Now, as Alberta marks its centennial, the building at 11455 87 Avenue and its twin sister in Calgary are undergoing ambitious renewals aimed at breathing new life into them. If they can serve as well in the next 50 years, as they did in the first 50, then Alberta will be all the richer.

The opening of the twin sister auditoria in 1957 ushered in a new era of cultural sophistication for Albertans. They opened a door to a showcase of national and international events.

Some of the world's best known performers took to their stages, including Louis Armstrong, Tom Jones, Sammy Davis Jr. and Procol Harum (who recorded their multi-million selling concert album with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra). Thousands of Albertans graduated at the Jubilee Auditoria, enjoyed their first symphony, their first opera, their first big name concert.

I was one of them, walking across that expansive stage twice to receive diplomas. So nervous was I during my high school graduation that my knees were knocking together.

Years later, when I produced an environmental rally at the Jube, I walked again onto the stage, and looked out onto the sea of empty red seats, captivated by the grandeur and rich texture of the original design.

Right from the beginning, Alberta's Jubilee Auditoria were a handsome pair. They have served and endured amazingly well.

Now, as Alberta marks its 100th anniversary, the virtually identical 2,700-seat halls in Edmonton and Calgary are undergoing ambitious renewals aimed at making sure the buildings endure while enhancing the experience they provide their patrons. The planned enhancements are based on extensive user surveys conducted in 1980, 1993 and 1998 with resident company users, staff, the visiting public and a multi-disciplinary planning team.

The initial phase of the project, valued at about $28 million for each building, is nearly complete. Both buildings are to re-open next Thursday, September 1.

Albertans have a real connection to these buildings, built over 50 years of use, notes Jon Newman, project manager for Alberta Infrastucture. We needed to be mindful of that and tread carefully in how the changes have been made. It's been an enormously challenging and yet enormously satisfying undertaking.

The renovations focus on a transformation of the audience chamber and supporting infrastructure. At the 11th hour, dollars were also added for enhancement of the front-of-house lobby. This project is about patron comfort, and so everything we have done has been done with that in mind, explains Frederick Valentine, principal with Calgary-based CPV Group Architects and Engineers.

CPV served as prime consultant and structural consultant on the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium Renovation, which began initial work nearly seven years ago. Design designs were driven by patron comfort issues (primarily sight lines, seating, temperature control), natural acoustics and associated mechanical work on HVAC (heating ventilation air conditioning) systems.

Valentine says the twin buildings, magnificently created and constructed for their era, had several modern deficiencies that demanded attention. They were not energy efficient, and had basic systems of heating and cooling that are just not satisfactory by contemporary standards, and lighting, rigging and theatrical support systems that were not effective for today's travelling productions. They did have significant shortcomings with respect to natural acoustics, sight lines and seating comfort.

Sophisticated computer modelling helped render changes to the original fan-shaped chamber, including a more raked floor, sidewall terraces, staggered seating and a switch to a vineyard seating arrangement. The terraces cause the room to act more like a rectangular shoebox hall, which improves acoustic performance. By wrapping terraces around the orchestra level, vineyard seating focuses sound energy there. It also enhances sight lines, intimacy and the feeling of shared participation, Valentine observes.

The introduction of a new acoustically transparent ceiling and void above the audience will accommodate different reverberation times for performances with and without speakers and increase the auditoria's acoustic flexibility. Retractable acoustic curtains, which can be lowered and raised, provide a variable acoustic dampening system.

When lowered, the curtains allow for greater sound absorption and an elevated level of clarity for speech and sound reinforced performances. For non-reinforced musical performance such as ballet and opera, retracted curtains provide increased reverberance.

The original seating configuration restricted sight lines and constrained knee space and seating circulation. The new staggered seating plan optimizes viewing angles and sight lines and provides a seating capacity of 2,550, down about 200 seats from the original.

A new design for the proscenium arch will help improve acoustics for performers on the stage and provide a home for stage lighting, theatrical equipment and speakers. Distinct steps in the proscenium arch provide more surface area for reflection of sound within the stage opening. New catwalk locations in the ceiling have been established to allow for increased flexibility for lighting, sound, scenery and other effects.

Local players in the renovation include general contractor Bird Construction Company, architectural consultant Hamilton Filipowicz Architects and mechanical and electrical consultants Keen Engineering.

A new energy efficient air handling system is being installed to reduce operational costs, decrease the amount of energy consumed and increase user comfort. Low velocity air will enter the audience chamber from below the seats for a quiet, draft-free environment. The ventilation system will achieve 65 per cent heat recovery with load-responsive heating and cooling pumping systems and building automation control strategies.

Noise from air handling systems located below the audience chamber is being reduced with the installation of highly efficient equipment located outside the auditorium shell. Distracting noise and light from the lobbies will be prevented from entering the audience chamber by sound and light locks.

A recent injection of funds has been allocated to upgrade the lobby with new carpet, more flexible lighting systems, fresh paint on walls and ceilings and upgraded woodwork to match the finishes inside the main auditorium. The masterplan program of improvements, yet to be completed, includes an expanded stage, rehearsal facilities, performer and production support, box office, circulation, concessions, washrooms, and accessibility, administration offices and security.

Additional work is to be completed after the buildings are back in operation next week. The work will reconfigure and expand exterior site areas including parking and vehicle access, marquee and directional signage.