For this week only, when you walk through the atrium of Central Pacific Plaza, you can take a trip through the last century.
AIA Honolulu's 21st annual CANstruction competition is now on display and this year's theme "CANtennial: Design of the Decades!" honors AIA Hawai‘i's 100th anniversary.
A 2026 CANstruction sculpture: The '90s Called ... They Still Care. Photo by Stephanie Salmons. (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
A 2026 CANstruction sculpture: iCan. Photo by Stephanie Salmons. (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
A 2026 CANstruction sculpture: Rolling Forward, CANS in Motion. Photo by Stephanie Salmons. (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
A 2026 CANstruction sculpture: From Moonshots to Meals! Photo by Stephanie Salmons. (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
A 2026 CANstruction sculpture: Snoopy CAN Jive. Photo by Stephanie Salmons. (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
A 2026 CANstruction sculpture: The Can Francisco Crossing. Photo by Stephanie Salmons. (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
A 2026 CANstruction sculpture: Duke "CAN-hanamoku," A Century of Aloha. Photo by Stephanie Salmons. (Aloha State Daily Staff)
It's a feast for the eyes. Teams have used thousands of cans of food to construct elaborate 3D structures as part of the yearly event, which found a new home this year at the Downtown Honolulu branch of Central Pacific Bank, located within Central Pacific Plaza.
There's the Lego-version of Rosie the Riveter and Can-francisco. You can also see a rocket launch, Snoopy, a Beanie Baby and a portrait of Duke "CAN-hanamoku," and more — all constructed out of canned goods.
The professionals built the displays on Sept. 12, and the completed structures will be on display and open for People’s Choice voting during business hours Sept. 14 to 18. Cast your vote at aiahonolulu.org or by scanning the QR Code at each structure. The one that receives the most votes will be named the People's Choice Award winner.
The food will later be donated to Hawai‘i Foodbank while the People's Choice voting also serves as a donation to the organization — one vote is $1.
"CANstruction is an international program that provides architects, designers and friends with a creative opportunity to showcase their skills while bringing resources and attention to local food banks," AIA Honolulu Executive Vice President Julia Fink previously told Aloha State Daily. "We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with Hawai‘i Foodbank, where all the cans will be donated at the end of the week.
"The structures are a great tool to give young-in-their-career members a chance to see a project fulfilled from start to finish, providing experience and leadership training in a fun way."
AIA Honolulu says that CANstruction has collected 787,005 pounds of canned food and more than $110,000 for Hawai‘i Foodbank since its inception.
Architecture firms and allied design partners competing this year include:
- Lowney Architecture and Swinerton Builders
- G70 and Hawaiian Dredging
- HDR, RLB and BASE Engineering
- RMA Architects, Inc.
- RAV Productions and PHAD Home Appliance
- WhiteSpace Architects and Iwamoto Engineering Consultants, Inc.
- Bowers + Kubota Consulting, EnPro and Hensel Phelps
- Design Partners Incorporated and Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaiʻi Inc.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
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