Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, Performing arts center in Central Area, Seattle, United States.
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center is a Byzantine Revival building at 104 17th Avenue South in Seattle's Central District, completed in 1915 as a synagogue to plans by B. Marcus Priteca. Its auditorium, with a balcony removed in a 1971 renovation, now seats audiences for theatre, music and dance, and the city-owned building is a designated Seattle landmark.
The Byzantine Revival synagogue, designed by B. Marcus Priteca, was dedicated in August 1915 for the Orthodox congregation Chevra Bikur Cholim, now Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath. The congregation sold the building to the City of Seattle in 1969 under the Model Cities Program, and it joined Parks and Recreation in 1972. The auditorium was renovated in 1971, removing a balcony to extend seating.
The building was dedicated in August 1915 as a synagogue for the Orthodox congregation Chevra Bikur Cholim, and its Byzantine Revival design by B. Marcus Priteca is still visible. It is named for Langston Hughes, the Harlem Renaissance author. The institute became a hub for Seattle's hip hop scene and for local African American theatrical talent.
The building stands at 104 17th Avenue South in the Central District. Additions on the east side of the auditorium (1991) and the southwest corner (2003) house office and support space and were built to provide barrier-free access, so step-free entry is on those sides rather than the original synagogue front.
The building's south-side addition has two distinct dates: its lower story was built in 1961, while the upper story followed in 1971. The auditorium itself was reworked in 1971, when a balcony was removed so seating could extend further back.
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