“Designed by Hawai‘i’s most celebrated architect, Vladimir Ossipoff, the unique and innovative features
waiian watersports. That really is our legacy, and that, really, should be our image,” said Fred Hemmings, in his oral history. Designed by an illustrious architect, it’s the details of the Club that showcase it as an illustrious sports club. Visit the Macfarlane Room to step back in time to old Waikīkī, and see pictures of the original OCC location. In the Duke Room, you’ll find an ode to OCC’s revered Olympian. In Ka Mo‘i Boathouse, you’ll likely find images of surf legends like Joey Cabell, Paul Strauch and The Duke catching a wave, as well the new generation of waterwomen and watermen, such as Carissa Moore and Kai Lenny. OCC’s connection to the ocean, coupled with Os- sipo’s personal appreciation and deep understanding of Hawai‘i’s culture and climate, led him to the three levels—Hau Terrace, the bar level and the dining room— each oering unrestricted views of the sea. The Club’s hau tree-shaded pavilion and many of the building’s public spaces are open yet provide just enough cover- age to shield from sun and wind. Spaces become less enclosed as you move from the parking lot and towards the beach.
of the clubhouse blend naturally into its tropical surroundings,
making it seem as though it had always been there yet maintaining a totally fresh and contemporary feeling. Nearly half a century old, the timeless architecture of the Outrigger Canoe Club might well be fresh o the drawing board,” wrote the late Barbara Del Piano in a 2011 article of The Outrigger magazine . Yes, this location was designed by the renowned Ossipo as the lead designer, and the technical aspects by Wimberly, Whisenand, Allison & Tong (now known as WATG). A recipient of the first AIA Medal of Honor in Hawai‘i, Ossipo joined the Outrigger in 1950, and had previously provided architectural work on the original clubhouse in Waikīkī in 1949. He served on the Buildings & Grounds Committee from 1989 until 1992, and was a Long Range Planning Committee member in 1983 and 1991. You’re likely familiar with some of his other work throughout Honolulu, including Thurston Memorial Chapel at Punahou School, the Liljestrand House and the IBM Building. For years, OCC has been touted as being a great example of Ossipo’s Hawai‘i-centric architecture style, as it focuses on open-air qualities, mimicking the beach park shelters and pavilions that are a distinctive part of O‘ahu’s shoreline. Weaving Hawai‘i’s unique natural landscape and his signature modernism, Ossipo was able to design the Club’s second space to uphold our deep connection to the ocean and ocean sports. “We have more Olympians, we have more world champion surfers, and we have more world champion paddling teams. We pioneered canoe surfing in big ways. The Outrigger has been the home of great innovation and champions for generations in the traditional Ha-
The lānai structure is a way to connect with the island sensibilities, and the Hau Terrace is perhaps one of Ossipo’s most clear interpretations of this architec- tural element. Throughout his career, Ossipo contin- ued to perfect the lānai—a concept that is central to Hawai‘i’s modern architectural identity—most notably here at the Club, the Blanche Hill House and the arrivals and departures terminal at Daniel K. Inouye Interna- tional Airport. Inspired by the native Hawaiians who used lānai as communal spaces for gathering, Ossipo was able to transform these spaces into modern and captivating areas for doing just that.
january / february 2024 | AMA 15
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