Born in 1970 as the Capital Tower, the SunRise Building in Edmonton was constructed as a 12-storey building with 179 residential units.
But by the 2010s, the historic high-rise was in need of major repairs.
In 2015, Calgary’s Avenue Living Asset Management acquired Capital from Golden Jubilee Enterprises.
Since then, the building has been rebranded as SunRise, and recently completed a years-long retrofit.
The ambitious retrofit features mechanical and electrical system upgrades, abatement and remediation, an upgraded exterior, updated suites, enhanced insulation, new lighting, and new amenity spaces including a rooftop patio, games room, movie theatre, library, and gym.
Organizations involved in the major project included Chandos Construction, Avenue Living, M.O. George Architect, Claroscuro Architecture, Orata Engineering, IBSys Engineering, Sunwise Engineering, Enginectra, and others.
“We are excited to share that we have completed major upgrades to The SunRise building in downtown Edmonton,” a recent statement from Chandos reads. “The 12-storey, 11,400 sq. ft. tower … has been transformed into a modern, affordable, and environmentally sustainable mixed-use building.”
The most impressive part of the new SunRise building is surely the envelope, which boasts Canada’s largest building-integrated photovoltaic cladding, a solar panel system that generates electricity while insulating the building.
“The exterior upgrades focus on sustainability,” according to Chandos.
Design is also a key player. The solar cladding, for example, is strategically disguised as a large public art mural.
Designed by artist Lance Cardinal, the mural is titled “The Land We Share,” reflecting the intersection of Indigenous and Chinese cultures, a thoughtful consideration of the property’s proximity to Chinatown.
In fact, Cardinal’s colourful mural—which spans an area of 30,000 square feet with a system capacity of 265 kW—has won a Guinness World Record.
“The 85 ft. tall mural designed by local Indigenous artist, Lance Cardinal, and has been awarded the Guinness World Record for the largest solar panel artwork that produces electricity,” Chandos announced.