Description of Historic Place

The Broadway Theatre is a Municipal Heritage Property comprising two city lots in the Nutana district of Saskatoon. The property features a two-storey, stucco movie theatre. The designation is limited to the exterior of the building and the theatre lobby.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Broadway Theatre resides in its Art Moderne architecture. Built in 1946, the Art Moderne influence of this building reflects the mid-twentieth century design trends common to new cinemas. The stucco-clad asymmetrical façade, rounded corners at its recessed front entrance, horizontal belt courses and streamlined sign imply modernity that typified the cinema. Its lobby, featuring terrazzo flooring and recessed valance lighting leads to a single-screen seating area.

The heritage value of the Broadway Theatre also lies in its association with the Broadway Avenue commercial district, a part of its evolution as a centre of pioneer trade to diversified retail and service use. Built independently at a time when large companies dominated theatre ownership, today the refurbished cinema is an important artistic venue for film festivals, musical performances and special events.

Source:

City of Saskatoon Bylaw No. 7624.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Broadway Theatre resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements that speak to the theatre’s Art Moderne architectural style, such as its stucco exterior and the glass blocks around its show windows, the doors of the main entrance and the lobby, including the doors leading into the screening area, the oval ticket box, the valance lighting and the terrazzo flooring;
-those elements that speak to its contribution to the streetscape and its importance as a cultural venue for Saskatoon, such as the marquee and its location on its original site.