Hawaiian Hall, Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum (Commissioned, 2026)

Parts Used: 42,050 pieces

Dimensions: 33 x 60 x 22 in

Production Hours: 320 hours

Exhibitions:

• Aloha Bricks ’26: Stories of Hawai’i, Bishop Museum (Honolulu, Hawaiʻi), Mar - Oct 2026

Owner / IP: Bishop Museum / © 2026 Bishop Museum (designed and built by Yusuke Yamana)

Notes / Concept 

A model of Hawaiian Hall complex built from LEGO® Bricks
The model represents the Hawaiian Hall complex at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, presented as a scale model designed for public exhibition.

Design Motivation
While working on the ʻIolani Palace model for the Aloha Bricks ’26 exhibition, the museum’s Exhibit Director approached me to create a model of the Hawaiian Hall complex, the museum’s main hall. I was commissioned under a formal agreement to design and assemble the model. 


Design Approach
I recreated Hawaiian Hall in minifigure scale using Stud.io 2.0, based on reference photos. By focusing on key features such as the entrances and semicircular windows, the model captures the building’s recognizable silhouette.

Color and Surface Texture
Hawaiian Hall exhibits subtle variations in color depending on weather and lighting conditions. The LEGO bricks were carefully varied to reflect the natural stone textures and shifting light effects of the real hall. Rather than relying on a single exact color, this approach emphasizes depth and surface detail.

Environmental Elements
Trees and surrounding environmental elements were included to communicate the hall’s integration with its natural setting and to create layered moments of discovery for viewers.

Hidden Artworks for young visitors
Artworks and corridors visible from the rear entrance are positioned at child-eye level, creating small moments of discovery for young visitors.



AC Units & Rain Pipes for adult visitors
Rooftop AC units, ducts, and rain pipes are subtly included in hidden areas, providing discovery opportunities for adults. Museum staff have remarked, “That rooftop unit! That’s the one I sometimes climb up to!”



Entrance Details & Visitor Elements
Railings at entrances, restroom signs, trash bins, and benches are recreated to reflect the everyday elements visitors encounter, giving them moments of recognition and familiarity.

Maintenance Facilities
Storage rooms, cobblestone paths to service entrances, and emergency staircases are included to reflect staff-use areas. The Exhibit Director even suggested secretly placing staff figures having lunch, adding a playful nod to the museum team.

Gallery 

Aloha Bricks ’26: Stories of Hawai’i, Bishop Museum, 2026

Media Coverage 

Hawaiʻi State Department of Education - May 12, 2026
Kahuku High & Intermediate tech coordinator showcases elite LEGO® talent [interview article]