Press release
2008-03-12
AN ENERGY-EFFICIENT LIGHTING SYSTEM TO ENHANCE THE BEAUTY OF ÉDIFICE PRICE
The heritage building will be lit up in grand style for Québec City’s 400th anniversary
Québec City, March 12, 2008 - Édifice Price, a heritage building belonging to SITQ located in the historic district of Old-Québec, will be illuminated using a unique energy-efficient lighting system, unveiled earlier today. The exceptional architecture of this flagship property will therefore be highlighted at night, in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Québec City. The new exterior lighting will be unveiled on June 18.
“After major renovations to the historic Édifice Price in 2001, SITQ is proud to make additional upgrades to mark the 400th anniversary of Québec City by revising the lighting concept of the building in order to further enhance its beauty at night,” said Yves-André Godon, Managing Director, Canada, SITQ. “But it’s just as important for us to integrate our environmental priorities into the project by focusing specifically on the energy efficiency aspect of the building’s lighting system.”
The dominant feature of this concept is therefore its energy efficiency, thus far the only system of its kind in the Capital’s Light Plan proposed in 1998 by the Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec. Accordingly, key principles of sustainable development have served as guidelines for SITQ and its suppliers in the development of this project in order to maximize energy efficiency and facilitate subsequent maintenance. There will actually be three times as many light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures and projectors (approximately 280) installed compared to the current number of fixtures, but their energy consumption will be only slightly higher and the system will yield a much better performance and more abundant illumination. Moreover, maintenance requirements will be minimal because of the extended life of these systems, which generally last up to 10 times longer than traditional models. This use of LED technology for building illumination is a first in Canada.
The underlying inspiration for this new lighting concept has been the desire to better accentuate the personality of Édifice Price - which still today makes an unrivalled statement in terms of style and boasts a distinctive blend of American, European and Canadian influences. Its façade is a striking mix of floral, aboriginal and Egyptian-inspired patterns, all typical of Art Deco design. The new lighting system developed by NACEV Consultants will match, as closely as possible, the colours of the building materials and play with shadows to draw attention to several architectural features that are not visible during the day.
The white-and-blue colour scheme of the lighting system will be consistent with the Capital’s Light Plan, with blue light reserved for the copper roof. As the roof of Édifice Price has not yet achieved maximum oxidation and the characteristic green hue that this entails, the LED lighting will be used to adjust the colours and create this illusion, using blue-green illumination.
“I welcome this new night-time lighting system for Édifice Price, Québec City’s first skyscraper,” said Jacques Langlois, President and CEO of the Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec. “Thanks to this partnership, the illumination of this landmark of Beaux-Arts and Art Deco architecture will embellish this historical part of the city and provide additional visibility for the work of the Commission as part of the Capital’s Light Plan.”
The new lighting plan for Édifice Price will be the 25th project carried out in conjunction with the Capital’s Light Plan, a program designed to provide Québec City with a range of new night-time attractions. This initiative is the latest in a series of lighting projects, which has most recently included the Vieux-Séminaire de Québec and Église Saint-Charles-Borromée. Soon to be added to this illustrious list will be Parc de la Chute-Montmorency and Église Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. So far, $12 million has been invested in this program. These costs have been shared equally by various partners and the Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec.
Built in 1929 and designed by Québec architects Ross and MacDonald, Édifice Price is Québec City’s first skyscraper and the only Art Deco skyscraper in the provincial capital. It is 80 metres and 17 floors high and features a grey limestone exterior with a copper roof. For nearly 30 years, it dominated the city skyline, rivalled only by Château Frontenac and the tower of the Parliament buildings. It is currently home to such prestigious tenants as the head office of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Québec City’s municipal engineering department, Bélanger Longtin, the official residence of the Premier of Québec and SITQ.
About SITQ
SITQ is a real estate investment, management and development firm with a portfolio specializing primarily in office buildings and business parks. SITQ owns real estate assets of CAD $12.4 billion, consisting of 122 properties representing more than 39.6 million square feet of leasable space. A leader in the Canadian real estate industry, SITQ also owns assets in the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Germany.
SITQ is a real estate subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. Its shareholders are the Caisse and five leading pension funds. SITQ employs nearly 400 people in its head office in Montréal and in Québec City, as well as its offices Calgary, Paris (France), Frankfurt (Germany) and Brussels (Belgium). For more information: www.sitq.com.
