Question: What do you call a structure that's 10 stories tall, has no bathroom or elevator, with the only interior spaces being two closet-sized rooms?

Hint: At the very top are 48 bells of various sizes, which will be able to gong melodies that old-time bell-ringers could only dream of playing.

Answer: It's a one-of-a-kind carillon tower, and construction of the structure at St. Hugo of the Hills Catholic Church in Bloomfield Hills is nearing completion. Doing the work are building trades union workers, general contractor Barton-Malow and its subcontractors.

"I'll tell ya, when we this started I didn't know a thing about bells," said Jerry Slusarski, project superintendent for Barton-Malow, which is overseeing the construction. "I still don't. But as for the tower, I think it's beautiful. Passers-by stop and talk to us and you can tell they've become more impressed as we've gone higher with the exterior masonry. It's a very impressive structure."

St. Hugo of the Hills' pastor, Monsignor Anthony Tocco, said he had his doubts about the varying colors in the tower's masonry panels in the project's early stages. "But they blended into each other beautifully," he said.

The tower is clad with more than 1,600 pieces of Mankato Kasota limestone from Minnesota. The masonry panels, attached with stainless steel clips to an iron frame, were chosen to match the rest of the church. The project began in July and completion is expected in mid-June. Stone masons have worked through the winter, wrestling with limestone panels that weigh an average of 150 lbs.

"This hasn't been an easy job," said Dennis Van Steenis of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1, working as project superintendent for mason contractor Chezcore. "The tower is set up on a hill, and it gets windy and cold up there."

He added, "the stones have been custom fit all the way up, but it has come together nicely."

The carillon tower, or course, would be nothing without the bells and the system that controls them. Installed by a company from the Netherlands called Royal Eijsbouts Dutch Bellfounders and Tower Clock Makers, the intricate system can be operated manually from a keyboard in the tower's small control room - the "cabin" - about 60 feet up. An interior iron spiral staircase provides the only access to that room and the top of the tower.

The carillon system can also be programmed to play predetermined music at certain times. And in today's wired world, we shouldn't be surprised that the system can be controlled via telephone. A phone call from the Netherlands or anywhere else - plus knowledge of the access code - can have the St. Hugo of the Hills carillon ringing out "Ave Maria" or any number of hymms in a matter of seconds.

The carillon system has already been tested, with parishioners hearing programmed Christmas music from the bells before and after masses at the church last Dec. 24-25.

"It sounded fabulous," said Monsignor Tocco. "I love the carillon tower, and the parishioners are delighted. When the bells ring, they smile. I was worried about the reaction of the neighbors, but the only complaints I've heard is that they haven't been able to hear the bells."

Slusarski said that while the carillon tower structure has a minimal amount of wiring and mechanical fixtures, the wiring for the bells "is very complex."

When St. Hugo's new complex was built in 1988, a planned carillon tower was cancelled due to budget constraints. Today, the entire cost of the $2.1 million carillon tower is being paid for by a contribution from a St. Hugo parishioner, Wilda King Tiffany, who died in July - just as the project was starting. She was cremated and her ashes will be placed on a small "columbarium nitch" in the tower.

The parish will hold a dedication ceremony when the tower is complete. "The people who worked on the tower should be proud of their work," said Monsignor Tocco. "They've done a beautiful job."

SURROUNDED BY BELLS in the carillon tower are (l-r) Dennis Van Steenis of BAC Local 1 and Chezcore and Jerry Slusarski, project superintendent for Barton-Malow.

THE 110-FOOT- tall carillon tower at St. Hugo of the Hills Roman Catholic Church in Bloomfield Hills.