For almost 100 years, the Central Fire Station in downtown Honolulu has served as the headquarters for the Honolulu Fire Department. It continues active operations as one of 45 fire stations on Oahu and is listed on the Hawaii State and National Registers of Historic Places.
The main goal of the project was to address operational and safety concerns at the Station. Aluminum vehicle-bay doors, designed in the original Art Deco style, were repaired and strengthened for improved functionality and security. FAI provided Historic Architectural services for the project, with the team’s paramount understanding that these doors were important architectural features of the Central Fire Station as a whole. Therefore, material preservation was prioritized. New bracing was installed inside of the doors’ hollow cavities to strengthen the door for operation and to avoid alteration of the distinct design. New automatic closures and security equipment were unobtrusively installed.
The orchestration behind removing the doors along the bustling Beretania Street was monumental. The doors are a towering thirteen feet high which required careful precision and coordination by the contractor.
2022 Historic Hawaii Foundation Preservation Award
