Insights · Case studies · September 15, 2024
Six cooling towers replaced atop a Montréal landmark — 44 years later
Six cooling towers on the roof of the Richter Building in downtown Montréal — originally supplied and installed by Kolostat in July 1980 — were retired and replaced as part of a major weekend retrofit for client Canderel. Same firm, same roof, 44 years apart.
A return to a roof we built
In July 1980, Kolostat acted as general contractor on the original install of six cooling towers at what is today the Richter Building, in the heart of downtown Montréal. Forty-four years later, our team came back to retire those same units and install their replacements.
The 2024 project was delivered turnkey for our client Canderel, under the direction of Aam Benzaz, Project Director, and Jason Wooden, Vice-President of Operations.
Scope and constraints
The work involved bringing down the original six towers and their structural platform — then installing six new towers on a newly fabricated rooftop structure. A working downtown building, an extremely tight schedule, and heavy lifts above an active streetscape meant the planning window was longer than the execution window. The bulk of the on-site work was carried out across a single weekend.
A coordinated trades effort
Kolostat handled piping, sheet-metal work, equipment hoists, debris handling, lift preparation, and overall client and trade coordination. Several specialty partners delivered alongside our crews:
- Structural steel — designed and fabricated the new tower platforms.
- Roofing — replaced the entire roof surface beneath the towers, including the cooling-tower basins.
- Electrical sub-trade — all power connections.
- Controls sub-trade — control wiring and BMS integration.
Why it mattered
Replacing equipment that's been in service for 44 years is a different category of project from a routine HVAC upgrade. The towers had outlasted the careers of most of the people who originally installed them. Coming back to retire equipment our own firm had built into the building's mechanical identity — and doing it on a tight schedule, in the middle of a working downtown core — was a stimulating challenge for everyone involved.
Thanks to Canderel for the trust, and to every partner and crew member who contributed to a remarkable accomplishment.
Companion content: a longer-form podcast conversation with the project team is available on YouTube, and a detailed second cut is here.