The Waikiki Natatorium was built in 1927 as a living memorial to all those from Hawaii who served in the First World War.

In the opening ceremonies on Aug. 24, 1927, local Olympic gold medal holder Duke Kahanamoku made the first swim (it was his 37th birthday).

Architect Lewis P. Hobart conceived the Natatorium as a "living memorial" in the form of a saltwater swimming pool teeming with water sports.

For many years it hosted swim meets, diving competitions and functioned as the local swimming pool where generations of children and adults learned to swim.

The ravages of salt water and a lack of proper maintenance and repairs rendered the pool unsafe for use in the 1960s.

This once grand war memorial was permanently closed and left to deteriorate and crumble.

In 2003 a major renovation was in progress, but the work was halted in 2005 when the city administration changed and new Mayor Mufi Hannemann stopped the pool renovation project in progress.

The pool was again left to deteriorate and crumble.

Today the pool is no longer feasible for swimming.

Recently there has been an "adaptive reuse" proposal, to create a beach volleyball venue for recreation and tournaments on the site of the deteriorating pool.

This proposal as a beach volleyball venue would return the Natatorium to its original use as a world-class sports facility.

Once again the Natatorium would be teeming with life as a living memorial to the men and women from Hawaii who served their country in time of need.

This type of adaptive reuse is a critical concept in historic preservation as it allows historic structures to be reused with a new life for something other than their original purpose.

Here in Honolulu, think of historic Linekona School next to Thomas Square — originally an elementary school — now serving as an art education center for kids and adults. Another great example is the World War II hangar on Ford Island that is now the Pacific Aviation Museum.

Adaptive reuse of the Natatorium to a beach volleyball venue with a new life would be totally compatible with the intent of this living memorial to those who served our country 94 years ago.

In the above<$o($)> two examples there is comfort in that the adaptive reuse has not strayed far from the original uses. That could be the same for the Natatorium as beach volleyball courts, keeping in mind two important facts: the Natatorium could represent a beach activity and it could be one athletic facility, both part of the memorial’s original intent.

Thus, beach volleyball in place of the outdated pool makes perfect sense as an adaptive reuse.

There are outdoor swimming pools dotting the Earth, but nowhere else is there as spectacular a setting as the Natatorium for an exciting event like beach volleyball. Imagine television coverage of championship beach volleyball matches at the Natatorium.

Duke Kahanamoku was one of the pioneers of beach volleyball on Waikiki Beach.

Imagine going there with your family to watch your kids or grandkids perform at sunset. Pretty wonderful, and in total harmony with the original intent of the living memorial of the Natatorium.