'Iolani Palace undergoing $1.5 million face-lift
By Sara Lin
Advertiser Staff Writer
'Iolani Palace, one of Hawai'i's most significant historical landmarks, has been undergoing much-needed repairs as the result of a $1.5 million appropriation from the state Legislature in 2002.
Decorative plaster ceilings will be restored, cracked walls replastered and wood floors refinished as part of the repairs to the palace, the barracks and old archives building, though most of the renovation will be made to the palace.
Museum curator Stuart Ching says renovations to the 121-year-old 'Iolani Palace will include fixing rusted railings and water-damaged ceilings in the king and queen's bedroom, below.
Photos by Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser
Museum curator Stuart Ching yesterday said the $1.5 million allows him to address major problems, such as the plaster repairs. Project managers estimate the plaster restorations will last another 25 years.
"If we don't fix the small repairs now, they'll magnify over the years and become more costly to repair later on," Ching said.
Built by the order of King Kalakaua in 1882, the 'Iolani Palace was home to Kalakaua, his wife, Queen Kapi'olani, and successor Queen Lili'uokalani. While the palace continually undergoes routine repair and maintenance, even small renovations can be extremely costly, Ching said.
"This is a cultural showplace for residents and visitors," Ching said. "Being that it is the only official royal palace in the U.S., it is in the best interests of the community to maintain it properly and at a high level. It's a cultural treasure."
The renovations started last week and are expected to be finished by mid-November.
Ching said among the repairs will be recasting white cast-iron railings that have rusted and replacing parts of the rotted wood flooring. The repairs will also fix pieces of plaster missing from walls, water-damaged ceilings in the king's and queen's second-floor bedrooms and flooring damaged from the daily tours.
In addition, the money will cover a new palace security system and the installation of hurricane paneling for the windows.
Just last summer, the palace underwent a $790,000 exterior face-lift that included roof repairs and restorations of the lanai plaster ceilings and window sills.
The Friends of 'Iolani Palace plan to maintain its tour schedule, Tuesday through Saturday, possibly closing one room at a time as it undergoes renovation. Artifacts and furniture will be removed and placed in climate-controlled storage.
Ching said that much of the exterior damage to the building is the result of saltwater in the air and rain.
"The deterioration of the building we can't stop," he said. "Sometimes it's a race against time."
Correction: 'Iolani Palace was completed in 1882 and is 121 years old. Information in a previous version of this story and photo caption was incorrect.
