walls will occur

during each station group design process.

It is possible that walls and areas will be

identified for rotating exhibits.

All artists will be selected through open

selection processes.

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Opportunity 13 – Station Seating

Seating will be located throughout each station. The

Station Seating is viewed as an opportunity for artists

to design, fabricate, or treat seating components for

the plazas, entry levels and platform levels of

stations.

Considerations

Seating components may be replicated or

they may be one-of-a-kind.

Artists might consider creating seating

environments.

All artists will be selected through open

selection processes. The artists’ scopes will

include design, fabrication, and in some

cases installation. Depending on the

seating design, the GEC may install some of

the artworks.

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Opportunity 14 – Station Sculpture

Station Sculpture is viewed as sculptural components

that are inside or outside the stations. These

elements can be functional, art-for-arts sake,

whimsical or interactive.

Considerations

Sculptural elements, specifically those in

outdoor environments, often become

“place makers”. They define and bring

recognition to place. Therefore the

addition of sculptural artworks in stations

will be carefully considered.

Sculptural elements may also be functional,

engaging, interactive, or integrated, or tell

community stories.

Artists will be selected through open

selections processes.

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Opportunity 15 – Functional

Components

Functional Components are located at stations and

throughout the HRTP. These functional components

offer inexpensive, yet visually rich opportunities for

the vision of artists and design of artworks.

Considerations

Functional components such as gates,

grates, handrails, sound walls, retaining

walls, traction power substations,

pedestrian bridges, bicycle racks, trash

receptacles, lighting posts, and other

components exist throughout the guideway

and stations.

FTA guidelines for Art-in-Transit suggest

several applications for artistic treatment

including functional components, as long as

a justifiable process is used in the selection

of artists. Examples of such treatment exist

in several Art-in-Transit programs nationally

and internationally.

Depending on available funds, the addition of artist-

design functional components will be encouraged. It

is envisioned that, wherever possible, construction

dollars be used to enhance or supplement existing

program dollars.

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Opportunity 16 – Train Car Artworks

The train cars themselves offer opportunity for both

permanent art and rotating exhibits. Opportunities

include visual and sound works inside the train, and

wrapping or painting of the cars. MTA’s Poetry in

Motion and King County Washington’s Poetry on

Busses are examples of rotating exhibits inside

vehicles.

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Bibliography

Barnes, Phil. A. Concise History of the Hawaiian

Islands. Petroglyph Press, 2009.

Cox, J. Halley with William H. Davenport. Hawaiian

Sculpture. University of Hawaii Press, 1988.

James, Van. Ancient Sites of Oahu. Bishop Museum

Press, 2010.

Kamakua, Samuel Manaiakalani. Ka Poe Kahiko (The

People of Old). Bishop Museum Press, 2010.

Kane, Herb Kawainui. Ancient Hawaii. The Kawainui

Press, 1977.

Kanahele, George S. Waikiki: An Untold Story. The

Queen Emma Foundation, 1995.

Kawahara, Dennis. Ancient Hawaii: Stories from

Fornander & Thrum. Kalamaku Press, 2001.

Mitchell, Donald D. Kilolani. Resource Units in

Hawaiian Culture. Kamehameha Schools Press. 2007.

Pukui, Mary Kawena. Olelo No “eau: Hawaiian

Proverbs & Poetical Sayings. Bishop Museum Press,

1983.

Pukui, Mary Kawena with Laura C.S. Green. Folktales

of Hawaii. Bishop Museum Press, 2008.

Pukui, Mary Kawena and Samuel H. Elbert.

Hawaiian Dictionary. University of Hawaii Press, 1971.

Pukui, Mary Kawena, Samuel H. Elbert and Esther T.

Mookini. Place Names of Hawaii. University of

Hawaii Press, 1976.

Serrao, Poakalani, John Serrao, Raelene Correia, and

Cissy Serrao. The Hawaiian Quilt. Mutual Publishing,

2009.

Sterling, Elspeth P. and Catherine C Summers. Sites

of Oahu. Bishop Museum Press, 1978.

Thomson, Vivian L. Hawaiian Myths of Earth, Sea,

and Sky. University of Hawaii Press, 1988.

Various Internet Sites including:

http://www.hawaiianhistory.com

http://www.wikipedia.org

http://www.mythichawaii.con

http://www.natural-elements-online.com

http://www.hawaii-nation.org

http://www.imagine-hawaii.com

http://hawaiitrails.ehawaii.gov