One of Hawai‘i's tallest buildings, First Hawaiian Center, currently stands just a bit higher, thanks to the addition of cranes atop its roof.
Why are they there? Aloha State Daily asked and the answer wasn't too surprising.
"First Hawaiian Center Center is nearly 30 years old and its main air conditioning system is at the end of its life. First Hawaiian Bank is in the process of replacing the building's AC system," FHB Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Bill Weeshoff said in a statement emailed to ASD. "When complete, the new AC system will improve FHC's energy efficiency by 10% to 15%."
Weeshoff said the building's design is unique in that there's a tower in the middle of a wide podium, which makes the logistics of replacing the system more complex.
"The crane used in this process is a specialty crane that is rigged up over the building to complete the roof work, as standard cranes or helicopters were not an option in this instance," he said.
"The work on the roof began with the replacement of all four cooling towers and other infrastructure renovations that will also improve the building's energy efficiency, such as replacing the entire roof deck with new insulation and roofing material," Weeshoff continued. "Once the work on the roof is complete, phase two of the project will include the replacement of the chillers. We anticipate the crane coming down by the end of June or early July."
The cost of the project was not disclosed.
First Hawaiian Center is located at the corner of King and Alakea streets in Downtown Honolulu. FHB's $175 million headquarters was dedicated on Oct. 18, 1996, a history on the bank's website notes. It is 428 feet and 11 inches tall, and has some 418,000 square feet of gross office space, according to the bank.
FHB was founded by Charles Bishop and William Aldrich as Bishop & Co. in 1858. Its name was changed to First Hawaiian Bank in 1969, the bank website states.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
