ANN ARBOR - Constructed in 1913, Hill Auditorium isn't getting any younger. But with $38.6 million worth of renovations on the agenda, it's about to get better in a number of ways.

Considered an architectural and historic gem on the University of Michigan campus, the 4,169-seat auditorium was designed by famed architect Albert Kahn. The building has never undergone any major renovations - and it needs them. A long list of work has just begun for construction manager Christman Construction and the building trades to make Hill Auditorium a terrific venue for years to come.

"It's going to be a more comfortable building," said U-M Project Manager Tom Whitaker. "We'll be putting back fewer seats that will be more comfortable. The building was never air conditioned and now it will be, it will be handicapped accessible, and we should be able to make the building even better acoustically by doing some things to eliminate the ambient noise."

The first phase of the 18-month construction process began in May, involving tearing up a good portion of the auditorium. This project will replace most of the plumbing, heating, ventilation and electrical distribution systems as well as provide a new air conditioning system for the building, which has never had mechanical cooling. A sprinkler system will be installed. Lobbies, stairways, restrooms and all exterior elements of the hall will be renovated as will the backstage support spaces. The renovation will reduce the number of seats to 3,710. Elevators and additional restrooms will also be added.

On the grounds of the hall, additions include a backstage lower-level basement and tunnel space for mechanical and electrical equipment, a new utility tunnel, new circulation ramps and a new loading dock. Another phase of the project will include lower-level reception space, backstage renovations, and new upper-level seating,

"In this first phase, we seek to address maintenance issues that have been deferred for generations and to significantly enhance the audience's experience," said former U-M executive vice president and chief financial officer Robert Kasdin last year. "As funds become available over time, the master plan for Hill will be completed, with more appropriate backstage facilities for performers and the completion of those remaining needs that cannot be addressed at this time."

The auditorium was named for UM Regent Arthur Hill, who donated more than two-thirds of the building's $282,000 construction cost. At the time the building was hailed "as a monument to perfect acoustics," a result of collaboration between Albert Kahn and acoustical engineer Hugh Tallent. The site has been a favorite venue over the years for numerous musicians and other artists.

Today, the project's architectural consultant deemed the building "generally in good condition for its age, use and environment."

The concert hall's excellent acoustics are undoubtedly in a class with those of Orchestra Hall in Detroit, a renovation project we featured in our last issue. The Hill acoustics will actually be improved, said an architectural consultant to the project, in part by introducing a "sound lock" between the lobby and the auditorium. New doors and other soundproofing will help achieve this.

Hill Auditorium will be undergoing some important structural and mechanical changes, but perhaps its most dramatic change will be in the interior paint scheme. Over the decades, the rich colors were hidden by a color scheme dominated by what's best described as a hue of off-white. Utilizing historic descriptions of the building from its 1913 dedication, historic black and white photos which portray a polychromatic paint scheme, and the detailed analyses of hundreds of paint samples by the architects, a color palette of the original paint scheme was developed.

A reflection of the Arts & Crafts period in vogue in the early twentieth century, the palette uncovered at Hill reveals a rich range of warm grays, blues, blue-grays, green-grays, golds, and deep red-browns. The renovated theatre's colors are expected to be dazzling.

The work of the painters is a long way off, but about 50 building trades workers are currently on site. "I find historic preservation very interesting," Whitaker said. "Renovating and improving these old buildings is very satisfying to me, and so far, things are going great."

A UTILITY TUNNEL dug under the front lawn of Hill Auditorium is the most visible work going on at the 89-year-old facility in Ann Arbor - inside, the building is getting renovated so that it will look as good and perhaps sound better than it did when it opened.

BOLTING A SEAL on a 10-inch chilled water line is Roger Field of Plumbers and Pipe Fitters 190 and Boone and Darr. Roger was working in a chiller plant serving Hill Audotorium and two other University of Michigan buildings.