Coliseum Theater (Seattle)
United States historic place
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
Seattle, Washington
Coliseum Theater | |
The Coliseum Theater on a winter day. | |
  Location within Downtown Seattle | |
| Location | 5th Ave. and Pike St. Seattle, Washington |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 47°36′41″N 122°20′2″W |
| Built | 1916 |
| Architect | Priteca, B. Marcus |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Second Renaissance Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001854[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | July 7, 1975 |
| Designated SEATL | January 17, 1978[2] |
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] XO Seattle moved from the space after co-founder Austin Bellamy Hicks was accused of sexually assaulting two women.[9][10] Since 2024 it has been occupied by the women-run artist collective Actualize AiR.
