American Savings Bank Campus to Feature Custom Artwork by Manaola and Sig Zane

American Savings Bank (ASB) today announced partnerships with two internationally respected Native Hawaiian designers: Manaola Yap and Sig Zane. In commemoration of ASB’s new Campus, currently under construction in Honolulu’s Chinatown district, the artists will create custom artwork that visually tells the story of ASB.  Located at the corner of Beretania Street and ‘A‘ala Street, the 373,000-square foot ASB Campus will bring together approximately 660 teammates in what promises to be one of Hawai‘i’s most innovative and collaborative workspaces to date.

“Our ASB Campus represents a major milestone for our company, one that will finally bring our teammates together under one roof to better serve our customers and the community,” said Rich Wacker, President and CEO. “We are excited to work with Manaola and Sig Zane, two talented designers who will artfully capture this period of growth for our company while paying respects to the deep history and cultural roots of the ‘A‘ala neighborhood.” 

The partnership represents the first corporate undertaking for MANAOLA Group, a Hawaii-based designer that in 2016 was invited to showcase its couture collection at the prestigious New York Fashion Week. Manaola is known for his signature use of ‘ohe kāpala, an ancestral Hawaiian stamping method that draws inspiration from repetitious patterns found in nature. His design process involves visiting the site of the Campus, meeting with ASB teammates, and hand carving an original pattern onto bamboo laths, used to stamp patterns that are later digitized into bold prints.

“It’s a privilege to work with American Savings Bank to create a design that serves as an extension of who they are and what they represent – a nurturing ‘ohana that brings aloha to the community,” said Manaola Yap. “ASB has played an important role in our growth as a company, and this opportunity honors our connection with the bank. We hope our design will be appreciated by generations of ASB employees and customers to come.”   

The Sig Zane design team heavily involves ASB teammates into the creative process, incorporating their stories and relationships into the story of the art. The design will incorporate several techniques: ‘ohe kāpala, kinolau (the drawing of natural elements) and watermark.

“We want to empower the ASB ‘ohana, creating personal connections between the design, their work and the community,” said Sig Zane. “Recurring themes of growth, abundance and unity have manifested themselves in our discussions to date. We hope the ASB ‘ohana will recognize these themes, translated into art elements that represents the community and the bank’s efforts to help those around them succeed and flourish.”

The final designs by both artists will be thoughtfully incorporated throughout the building.

At completion, the ASB Campus will feature a brand new branch with an ATM on the ground floor, in addition to meeting rooms, a community multi-purpose room and a fitness center for teammates. Teammates will have access to a Training Center and Teammate Amenities on the seventh floor, featuring a 4,500 square-foot lunchroom with the ability to enjoy meals and work on one of two expansive outdoor lanai, an arcade, relaxation rooms and more.

The building’s pre-cast design allows for open-floor layouts, located on three full levels of workspaces. The building is slated to complete construction in 2018 and open in 2019.

About American Savings Bank

American Savings Bank (ASB) has been serving Hawaii’s businesses and communities since 1925 and currently provides a full range of financial products and services, including business and consumer banking, home loans, insurance and investments. ASB is one of Hawaii’s leading financial institutions, with e-banking services and branch locations throughout the state offering evening, weekend and holiday hours. ASB provides Hawaii’s consumers and businesses with more extended weekday and weekend hours than other similarly sized local banks, as well as convenient in-store branches. ASB was the first Hawaii bank to introduce remote-deposit capture with a mobile banking application.

ASB matches its exceptional customer experience with an employee experience that has garnered local and national awards. ASB has been recognized locally as one of the “Best Places to Work” by Hawaii Business Magazine for nine consecutive years and honored nationally as one of the “Best Banks to Work For” by American Banker Magazine. Fortune Magazine has recognized ASB as one of the 100 Best Workplaces for Women and 50 Best Workplaces for Diversity. For more than 90 years, ASB has been helping build strong communities. Through its Seeds of Service program, ASB teammates have contributed more than 36,000 hours of volunteer service, and ASB has donated millions of dollars to Hawaii’s nonprofits and community organizations. For more information, visit https://www.asbhawaii.com/ or follow American Savings Bank on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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