The apartment building pictured above might stop you in your tracks for its colorful tiles and striking artwork, but what you won’t pick up on at a glance is its status as the Guinness World Record holder for the world’s largest solar panel mural.
Located in Edmonton, Canada, this 12-story structure, called SunRise Residential, has been retrofitted with 34,500 square feet of building-integrated photovoltaic panels, resulting in an annual reduction of about 150 tons of carbon emissions. Starting from year five, the solar generation is projected to save owners and residents a total of around $80,000 per year, per a case study conducted by solar panel company Mitrex.
“This project is a bold vision for the future of sustainable architecture,” Mitrex CEO Danial Hadizadeh said in a statement. “SunRise proves that [building-integrated photovoltaics] can produce clean energy, cut emissions, and inspire communities with culturally resonant designs. We’re honored to lead this revolution.”
The building itself is an example of recycling: Previously called Capital Towers, it was erected in the ’70s in the Alberta city, but required extensive improvements for its apartments to serve as safe options for renters today. Rather than tearing it down, real estate investment trust Avenue Living gave it an eco-friendly makeover.
The vivid mural is an alternative to Avenue Living’s original design, which included non-solar panels and a painted mural on fiber cement siding. Instead, Mitrex proposed using a standard rainscreen system to install the new panels, reducing maintenance costs and requirements. “This integration provided a dual-purpose solution, allowing the building to generate solar energy while showcasing meaningful artwork,” the solar panel company wrote in the case study.
That last bit is represented in the 85-foot-tall mural’s significance to the community: Titled “The Land We Share,” it was designed by Indigenous artist Lance Cardinal. It honors First Nations and Chinese cultures via depictions of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac living in harmony with the seven animals that symbolize the Cree sacred grandfather teachings.
“The different teachings and ideals represented by these 19 animals help us see the world in a better way, to be respectful of each other and to understand each other’s differences, and, of course, to take care of Mother Earth,” Cardinal shared in an Instagram video.
Local artists worked with Cardinal to illustrate Alberta’s natural landscapes in a “powerful visual narrative of renewal, resilience, and community spirit in the heart of the city,” per the case study.
“[Land] is so important for Indigenous people,” Cardinal told CTV News. “Land is something that we live on, that guides us. Where we walk is important as Indigenous people.” He said of the mural: “It’s all about celebrating the land that we’re on here in Treaty Six Territory.”
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