Pantages Theater, Tacoma

The Pantages Theatre, also known as the Jones Building, was designed by architect B. Marcus Priteca. This distinctive structure opened its doors in January 1918. The building was intended to serve dual purposes: an office building and a vaudeville theatre. It features a Second Renaissance Revival style alongside Commercial style elements. The exterior above the ground floor has remained mostly unchanged. Today, it continues to host both entertainment and commercial activities.

Constructed with a steel frame and reinforced concrete walls, its facades are notable for their distinct materials: white, glazed terra cotta on Ninth Street and Broadway, and yellowish-toned brick on Commerce Street.

The Ninth Street facade is divided into three main sections horizontally and five bays vertically. The lower level, adhering to the steep grade of Ninth Street, has minimal decoration, typical of a Renaissance palazzo base. The central section features a triple-arched blind arcade set within the three central bays, each archway adorned with a pedimented opening and a large ornamental cartouche. These bays are framed by tall pseudo-Corinthian pilasters. The facade's top section includes a heavily proportioned entablature with a simple architrave, festooned frieze, and a bold dentil cornice, topped by a parapet with raised terra cotta rosettes and rectangles.

Inside, the elliptical auditorium has a proscenium arch on the south wall and an orchestra pit accessible from the greenroom below the stage. The Ninth Street grade allows for large rehearsal and storage spaces beneath the auditorium, while the Commerce Street level houses the heating and electrical systems. The auditorium’s decor is rich with classical motifs, including a floral cartouche and torch on the proscenium arch, and a dentil cornice with shell finials. Instead of a chandelier, an art glass sunburst adorns the ceiling center, with boxes on either side of the proscenium, each elaborately decorated.