Pavilion Palace Of Varieties, 121, 123, 125 Renfield Street, Glasgow

The Pavilion Palace of Varieties, located at 121, 123, and 125 Renfield Street in Glasgow, is a striking three-storey French Baroque theatre designed by Bertie Crewe between 1902 and 1904. It stands on a prominent corner site and features square-plan corner turrets topped with slated pyramidal roofs. The building is constructed from buff terracotta and is adorned with a profusion of decorative sculpted panels.

On the Renfield Street elevation, there are three main bays with three-light pilasters and narrow central dividing bays. The recessed central entrance has a later canopy and features a set of three two-leaf part-glazed entrance doors. The storeys are divided by cornices, and the main bays have first-floor windows separated by floating aprons. The top storey includes oculi windows with segmental pediments and richly sculpted tympana. A stepped parapet crowns the bays, and the word 'PAVILION' is prominently displayed above the centre between the first and second storeys, flanked by blue and gold mosaic panels. A large 'PAVILION' sign is attached vertically to the central bay.

The Renfrew Street elevation features a 1-3-1 arrangement of bays, with the outer bays slightly advanced and topped by four-stage towers that have sculpted top panels and small segmental skyline pediments. The central bays display a ground floor frieze with the lettering 'THE PAVILION'. The first floor has three windows, with a central three-light window flanked by four-light windows that have blind arcade aprons. The central window is flanked by sculpted pilasters, which are repeated above. The parapet is raised at the centre and features a pediment.

The building showcases a variety of glazing patterns, including some stained glass windows, with predominantly multi-pane designs over plate glass. Plate glass is used for the oculi.

Inside, the theatre boasts a fine, rich Louis XV interior scheme. The small semi-circular apsed entrance hall features a decorative plasterwork ceiling and a terrazzo floor with mosaic inserts, including a central harp motif. The entrance hall is accessed through two-leaf timber doors with oval glazed panels and decorative mouldings. The auditorium, which was damaged by a flood in 1992, has two cantilevered tiers forming a circle and gallery, with four boxes and an altered semicircular proscenium arch. The interior is ornately decorated with plasterwork featuring swags, volutes, and putti. A domed ceiling contains a rare operational sliding roof panel.