Hawaii – 

The Pacific Island

The design of Hawaii's capitol building is symbolic of a Pacific island, many of which were formed by volcanos. It is placed inside a reflecting pool, like an island surrounded by water. The columns around the circumference and elsewhere are shaped like the coconut palm trees of the islands. The roof has a symbolic crater that gives the courtyard an opening to the sky, in effect shaping the whole building like a volcano. Like many Hawaiian buildings, there are no real doorways from the outside, just open passageways leading to the courtyard where the ocean breezes can always be felt.

image courtesy of Rachel

image courtesy of the State of Hawaii

image courtesy of Andrew R. Brown

Many pictures do not show the roof or the reflecting pool, but the columns are always obvious. Look especially at the top sections of the columns pictured (left) where the branches curve up and out from the trunks. Once you know they are shaped like coconut palms, the shape is easy to recognize in photographs of this capitol.

The building as a whole looks very airy and modern. The top floors sit on top of the palm tree columns, and much of the rest seems to be hung from them.

 
An Association
The palm tree columns would be a good clue except that other states have palm trees, too. The modern and airy building, however, should be easy to connect with our newest state (modern/new), our only island state (airy/island breezes), where the wonderful weather is welcomed inside.

New York – 

The Mansion

At first glance, the New York capitol looks like a grand Victorian mansion or hotel, something with lots of rooms, many of which would be sleeping quarters.

An Association
The association borrows a bit from the city of New York. Have you ever heard that New York is "The City That Never Sleeps?" Sure you have. The capitol is the mansion, with lots of sleeping quarters, but New York never sleeps. (Of course, the capitol is in Albany, not New York City.)

image courtesy of Cyber Haus

Virginia – 

A Temple

The Virginia capitol is designed like an ancient Roman temple. A temple on a hill with no exterior dome, tower, or cupola.

Instead of an Association, a History Lesson
Most Americans know who Thomas Jefferson was - he wrote the Declaration of Independence, he was the third President, and he was from Virginia. A lot of Americans also probably know he was an architect. I didn't until I researched the capitol of Virginia - he designed it. Granted, he had help from Charles-Louis Clerisseau while he was minister to France, but Jefferson also designed his Virginia home, Monticello, and he designed several of the University of Virginia buildings. Take a look at them here and you will probably never forget that Thomas Jefferson, a great Virginian, designed the 'Temple on a Hill' that is the Virginia state capitol.

image courtesy of Prof. Jeffery Howe