Palladium, including shops in rear facing Market Street

Cadw's description

Location

Between Garden Street and George Street.

History

Theatre of early C20, originally of 1400 seats; later divided into cinema and bingo hall. The building was designed by A Hewitt, and although built in 1920, was probably designed before the War of 1914-18.

Exterior

Baroque style former theatre. Tall building with hipped slate roof to main block which rises above Baroque entrance front. The centre portion of the stuccoed front elevation has a round-headed rusticated arch recessed within a triangular pediment supported by giant half-columns. There is a large oriel bow window with small panes on the upper floor and the main entry to the building is on the ground floor. Good shop fronts on the ground floor of each end bay of front elevation; the shops are in pairs with doors set back in centre, at angle, convex windows with tall colonettes and stained glass in upper lights. Above ground floor each end bay has giant panelled pilasters with capitals to each side, the capitals to front and side elevations surmounted by a segmental pediment and in turn by an octagonal dome with finial. Between its pilasters, each end bay on the third floor has lunette ornamented with keystone, archivolt and swag, paired window with cornice on consoles to second floor and paired window on first floor. First bay of returns in similar style to front. Plain side elevations; rear elevation to Market Street with Baroque detailing, and shopfronts (under egg and dart cornice) to each side of central doorway.

Reason for designation

Impressive Baroque style entertainment building. Group Value with adjacent listed buildings.