Amid the turmoil and clatter of construction, a tour of Guild Hall with Andrea Grover, its executive director, Marty Cohen, its board chairman, and Anthony Madonna, director of learning and new works, highlighted innumerable upgrades to the 92-year-old building, some visible, many not.
"What we wanted to do with this renovation," said Ms. Grover, "was to maintain the historic character and scale of Guild Hall and its location in the community, but make it function like new construction."
The renovation is happening in two stages. The first, which includes the lobby, galleries, and gardens, will be visible on Sunday, when "Renee Cox: A Proof of Being," a solo exhibition of the artist's photographs from 1993 to the present, will open.
The second phase is expected to complete the renovation, including the theater, early next year. In the meantime, public programs will take place in the galleries, gardens, and other locations.
The changes are immediately apparent from the sidewalk on Main Street. A seating terrace has been created in front of the building, so that during an intermission in the theater, "the 300-capacity crowd can now spill out onto the terrace," said Ms. Grover.
The aluminum doors installed at the entrance some 30 years ago have been removed, so the portico is open, affording a view into the lobby as well as a view from inside out.
"Every aspect of the interior and exterior is designed to make it a more welcoming space," said Mr. Cohen. Of the terrace, he said, "Here we have a much grander entrance, a place where you can congregate."
The capital improvement project has been overseen by Peter Pennoyer Architects with Auerbach Pollock Friedlander, whose specialty is performance environments, working with the architects on the theater.
The lobby is subdued and attractive. The three doors leading into the theater have been eliminated, and, with the removal of the center aisle, it is now entered from either side. Light streaming into it will no longer be a distraction for audiences or performers.
Louise and Howie's Coffee Bar, featuring coffee from Tutto Caffe, is located off the lobby, as is a small gallery space that will be equipped with a TV to enable a live feed of events for latecomers.
As for the galleries, "We tried to give more exhibition, performance, and wall space to artists, without adding any square footage," said Ms. Grover. Mr. Pennoyer discovered the original "laylights" -- glazed panels flush with the ceiling to admit natural light -- and they are now exposed.
Usable wall space has been maximized, new lighting has been installed, and a P.A. system will be available throughout the museum for lectures and gallery tours.
"We have looked at every system in the building," said Ms. Grover -- "the acoustics of every room, the lighting, the audio and video technology -- and brought the building to a place where today's artists can come in and have a very broad spectrum of possibilities for presenting their work."
The classroom, which was previously used for storage, prep, and receptions, is now dedicated solely to education. A new loading dock leads to an art-handling and prep space, allowing artwork to come safely into the building and be uncrated, and for condition reports to be completed in a "space that isn't shared with a class or someone serving sandwiches," said Ms. Grover.
As for the theater, a little imagination is required. The seats are not in yet, but the rake of the floor has been changed so audience members can see over the heads in the row in front, and the row-to-row distance will be increased to allow easy passage when people are seated.
It is no secret that the circus-tent ceiling has been retained. A new, lighter tapestry on the walls will be much closer to the original wallpaper. Other modifications will allow a wider view of the stage and more playable space for performers.
The tech booth, which used to be in the rear boxes, is to be moved up to the projection booth. Because the theater is used for such a wide variety of programs, a new technology called E-Coustics will allow the quality of sound in the room to be adjusted by the push of a button, thus optimizing the acoustics for a symphony orchestra, a chamber group, a soloist, a play, or a spoken-word program.
The renovated garden space will be used for performances and classes. Brick ramps now make the area A.D.A. accessible. The parking lot has been paved and lined, and a dedicated brick pathway leads from there to the Main Street sidewalk.
"Marty has been the best partner imaginable in this," said Ms. Grover after Mr. Cohen took his leave. "I don't think we would have had the bravery to do this volume of work without his pulling us, and Michele, too." The building itself will be named the Marty and Michele Cohen Arts Building -- but it will still be Guild Hall.
The inaugural exhibition will show the evolution of Ms. Cox's work, through a series of self-portraits featuring Afro-centric superheroes, historical figures, and cosmopolitan socialites, all imbued with sexual agency and confidence.
"Renee Cox’s intrepid gaze has been a part of the zeitgeist for nearly thirty years," said Monique Long, the exhibition's curator. "Her work has been influential across disciplines including popular culture, music, fashion, and of course, visual art."
In addition to works from her "Yo Mama" series and her photographs devoted to Queen Nanny, a Jamaican national hero, the exhibition will feature the New York State premiere of "Soul Culture," an immersive video installation consisting of digitally manipulated black-and-white portraits that display self-similar patterns.
Ms. Cox and Deborah Willis, an artist, photographer, curator, and MacArthur Fellow, will discuss their work, shared interests, and the representation of the Black body on July 9.
A second exhibition, "Leo Villareal: Celestial Garden," will feature a monumental light sculpture incorporating an array of LEDs 10 feet high and 30 feet wide. An audio soundscape will accompany the display, along with zero-gravity furniture designed by the artist. That show will open on Aug. 5.
Also this summer, the galleries and gardens will be the site of several talks, including a conversation between Katie Couric and Carmela Ciuraru about Ms. Ciuraru's new book, "Lives of the Wives." Paul Goldberger, the Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic, and Charles Renfro, a partner in the Diller Scofidio + Renfro architecture firm, will discuss Mr. Goldberger’s new book, “Blue Dream and the Legacy of Modernism in the Hamptons."
Florence Fabricant's long-running "Stirring the Pot" series will return with visits to chefs of notable local restaurants. The Clothesline Art Sale will be back on site as well, while a master class and an opera recital featuring Lisette Oropesa and Bel Canto Boot Camp will be held in the parish house of St. Luke's Church.
August will bring Guild Hall's summer benefit, with drinks there and dinner across Dunemere Lane at Mulford Farm, and the return of the Hamptons Dance Project to Fireplace Lodge in Springs.
A full schedule of programs can be found on Guild Hall's website. The galleries and the coffee bar will be open Thursdays through Mondays from noon to 5. Gallery admission, as always, is free.
