Édifice Price

The Édifice Price is a striking 18-story skyscraper in Québec City, Canada, located on Rue Sainte-Anne in Upper Town. At 82 meters (269 feet) tall, it is the tallest building in the Old Town and the seventh tallest in the entire city. The skyscraper was built between 1929 and 1931 as the headquarters of the paper company Price Brothers. Designed in the Art Deco style, the building drew fierce criticism when it was completed, as many saw it as a jarring intrusion into the historic fabric of the Old Town. Over time, however, it has become an important landmark of the city. Today the building is owned by the City of Québec and used by the administration of the provincial pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. Since 2001, the 16th and 17th floors have housed the official residence of the province's premier.

Architecturally, the building stands out for its stepped form, which recalls a wedding cake and softens its visual impact on the skyline. The facade is decorated with geometric motifs and is defined by pilasters and a large arched opening above the main entrance. The steel frame, the first of its kind in the city, is clad in gray limestone from the quarries of Saint-Marc-des-Carrières and Queenston. These two types of stone differ in color and in the way they age, which gives the facade a distinctive texture. Inside, central corridors divide the floors into symmetrical halves, while bas-reliefs in the lobby depict the company's history. The copper-clad Châteauesque-style roof crowns the building.

For visitors, the Édifice Price offers not only a look at historic architecture but also insights into the province's political history. The premier's official residence in the upper part of the building features maple parquet floors, granite, and limestone, and displays paintings by local artists. Nearby you'll also find the monument L'Homme-Rivière, a dynamic sculpture of a log driver that recalls the cultural importance of this figure in Québec. The building thus embodies the connection between historic industry, modern administration, and political tradition in the city.