Rialto Theater (Tacoma, Washington)
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The Rialto Theatre in
Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Pa ...
was built in 1918 to showcase movies. Its design reflects the affluence following
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. It reflects the character of a palace and is the result of efforts by entrepreneur Henry T. Moore and Tacoma architect Roland E. Borhek.Sullivan, Michael, Realto Theater, 77001352; United States Department off the Interior, National Park Service; National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form; Washington D.C., August 21, 1992 Designed to hold 1500 patrons (revised to 780 today) and retail space. The two-and-a-half-story structure is in the historic downtown of Tacoma. The area has long been associated with theaters and entertainment. The theater is freestanding, with a dramatic view on an incline with a classical façade sheathed of glazed white terra cotta. Both the interior and exterior retain most of the original design of Roland E. Borhek. The theater has an
auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theatres, the number of auditoria (or auditoriums) is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoria can be found in entertainment venues, community ...
, proscenium with stage, a relocated projection booth,
balcony A balcony (from it, balcone, "scaffold") is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor. Types The traditional Maltese balcony ...
,
lobby Lobby may refer to: * Lobby (room), an entranceway or foyer in a building * Lobbying, the action or the group used to influence a viewpoint to politicians :* Lobbying in the United States, specific to the United States * Lobby (food), a thick stew ...
, and commercial space. It has been altered with the removal of the storefronts and marquee. On the inside, the lobby's decorative ceiling has been hidden and the concession areas expanded. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1992.


Exterior

Located on 9th Street between Market Street and "C" Court. The rectangular theater is along 9th Street and on Market Street and "C" Court. The Ninth Street front presents a
trapezoid A quadrilateral with at least one pair of parallel sides is called a trapezoid () in American and Canadian English. In British and other forms of English, it is called a trapezium (). A trapezoid is necessarily a convex quadrilateral in Eu ...
appearance as the street rises a full story from the east corner on "C" Court to the west corner on Market Street. Originally, three storefronts were located along 9th street with doors on the incline. The walls are patterned, buff-toned stucco with a muted backdrop for the classical decorative features. The decorative features are glazed, white terra cotta and applied around the main entrance. The roof above the auditorium is gabled and flat, abutting the parapets. It is brick and hollow clay tile construction with a steel truss roof system over the auditorium. Reinforced concrete beams support the proscenium arch and balcony. The main entrance is rounded at the northeast corner and sheathed in the
terra cotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...
. The classical decorative features are concentrated around the entrance. Three arched openings form a semi-circular arcaded entry with a ticket window, a double leaf glass door, and
terrazzo Terrazzo is a composite material, poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of chips of marble, quartz, granite, glass, or other suitable material, poured with a cementitious binder (for chemical bind ...
flooring and
marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...
kickplating. A replicated three-part flower petal marquee projects out over the entranceway. The second story is enclosed and capped with decorative parapet with lighted finials. The fenestration on the upper facade of the turret-like corner mirrors the arcaded entry below and features three sets of segmented arch windows. The remainder of the primary facade is less ornamented. The stuccoed wall surface is divided into six bays along the length by terra cotta piers of classical design. The decorative terra cotta parapet extends the entire length with lighted finials where the piers abut the cornice line. Adjacent to the main entry, the upper story of the first three bays features
fenestration Fenestration may refer to: * Fenestration (architecture), the design, construction, or presence of openings in a building * Used in relation to fenestra in anatomy, medicine and biology * Fenestration, holes in the rudder A rudder is a primar ...
and an ornamented cornice. Lighted finials smaller than the pier
finials A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature. In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the apex of a dome, spire, towe ...
adorn the
parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). ...
. Storefronts occupied the first bays along the second level from the northwest corner. The Market Street front has a replicated storefront on the corner and a stairwell from an emergency exit serving the auditorium below.


Interior

The interior includes a lobby, auditorium with balcony, projection booth, a shallow stage with proscenium, backstage dressing areas, mechanical rooms, and commercial space. The lobby leads into the back of the auditorium. There is a ramp and stairways to the balcony. The balcony is over the lobby, hanging over a part of the main floor. The other spaces are along the length of the auditorium. Along the auditorium on the second floor are the manager's office, restroom facilities, waiting or smoking rooms, storage, and the corner commercial spaces. The lobby features recessed lights and a coved ceiling segmented and decorated with plaster swags of greenery. The ramp parallels the back wall and splits to access the balcony from opposite sides about a third of the way forward. The auditorium is entered from the back with two aisle creating three seating areas. The rectangular two story high hall is designed for movies with a shallow stage and wings. Curves are visible throughout with a cove ceiling and curved walls from the proscenium.. The classical ornamentation is cast plaster on the walls, ceiling, proscenium, and balcony railing. The proscenium displays the richest plaster relief work consisting of an entablature with classical piers. Two cherubs blowing long trumpets and separated by a lighted torch are perched atop the proscenium. On each side of the proscenium is a screened area, which once held organ pipes. The areas are ornamented with cast plaster grills capped by eagles and flags. Lighting comes from chandeliers suspended above, replicated wall sconces, and indirect lighting along the cornice and beneath the organ grills. Above the main entrance is a round room, which served as the anteroom to the ladies restroom. The upper level was redesigned in 1991 and includes restroom facilities and a small rehearsal hall and the replicated corner storefront. The 1991 rehabilitation updated the technical and mechanical systems, restored the lobby, and applied an interior color scheme similar original. The rear wall of the auditorium below the balcony was redesigned as a curved surface and the projection booth was moved to the balcony. Seating was restored to the 1951 remodeling, rather than the original 1918. Other changes were made to conform with handicap access and public safety.


Bibliographical

*Bonney, W. T., History of Pierce County, Pioneer Historical Publishing, 1927. *Morgan, Murray, Puget Sound, Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1989.


References

{{National Register of Historic Places Neoclassical architecture in Washington (state) Pierce County, Washington National Register of Historic Places in Tacoma, Washington Buildings and structures in Tacoma, Washington Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)