Onion House

Last updated
Glowing like a lantern- Onion House main structure Onion House Hawaii 31.jpg
Glowing like a lantern- Onion House main structure
Overhead view- Onion House Hawaii Onion House Hawaii 18.jpg
Overhead view- Onion House Hawaii

The Onion House is an innovative home commissioned by Elizabeth McCormick von Beck, member of the McCormick family, and designed and hand-built by American architect Kendrick Bangs Kellogg, in Holualoa, Hawaii, [1] (near Kailua-Kona) in 1962-1963. [2]

With the address of 77-6411 Nalani St, Kailua-kona Hawaii, [3] it is an example of organic architecture, [4] or metaphoric architecture. The arched roof panels resemble a shell, or an onion, while the lava rock walls reference ancient Hawaiian temples, or heiau, [5] which are found along the Kona coast. The roof panels are translucent like onion skin, [6] transmitting sunlight into the house during the day and glowing at night. With no exterior walls, [7] the outdoors are integrated with the living areas, separated only by screen or stained glass. [8] A 70-foot pool wraps around the two main structures.

Elizabeth McCormick von Beck, niece to Willoughby M. McCormick, founder of McCormick & Company, commissioned Kellogg to design the home, [9] when he was in his mid-twenties. When they could not find a contractor willing to attempt the project, Kellogg moved to Hawaii to construct it himself. [10] Fellow architect James Hubbell [11] [12] collaborated with Kellogg on construction of the home, with Hubbell creating 29 stained glass windows and a mosaic tile dining table. William Slatton created metal-work details throughout the home, including the entrance gate and the spires topping the three structures.

The roofs of the two main structures are supported by a series of cast-in-place concrete arches, radiating out from a central fireplace in each building. Translucent panels made of fiberglass, called Alsynite, curve between each concrete arch. These roofs are crowned with hand-cut redwood shingles, topped by steel spires.

Massive lava rock walls form a high terrace overlooking the ocean. These walls flow uninterrupted from the outside to the interior, right through the glass and screen walls. These rock walls are thicker at the bottom, slanting upward like the walls of Hawaiian temples, or heiau. This very site-specific architecture works in the gentle climate of Kona, where trade winds are buffered by Mount Hualalai, and temperatures range between 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit.

This was the third home Kellogg designed, and one of his best-known buildings. While Kellogg's architectural vision was heavily influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, Kellogg called the Onion house his 'breakaway house', taking departure from the horizontal planes that characterized much of Wright's work. [13] Kellogg's aesthetic has been described as "an architecture so full of life that it seems to breathe." [14]

In 1984, the home was purchased by the original owner's niece, Beth McCormick, who renovated the home over a period of 34 years. In 2017, the home was sold, with Beth remaining involved providing advice and architectural guidance.

Previous to the sale in 2000, Beth McCormick began sharing the Onion House with the public as a vacation rental property, and it remains available for guests to stay in.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawaii (island)</span> Largest of the Hawaiian islands

Hawaii is the largest island in the United States, located in the eponymous state of Hawaii. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean. With an area of 4,028 square miles (10,430 km2), it has 63% of the Hawaiian archipelago's combined landmass. However, it has only 13% of the archipelago's population. The island of Hawaiʻi is the third largest island in Polynesia, behind the north and south islands of New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menehune</span> Mythological dwarf people in Hawaiian tradition

Menehune are a mythological race of dwarf people in Hawaiian tradition who are said to live in the deep forests and hidden valleys of the Hawaiian Islands, hidden and far away from human settlements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hualālai</span> Active volcano in the Hawaiian Islands

Hualālai is an active volcano on the island of Hawaiʻi in the Hawaiian Islands. It is the westernmost, third-youngest and the third-most active of the five volcanoes that form the island of Hawaiʻi, following Kīlauea and the much larger Mauna Loa. Its peak stands 8,271 feet (2,521 m) above sea level. Hualālai is estimated to have risen above sea level about 300,000 years ago. Despite maintaining a very low level of activity since its last eruption in 1801, and being unusually inactive for the last 2,000 years, Hualālai is still considered active, and is expected to erupt again sometime in the next 100 years. The relative unpreparedness of the residents in the area caused by the lull in activity would worsen an eruption's consequences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ʻIolani Palace</span> Historic building in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

