Hawaii State Capitol Building

Hawaii’s State Capitol building houses the offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, offices of state legislators, and the chambers of the state House and Senate. The Capitol was constructed at the direction of Governor John A. Burns and designed by the firms of Belt, Lemmon & Lo of Honolulu, John Carl Warnecke & Associates and Architects Hawai‘i. The building opened in 1969. The Hawaii State Capitol building is the single most dominant work of public architecture in the State of Hawaii. Like the Hawaiian Islands, the Capitol is surrounded by water, and the outer columns that rise from the reflecting pools represent Hawaii’s palm trees. When the State Capitol building was conceived, it was not meant to be just another modern structure. The building was intended to reflect Hawaii and its people.

The Hawaii State Capitol Building is located at 415 South Beretania Street in downtown Honolulu. It is located next to the old capitol building, Iolani Palace and the adjacent Kanaina Building, and directly across the street from Washington Place and Honolulu Hale.