The vermillion wooden bridge pavilion at Lili‘uokalani Gardens will undergo a complete rebuild as the current structure deteriorated significantly due mainly to extensive termite damage.

The bridge rebuild is being led by the Department of Parks & Recreation and the non-profit organization, Friends of Lili‘uokalani Gardens.

The bridge that’s being removed is not the original as the original, and its successor, were destroyed by tsunamis, in 1946 and in 1960.

The bridge pavilion will be rebuilt by Parks & Recreation carpenters, who have already reconstructed other pavilions within Lili‘uokalani Gardens.  The stone base of the bridge is not being removed.

Throughout its lifetime, the bridge has been several colors including green, brown, tan, red, and now vermillion, a red-orange color recommended by a garden designer from Kyoto. When the bridge is rebuilt it will continue to be vermillion, or “shuiro” in Japanese, a color that holds special significance in Japanese culture.