Édifice Price

The Édifice Price is an 18-floor skyscraper in Quebec City, Canada. Built in 1930-1931 amid controversy for Price Brothers Limited, it is the tallest building in the Old Quebec historical district, and one of the oldest skyscrapers in Canada. The building is the property of Ivanhoé Cambridge, a subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. A memorial is attached to the building. In 2001, it became the location of an official residence for the Premier of Quebec, which occupies two of the upper floors.HistoryIn 1927, John Herbert and Arthur Clifford Price, having inherited the prosperous Price Brothers Limited after the 1924 death of their father, Sir William Price III, decided to build a new headquarters for the company in Quebec City. They did not find anything to their liking on Saint-Pierre street, at the time Quebec's main financial district, so decided on Saint-Anne street close to the City Hall. The design for the 16-floor building was awarded to Ross and Macdonald, a prestigious firm of architects based in Montreal.The city, eager to demonstrate a progressive ethos, gave assent to the project despite heavy criticism that the administration was proving unable to protect Québec's historic area because the building replaced two historic houses. Sources conflict as to exactly when construction started: one cites June 1929 to May 1930, while another says the construction permit was delivered in December 1929 and construction began in June 1930; a third gives only years: 1928-1930. The building's cornerstone bears an inscription reading "This stone was laid Oct. XXIX MCMXXIX ". However, all sources agree that construction was rapid, and the building was finished within a year. It was inaugurated in 1931.