First Canadian Place Unveils Rejuvenation
First Canadian Place has just pulled off an impressive feat: a full rejuvenation of its 72-storey, 2.8 million square foot premises. Its office, retail and cultural space is all enjoying a refreshing new look and a vastly more sustainable existence.
October 25 marked the official unveiling of the relaunched tower, Canada’s tallest at an imposing 978 feet in height. The most visible change was its total recladding, with 45,000 pieces of Carrera marble replaced with architecturally unique glass spandrel panels. The marble was, of course, recycled and repurposed. There were many other visual changes made to the main entrance, retail concourse, office lobbies and common areas.
In many ways more importantly, the rejuvenation allowed the center to be tuned to achieve Leed Gold. “The strategic energy program was a major facet of this undertaking and we’re honoured to achieve LEED Gold certification for these efforts,” said Brian West, VP and General Manager of First Canadian Place. “Since the reduction program began in 2009, the building has curtailed energy consumption by an estimated 27%.”
Then there’s the transformation of the retail area of the tower, with major updates to Market Place, including new eateries like Longos, Praire Girl Cupcakes and Brick Street Bakery. Existing retailers expanded their stores, and others renovated their spaces. And the center is preparing to welcome Express and Cactus Club.
“The goal of this rejuvenation process was to strengthen the brand DNA of First Canadian Place as an inspiring community for today’s business,” said shopping center director, Lucie Bisson. “We have met and exceeded our expectations, proudly offering tenants and consumers a vibrant urban space for shopping, dining and more. Along with the unveiling of the new renovation, we’re thrilled to introduce our new logo and brand strategy to the public.”
As part of the celebration, the tower is running the My First Canadian Place Photo Contest through Facebook. It’s taking entries of photos that highlight the new look of the center with a chance to win a Nikon D3100 camera.
