Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum

The Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum will reopen in 2021, with new and expanded exhibits, indoors and out.

While with The Portico Group and MIG Inc., Alissa led the Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Exhibit Design teams, over the course of nearly 8 years, as they worked to bring the incredible stories of submariners to life. The building, site and exhibits are designed to inspire visitors from around the world, as they are introduced to the men and women who serve, the technology they design and utilize, the families and communities who support them, and the strategic implications of the submarine force - past, present and future.

Photos by Chuck Merkel and Allison CraigSundine.

HONOLULU, HAWAII

Home of the USS Bowfin, dubbed the Pearl Harbor Avenger, the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum (PFSM) takes up the story of the attack on Pearl Harbor on February 8, 1941. Its incredible collection of artifacts, photos and stories includes as its focal point one of the earliest WWII submarines, which visitors can board and explore. The staff and board at the PFSM began thinking about expansion and renovation during the renovation of the adjacent Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, and I’ve been pleased to work with them since that time to help set their project up for success and steward it through design and into construction.

The museum is located on a site adjacent to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center; until now, however, the shape and orientation of the building kept it from feeling like part of one cohesive campus. The exhibits were thirty years old, and the interpretation was stale. Once the expansion and renovation are complete, the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum will welcome visitors to enter through a re-created hull ring from a Columbia Class sub, and experience state-of-the-art exhibits in three immersive galleries. We were able to integrate the architecture, landscape architecture and exhibit design to bring the museum into the 21st century, and to create a setting that still allows the USS Bowfin to shine as its star attraction.

Location: Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii

Client: Pacific Fleet Submarine Memorial Association

Size: 10,050 SF Visitor and Staff Facilities, 2.3 Acre Site

Prime Architect: The Portico Group (now MIG Inc.)

Landscape Architect and Exhibit Designer: The Portico Group (now MIG Inc.)

Design Visualization and Renderings: The Portico Group (now MIG Inc.)

Associate Architect: Mason Architects

Completion Date: To be completed in 2021

Alissa’s Role: Architect, Exhibit Designer, Principal-in-Charge