The ʻIolani Palace was the royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi beginning with Kamehameha III under the Kamehameha Dynasty (1845) and ending with Queen Liliʻuokalani (1893) under the Kalākaua Dynasty, founded by her brother, King David Kalākaua. It is located in the capitol district of downtown Honolulu in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi. It is now a National Historic Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After the monarchy was overthrown in 1893, the building was used as the capitol building for the Provisional Government, Republic, Territory, and State of Hawaiʻi until 1969. The palace was restored and opened to the public as a museum in 1978. ʻIolani Palace is the only royal palace on US soil.

The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to the U.S. state of Hawaii:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawaiian architecture</span>

Hawaiian architecture is a distinctive architectural style developed and employed primarily in the Hawaiian Islands. Though based on imported Western styles, unique Hawaiian traits make Hawaiian architecture stand alone against other styles. Hawaiian architecture reflects the history of the islands from antiquity through the kingdom era, from its territorial years to statehood and beyond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park</span> Historic Place in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States

Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located on the west coast of the island of Hawaiʻi in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The historical park preserves the site where, up until the early 19th century, Hawaiians who broke a kapu could avoid certain death by fleeing to this place of refuge or puʻuhonua. The offender would be absolved by a priest and freed to leave. Defeated warriors and non-combatants could also find refuge here during times of battle. The grounds just outside the Great Wall that encloses the puʻuhonua were home to several generations of powerful chiefs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ka Lae</span> Historic Place in Hawaii County, Hawaii

Ka Lae, also known as South Point, is the southernmost point of the Big Island of Hawaii and of the 50 United States. The Ka Lae area is registered as a National Historic Landmark District under the name South Point Complex. The area is also known for its strong ocean currents and winds and is the home of a wind farm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heiau</span> Hawaiian temple

A heiau is a Hawaiian temple. Made in different architectural styles depending upon their purpose and location, they range from simple earth terraces, to elaborately constructed stone platforms. There are heiau to treat the sick, offer first fruits, offer first catch, start rain, stop rain, increase the population, ensure the health of the nation, achieve success in distant voyaging, reach peace, and achieve success in war (luakini).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kawaihae, Hawaii</span> Unincorporated community in the state of Hawaii, United States

Kawaihae is an unincorporated community on the west side of the island of Hawaiʻi in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi, 35 miles (56 km) north of Kailua-Kona. Its harbor is one of only three on the island, together with that of Hilo and Honokohau Harbor.

The 2006 Kīholo Bay earthquake occurred on October 15 at 07:07:49 local time with a magnitude of 6.7 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The shock was centered 21 kilometers (13 mi) southwest of Puakō and 21 km (13 mi) north of Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi, just offshore of the Kona Airport, at a depth of 38.2 km (23.7 mi). It produced several aftershocks, including one that measured a magnitude of 6.1 seven minutes after the main shock. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center measured a nondestructive tsunami of 4 in (100 mm) on the coast of the Big Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaniakapupu</span> Historic ruin in Hawaii, United States

Kaniakapūpū, known formerly as Luakaha, is the ruins of the former summer palace of King Kamehameha III and Queen Kalama on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Built in the 1840s, and situated in the cool uplands of the Nuʻuanu Valley, it served as the king and queen's summer retreat after the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii moved from Lahaina to Honolulu in 1845. It was famous for being the site of a grand luau attended by an estimated ten thousand guests during the 1847 Hawaiian Sovereignty Restoration Day celebration. The palace had fallen into ruins by 1874; no records exist about its condition in the intervening years. Rediscovered in the 1950s, the site was cleared and efforts were made to stabilize the ruins from further damage by the elements and invasive plant growth. The site remains officially off-limits to the public and trespassers are subjected to citations, although the site is not regularly monitored.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four Seasons Resort Hualalai</span> Building in Hawaii, near Kalaoa

