Leaks persist as work continues to replace iconic state Capitol pools

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Last week’s downpours sent water cascading into the basement offices of the Hawaii State Capitol, and it’s not the first time.

The leaks happened because the Capitol’s iconic ponds are in the process of being replaced by $10 million sheets of glass.

The ponds have been a maintenance nightmare for 55 years, since the Capitol first opened. Now the idea that there may never be water there again is troubling to admirers of the original design, like professor William Chapman, interim dean of the University of Hawaii school of architecture.

“I think they’re an essential part of it,” Chapman said.

The pools symbolized the ocean surrounding the islands and surrounded sometimes chaotic chambers with an oasis of calm, which Chapman says is irreplaceable.

“It creates this sort of tranquility within the space that I think a porcelain kind of finish will not do,” he said.

After concluding that the original brackish ponds were too hard to maintain and that using drinkable water would be too wasteful, the state decided to replace them.

Artist Solomon Enos is involving the public in coloring in a wave pattern that will be reproduced on heavy glass tiles. He was selected by the state Foundation on Culture and the Arts.

The public is invited to add a dot of paint to the design Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to noon, until Nov. 30 at the Capitol Modern museum, located at 250 S. Hotel St., across the street from the state Capitol and Iolani Palace.

The dots of paint will be mapped so families can return to the glass promenade and find the exact dots painted years earlier.

State Director of Accounting and General Services Keith Regan said the glass feature will also require continuous maintenance, not unlike the ponds.

“This is a community heirloom,” he said. “This is something that multiple generations are going to be able to enjoy and be proud of.”

But getting there is also a challenge. Regan said the removal of old weatherproofing left the Ewa-side pool area vulnerable to rain, which poured into the basement House staff offices last week, damaging ceilings, walls and equipment, and knocking out power.

State Rep. Sean Quinlan, new House majority leader, said staffers and lawmakers arriving for work Tuesday were stunned by the damage.

“It was kind of a shock. There was water coming down inside the building, inside the parking garage. A number of light fixtures were broken. The other side of the parking garage was pitch black, you couldn’t see a thing,” he said.

Similar weather a year ago caused much more severe leakage in the Senate side of the basement, which also was blamed on the removal of weatherproofing in the Diamond Head pool.

Regan said the contractor this year prepared better for the rain, with hoses and pumps to prevent heavy ponding over the slab, and will pay for any damage.

Meanwhile the glass pools are planned for unveiling in fall of 2026.

Quinlan said many lawmakers have mixed feelings about the change.

“It was never a very comfortable feeling having that volume and weight of water over your head, but it’s also kind of sad, because it was a beautiful feature,” he said.

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