Coliseum Theater
The Coliseum Theater on a winter day.
Coliseum Theater (Seattle) is located in Seattle WA Downtown
Coliseum Theater (Seattle)
Location5th Ave. and Pike St.
Seattle, Washington
Coordinates47°36′41″N 122°20′2″W / 47.61139°N 122.33389°W / 47.61139; -122.33389
Built1916
ArchitectPriteca, B. Marcus
Architectural styleLate 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Second Renaissance Revival
NRHP reference No.75001854[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 7, 1975
Designated SEATLJanuary 17, 1978[2]

The Coliseum Theater, a former cinema in Seattle, Washington, opened January 8, 1916.[3] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975,[1] and is also an official Seattle city landmark.[4] Designed by B. Marcus Priteca, it was Seattle's first theater built specifically for showing movies, and was one of the first cinemas anywhere to strive for architectural grandeur.[5] When it opened, it was advertised as "the world's largest and finest photoplay palace."[3] In 1931, the Journal of the Royal Institute of Architects called it "the first of the world's movie palaces."[5]

The exterior features elaborate terra cotta work, and the original interior was comparably ornate. When it opened in the silent film era, it boasted a 7-piece orchestra plus an organist; the giant organ was made by Moller, and the musicians—all Russians—were reputed to be the highest-paid movie theater musicians in the country. Anita King attended the opening night to give a speech dedicating the theater.[3]

The Coliseum continued as a first-run theater into the late 1970s,[5] and continued to show films until 1990.[3] It closed on March 11, 1990, after showing the film Tremors;[6] the building was renovated into a 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) Banana Republic clothing store that opened in 1994.[7] The store closed in 2020 and is planned to be replaced by a temporary art space by XO Seattle in 2023.[6][8]

References

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  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Landmarks and Designation". Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. Archived from the original on March 6, 2013. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Flom, Eric L. (July 12, 2000). "Coliseum opens in Seattle on January 8, 1916". HistoryLink. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
  4. ↑ "Landmarks Alphabetical Listing for C". Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 "Coliseum Theater". Seattle: A National Register of Historic Places Itinerary. National Park Service. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
  6. 1 2 Vansynghel, Margo (March 21, 2023). "Seattle's historic Coliseum Theater, old Banana Republic store to get new life". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  7. ↑ Lilly, Dick (December 27, 1993). "'Re-retailing' of Seattle predicted". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  8. ↑ Eals, Clay (September 8, 2022). "Seattle's grand 1916 Coliseum Theater became a Banana Republic". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
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