Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Summary Description
Reference Number
11585
Building Number
Grade
II
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
03/11/1980
Date of Amendment
Name of Property
Palace Theatre
Address
Location
Unitary Authority
Swansea
Community
Castle
Town
Swansea
Locality
Easting
265726
Northing
193860
Street Side
E
Location
Occupying a triangular site bounded by High Street, Bethesda Street and Prince of Wales Road.
Description
Broad Class
Recreational
Period
History
1888. By Bucknall and Jennings, architects of Swansea. Opened as Swansea Pavilion and later The Empire Music Hall. Converted to cinema 1908 (People’s Bioscope Palace).
Exterior
Tall 3 storey Baroque block, red brick with Bath stone dressings, slate roofs, 4-storey circular tower at apex (stage end) now without dome, square towers with curved pavilion roofs to 5-storey Bethesda front. Circled S angle has top storey with attached Ionic columns to aedicules, linked entablatures and pedestals supported by triglyph cornice, banded facings. Linked 1st and 2nd floor corner windows under open pediment with carved surround to oculus, volute brackets and keyblock to main stringcourse over keyblocked and rusticated doorpiece.
71/2-bay High Street elevation with parapets over main cornice with triglyph frieze, giant Doric pilasters (banded to outer bays), ashlar facings to linked window surrounds, pediments, keyblocks; swagged apron to right, oculus to left. Cornice over banded ground floor with rusticated arched window and door openings.
9 bay elevation to Prince of Wales Road has similar detailing, but with tower bay splashed back above openwork parapet and urn.
Brick Bethesda Street front has twin pavilions, Ionic pilasters, pediments and ornamental French platform roofs.
Interior
First-floor auditorium known to retain two steeply raked balconies curving round close to proscenium without stage boxes. Balcony fronts in form of open ironwork balustrades, small wedge-shaped stage and small proscenium.
Reason for designation
The Palace Theatre is of special architectural interest as one of the earliest large Victorian urban theatres in Wales in a striking neo-baroque style, retaining a good interior at the time of listing. It is of special historic interest for its contribution to the cultural life of Swansea.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]
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