Information:
Amélie Plante
SITQ
514 847-4164 or 514 975-9425 (cell phone)
Philippe Desjardins
Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec
418 528-0773
» High-resolution photograph of Édifice Price
Photo credit Stéphan Poulin/SITQ
» Technical Sheet - Lighting of the Price Building
» Technical Sheet - Price Building
Québec City, March 12, 2008 - Édifice Price, a heritage building belonging to SITQ located in the historic district of Old-Québec, will be illuminated using a unique energy-efficient lighting system, unveiled earlier today. The exceptional architecture of this flagship property will therefore be highlighted at night, in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Québec City. The new exterior lighting will be unveiled on June 18.
“After major renovations to the historic Édifice Price in 2001, SITQ is proud to make additional upgrades to mark the 400th anniversary of Québec City by revising the lighting concept of the building in order to further enhance its beauty at night,” said Yves-André Godon, Managing Director, Canada, SITQ. “But it’s just as important for us to integrate our environmental priorities into the project by focusing specifically on the energy efficiency aspect of the building’s lighting system.”
The dominant feature of this concept is therefore its energy efficiency, thus far the only system of its kind in the Capital’s Light Plan proposed in 1998 by the Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec. Accordingly, key principles of sustainable development have served as guidelines for SITQ and its suppliers in the development of this project in order to maximize energy efficiency and facilitate subsequent maintenance. There will actually be three times as many light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures and projectors (approximately 280) installed compared to the current number of fixtures, but their energy consumption will be only slightly higher and the system will yield a much better performance and more abundant illumination. Moreover, maintenance requirements will be minimal because of the extended life of these systems, which generally last up to 10 times longer than traditional models. This use of LED technology for building illumination is a first in Canada.
The underlying inspiration for this new lighting concept has been the desire to better accentuate the personality of Édifice Price - which still today makes an unrivalled statement in terms of style and boasts a distinctive blend of American, European and Canadian influences. Its façade is a striking mix of floral, aboriginal and Egyptian-inspired patterns, all typical of Art Deco design. The new lighting system developed by NACEV Consultants will match, as closely as possible, the colours of the building materials and play with shadows to draw attention to several architectural features that are not visible during the day.
The white-and-blue colour scheme of the lighting system will be consistent with the Capital’s Light Plan, with blue light reserved for the copper roof. As the roof of Édifice Price has not yet achieved maximum oxidation and the characteristic green hue that this entails, the LED lighting will be used to adjust the colours and create this illusion, using blue-green illumination.
“I welcome this new night-time lighting system for Édifice Price, Québec City’s first skyscraper,” said Jacques Langlois, President and CEO of the Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec. “Thanks to this partnership, the illumination of this landmark of Beaux-Arts and Art Deco architecture will embellish this historical part of the city and provide additional visibility for the work of the Commission as part of the Capital’s Light Plan.”
The new lighting plan for Édifice Price will be the 25th project carried out in conjunction with the Capital’s Light Plan, a program designed to provide Québec City with a range of new night-time attractions. This initiative is the latest in a series of lighting projects, which has most recently included the Vieux-Séminaire de Québec and Église Saint-Charles-Borromée. Soon to be added to this illustrious list will be Parc de la Chute-Montmorency and Église Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. So far, $12 million has been invested in this program. These costs have been shared equally by various partners and the Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec.
Built in 1929 and designed by Québec architects Ross and MacDonald, Édifice Price is Québec City’s first skyscraper and the only Art Deco skyscraper in the provincial capital. It is 80 metres and 17 floors high and features a grey limestone exterior with a copper roof. For nearly 30 years, it dominated the city skyline, rivalled only by Château Frontenac and the tower of the Parliament buildings. It is currently home to such prestigious tenants as the head office of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Québec City’s municipal engineering department, Bélanger Longtin, the official residence of the Premier of Québec and SITQ.
About SITQ
SITQ is a real estate investment, management and development firm with a portfolio specializing primarily in office buildings and business parks. SITQ owns real estate assets of CAD $12.4 billion, consisting of 122 properties representing more than 39.6 million square feet of leasable space. A leader in the Canadian real estate industry, SITQ also owns assets in the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Germany.
SITQ is a real estate subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. Its shareholders are the Caisse and five leading pension funds. SITQ employs nearly 400 people in its head office in Montréal and in Québec City, as well as its offices Calgary, Paris (France), Frankfurt (Germany) and Brussels (Belgium). For more information: www.sitq.com.
Information:
Amélie Plante
SITQ
514 847-4164 or 514 975-9425 (cell phone)
Philippe Desjardins
Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec
418 528-0773
» High-resolution photograph of Édifice Price
Photo credit Stéphan Poulin/SITQ
» Technical Sheet - Lighting of the Price Building
» Technical Sheet - Price Building
