Alfred Preis (2.2.1911 - 3.29.1994) was a Jewish-born Viennese architect who fled the Nazi-annexed Austria to the remote Hawaiian archipelago in 1939. Here he shaped a remarkable career in architecture, re-opening the AIA chapter with the aid of his colleagues and friends, Vladimir Ossipoff, Allan Johnson, Thomas Perkins, Ed Bauer, Pete Wimberly among many others and slowly redefining the tropical modernism on O‘ahu.

While many of his close to 180 buildings between 1943 – 1963 are now lost to time, recent investigations show a remarkable sensitivity towards the environment and the occupants. Ending his architectural career early with two memorable projects, the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor and the Honolulu Zoo entrance building, Preis then forged a second career as State appointed cultural advocate and planning coordinator, founding the State Foundation on Culture and Arts and ultimately creating the 1% law in aid and support of local artist and for the preservation of the cultural heritage.

SPEAKER: Architect and educator Prof. Axel Schmitzberger, R.A., offers a brief contemporary analysis of selected work of Preis on the 30th anniversary of his passing. He further explores the influences of his upbringing and the transposition into the context of Hawai‘i.

A conversation with guests and the audience follows.