Edificio Sol

The Sol building was designed by Juan Ripollés and opened in June 2008. The building is located in the Grao, the maritime neighborhood of the city. 

The sculpture, which covers the building like a skin, is made of cut Murano glass fired at 1,300 degrees and is considered the largest Spanish sculpture attached to an apartment block. It is 124 feet (38 meters) wide, and more than 49 feet (15 meters high).

With seven arms representing rays and a face weighing over 6,000 pounds (3,000 kilograms), the sculpture spans the entire exterior of the apartment block. The base and arms together weigh over six tons. The sculpture is composed of iron, fiberglass, resin, and crystal.

The bas-relief of Ripollés mimics the changing activity of the sun by reflecting different levels of brightness throughout the day, based on the projection of natural light through hand-applied glass particles in colors such as yellow and red.

The sculpture, which took around six months to complete, is the first to be installed on a façade by the well-known Valencian sculptor. The design of the sculpture has influenced both the placement of the exterior windows and the design of the interior spaces, which are painted in a dark blue reminiscent of the sea.