The theatre's interior and exterior were designed separately.
James Davidson designed the building itself.
He was a well known Coatbridge architect who designed many churches, schools, banks and offices in Lanarkshire and the King's is typical of his Lanarkshire municipal building design.
The building's facade is distinctly symmetrical, and looks more like the offices of an insurance company than a theatre.
The building originally had a glass canopy spanning over the pavements, however this was replaced with a more modern design in the mid 20th century.
The facade has neatly arranged double windows, and a central feature design with pillars, bay windows and a semi-circular window above the entrance.

The interior of the King's was designed by J.D. Swanston, a Kirkcaldy architect with many theatres to his credit, including the King`s Theatre, Kirckaldy.
Swanston repeated much of the styling and layout of that theatre, opened in 1904, in his design of the Edinburgh King's.

As you enter the foyers, an arrangement of mahogany, heavily carved door frames, stained glass, pilasters with marble and parquet floors greets you.
The auditorium originally had seating for 2,500, with tip up seats in the stalls and circles, and upholstered benches with metal arm rests in the top Balcony.
After a number of alterations the auditorium now seats 1,350, just over half the original capacity.
The design in the auditorium is a feast for the eyes.
The boxes are arranged over three levels, and are tiered neatly on top of each other.
The sight lines in the theatre were poor as the architects were not as experienced as others in the same field.
Some of the boxes had abysmal views of the stage, and the Balcony looked out on the plasterwork above the proscenium rather than the stage itself.
These were however, small criticisms as the theatre's qualities far outweighed the faults.

In 2013 a mural was added in the central ceiling roundel, designed by John Byrne, to disguise cracked plasterwork.

The theatre plans a major rebuild in 2020/2021 to improve access and facilities.
The theatre's interior and exterior were designed separately. James Davidson designed the building itself. He was a well known Coatbridge architect who designed many churches, schools, banks and offices in Lanarkshire and the King's is typical of his Lanarkshire municipal building design. The building's facade is distinctly symmetrical, and looks more like the offices of an insurance company than a theatre. The building originally had a glass canopy spanning over the pavements, however this was replaced with a more modern design in the mid 20th century. The facade has neatly arranged double windows, and a central feature design with pillars, bay windows and a semi-circular window above the entrance.
The interior of the King's was designed by J.D. Swanston, a Kirkcaldy architect with many theatres to his credit, including the King`s Theatre, Kirckaldy. Swanston repeated much of the styling and layout of that theatre, opened in 1904, in his design of the Edinburgh King's.
As you enter the foyers, an arrangement of mahogany, heavily carved door frames, stained glass, pilasters with marble and parquet floors greets you. The auditorium originally had seating for 2,500, with tip up seats in the stalls and circles, and upholstered benches with metal arm rests in the top Balcony. After a number of alterations the auditorium now seats 1,350, just over half the original capacity. The design in the auditorium is a feast for the eyes. The boxes are arranged over three levels, and are tiered neatly on top of each other. The sight lines in the theatre were poor as the architects were not as experienced as others in the same field. Some of the boxes had abysmal views of the stage, and the Balcony looked out on the plasterwork above the proscenium rather than the stage itself. These were however, small criticisms as the theatre's qualities far outweighed the faults.
In 2013 a mural was added in the central ceiling roundel, designed by John Byrne, to disguise cracked plasterwork.
The theatre plans a major rebuild in 2020/2021 to improve access and facilities.
King's Theatre, Edinburgh