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Hawaii’s Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial, the state’s only memorial dedicated to World War I and the 10,000 Hawaiian citizens who served, is finally set to be restored after closing to the public 45 years ago.
Located between the Waikiki Aquarium and Kaimana Beach, the memorial features a striking cream-colored archway, behind which sits a 100-meter by 40-meter saltwater swimming pool. It initially opened on August 24, 1927, nine years after the war ended, with Hawaiian competitive swimmer and surfer Duke Kahanamoku being the first person to jump in.
The pool was intended to be a living memorial, where members of the community could gather and swim, but it fell into disrepair after years of neglect. The deteriorating natatorium was deemed unsafe to use and was locked to the public in 1979, where it has remained closed ever since.
Over the years, elected officials have gone back and forth over what to do with the Waikiki Natatorium, with some wanting to restore it while others wanted to demolish it altogether.
Rick Blangiardi, the current mayor of Honolulu, is committed to restoring the natatorium with the help of his administration. His chief of staff, Andy Sugg, commented on the significance of reopening the memorial.
“It’s important that we don’t let our World War I memorials sort of crumble, literally and figuratively,” Sugg told SFGATE. “The ultimate goal is to get this to a point where we get the natatorium rehabilitated and people can go and swim there.”
The memorial is slated to be rehabilitated rather than rebuilt, meaning the archway will stay intact while certain areas such as the bleachers and the fence wall will be repaired. Additionally, the underwater portions of the seawall will be removed and replaced.
The total cost of the repairs is estimated to be around $30 to $35 million. The vast majority of the funds are expected to be raised by the Friends of the Natatorium, an organization dedicated to saving and restoring the historic site that formed in 1986 when the city first tried to destroy the memorial.
“It was dedicated to World War I, you know, like why would we even consider [demolishing] it?” said Donna Ching, vice president of the Friends of the Natatorium. “It’s just morally wrong. It’s an architectural treasure, in addition to a usable public community gathering place.”
The monumental project is still in the design phase while engineers finalize their plans. The administration hopes that construction can begin next year, and that a good portion of the work can be completed by the 100th anniversary of the natatorium in August 2027.
Sugg indicated to SFGATE that the ultimate goal is for the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial to be reopened before a new mayor is elected in 2028.
