Vidéotron recently opened its new flagship store on Sainte-Catherine Street in Montreal, and with design duties handled by Sid Lee, it looks nothing short of a technological Taj Mahal.

A major feature of the store is an LED-animated multimedia staircase, the first of its kind in North America, which leads up to two soundproof booths equipped with 85-inch HD screens. The store counters feature interactive, multi-touch flat-screen tops, also accessible on the street, custom-created by Sid Lee and Montreal-based Nurun, which handled graphics and programming, and Montreal-based Solotech, which provided the technology and managed the installation.

The design goal, says Martin Leblanc, Sid Lee architect and partner, was to take the language used in campaigns for the Quebecor-owned company and express it via architecture, bringing the brand to life in the store. Thus, Vidéotron’s corporate colours (yellow and black) are prominently featured in the store’s design, with the brand’s full range of products and services displayed in a highly graphic environment created by the use of interactive technology.

‘The store is about two things: people and technology,’ says Leblanc. ‘We wanted a place for the customer and service people at Vidéotron to meet, so it was important for us to create this canvas and also expose them to technology.’

The store launch was promoted with a PR event and posters featuring QR codes placed along Sainte-Catherine Street.