The Hawaii State Capitol is one of the most architecturally inventive state houses in the United States. Completed in 1969, it was deliberately designed to evoke Hawaii's landscape: the two legislative chambers are shaped like volcanic cones, the surrounding reflecting pool represents the Pacific, and the columns that ring the building look like royal palms. It is open-air in the centre, with a 230-square-metre mosaic visible from above in the central atrium.
The building sits between Iolani Palace and Washington Place in the downtown civic district. Free public tours run Monday through Friday; self-guided tours are also possible during business hours. The Father Damien statue at the entrance — a hooded figure representing the Belgian priest who cared for leprosy patients on Molokai — is one of the most striking pieces of public sculpture in the state.