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Kaʻūpūlehu is a AAA Five Diamond rated Four Seasons resort in Kaʻūpūlehu, on the Kona-Kohala Coast of the island of Hawaiʻi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vladimir Ossipoff</span> American architect

Vladimir ‘Val’ Nicholas Ossipoff was an American architect best known for his works in the state of Hawai'i.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Davis Paris</span>

John Davis Paris was an American Christian missionary to the island of Hawaii. Coming to the island by accident, he supervised construction of several historic churches, some of which survive today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George J. Wimberly</span> American architect

Not to be confused with the former mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaupulehu, Hawaii</span>

Kaʻūpūlehu is the site of a historic settlement on the west coast of Hawaiʻi island, the largest of the Hawaiian Islands. Devastated by a lava flow, the area is now the home of luxury hotels such as the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.

Kendrick Bangs Kellogg (1934-2024) was an American architect. An innovator of organic architecture, Kellogg built a wide assortment of distinctive buildings. Homes include the Lotus House, Wingsweep, the High Desert house, and the Onion House. Public buildings include the Hoshino Wedding Chapel in Japan and Charthouse restaurants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lanai (architecture)</span> Type of roofed, open-sided veranda, patio or porch originating in Hawaiʻi

A lanai or lānai is a type of roofed, open-sided veranda, patio, or porch originating in Hawaii. Many homes, apartment buildings, hotels and restaurants in Hawaii are built with one or more lānais.

James Hubbell is a visual artist, architect, sculptor, stained-glass designer and founder of the Ilan-Lael Foundation living in Santa Ysabel, California. He is best known for designing and building organic-style structures that have been referred to as "hobbit houses", with one such example being his collaboration with Kendrick Bangs Kellogg on the Onion House in Holualoa, Hawaii.

References

  1. ↑ Hass, Nancy (May 14, 2015). "Rock Legend". New York Times Style Magazine.
  2. ↑ Anderson, Kristina (October 1, 2007). "The Onion House The Legend Lives On" (PDF). At Home in West Hawaii.
  3. ↑ "77-6411 Nalani St, Kailua-kona, HI 96740 - 3 beds/2 baths". Redfin. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
  4. ↑ Kaiser, Kay (July 1, 1990). "Kendrick Bangs Kellogg". GA Houses. 29: 66–71.
  5. ↑ McCormick, Beth (April 1, 1991). "The Onion House, Spicy Architectural Design in Kona". Hawaiian Island Home: 50–57.
  6. ↑ Bentley, Tom (June 1, 2016). "Native Intelligence: Into the Onion". Hana Hou: 34.
  7. ↑ "* v i s u a l * v a m p *: The Onion House: The Story of Kendrick Kellogg-James Hubbell-Beth McCormick". 19 September 2008.
  8. ↑ Fahs, Barbara (September–October 2013). "Kona's Onion House". Ke Ola: 47–51.
  9. ↑ "Onion House, Hawaii- History - the Onion House, Hawaii... Vacation in a Work of Art". Archived from the original on 2017-05-30. Retrieved 2017-05-24.
  10. ↑ http://www.onionhousehawaii.com/william-slatton-metalwork.html William Slatton
  11. ↑ Webb, Michael (2015). Three on the Edge. Fine Arts Press.
  12. ↑ Pearson, David (2001). New Organic Architecture- the Breaking Wave. University of California Press.
  13. ↑ Kaiser, Kay (July 1, 1990). "Kendrick Bangs Kellogg". GA Houses. 29: 66–71.
  14. ↑ Kaiser, Kay (July 1, 1990). "Kendrick Bangs Kellogg". GA Houses. 29.

19°36′22″N155°57′43″W / 19.60612°N 155.96197°W / 19.60612; -155.96197

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.