Developer: Tennessee Theatre Foundation
Contractor: Denark Construction, Inc.
Architect: McCarty Holsaple McCarty, Inc.
Theatre restoration specialists: van Dijk Westlake Reed Leskosky
Owner: Tennessee Theatre Foundation

From the restoration of $1 million chandeliers to the rich, custom-made silk draperies, the Tennessee Theatre has reopened to rave reviews. It has occasionally received the ultimate compliment from older Knoxvillians, “It looks just like I remembered it.”

Originally designed as a movie palace by Chicago architects Graven & Mayger for the Paramount Studio group, the Tennessee Theatre opened in 1928 as one of the grandest theatres in the South. It featured an oval-domed ceiling and a Wurlitzer pipe organ, which is still in place. Primarily a movie house, it also served as the stage for such celebrity entertainers as Fanny Brice, Glenn Miller, and Desi Arnaz. The Tennessee operated continuously as Knoxville ’s key venue until the growth of the suburbs in the 1970s put an end to its movie operations of almost one-half century. By the late 1990s, the theatre was dated and tired, and its entire stage and support were inadequate for modern performances and touring productions. The roof leaked, carpet and seating were in poor condition, balcony sightlines were obscured, there were no elevators for passengers or equipment, and the orchestra pit was insufficient for most opera productions.

The restoration solidified the place of the theatre as a foundation stone in downtown historic preservation. The restored facade and marquee recaptured its long time prominence, and the additional stage, orchestral space, and dressing rooms assure that its role in Knoxville ’s music and performing arts support downtown vitality.

Contractors worked closely with the design team and theatre restoration specialists to transform the Movie Palace into a state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center.

The recreation of the “blade sign” and marquee renew the theatre’s prominence along Gay Street .

Patrons entering the Grand Lobby for the first time after the completion of the renovation are met with an interior that has been restored to its original 1920s grandeur.

Rich green and rose colored terrazzo floors are now pristine, exquisitely ornately painted walls and ceilings are now vibrant, faux marble columns have been polished, and the black granite- topped concession stand blends with the ornate architecture of the Grand Lobby space, greeting the patrons.

After entering the Audience Chamber, the magnificence of the theatre is fully revealed. The proscenium arch, the historically correct painted walls, and such details as the restored griffins, which line the frieze, are highlights of the spacious chamber’s beauty. Once seated, the patrons view the newly expanded 45-foot-deep stage, which is suspended 20 feet over the public street below.

The historic theatre continues to be a superb example of Spanish-Moorish architecture.

The $30 million project was funded through public and private support. As one of the pioneering ventures through a partnership of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Banc of America Historic Tax Credit Fund, it is a national model of investment in moderate-size projects eligible for federal historic tax credits.