Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial to the memorial includes an arch featuring four stone eagles typical of this style. Inside the memorial is a 100 meter by 40 meter salt water swimming pool. In the opening ceremonies on August 24, 1927, the local Olympic gold medal holder Duke Kahanamoku made the first swim (it was his birthday). In the following swim meet, world record holder Johnny Weissmuller won the 100, 400 and 800 meter events, and Buster Crabbe (also local) won the 1500 meters. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the natatorium was taken over by the US Army and used for training
Flushing Meadows Natatorium Architects). The 1939 and 1964 World’s Fair pavilions, which previously occupied the site, inspired the architects to design the canopy roof suspended above the natatorium and rink. The World’s Fair was a universal exposition showcasing various cultural exhibitions from all over the world. World’s fairs have become historic markers exemplifying commercial and industrial successes of various eras. The organizers of the 1939 World’s Fair boasted it was “the greatest exhibition ever held.” They referred to its vast size, the attractive symbolism of the Trylon and Perisphere, and most all for imagining a future after a decade of economic depression. Known