The SunRise Residential tower in Edmonton now holds a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest solar panel mural. The $31 million renewal, headed by Chandos Construction, didn’t just focus on efficiency upgrades—it also added a bold visual statement. On the tower’s south face, crews installed 400 solar panels that double as a 45,000-square-foot mural by Indigenous artist Lance Cardinal. His design, a running bison, links the building’s push for cleaner energy with a powerful symbol from the region’s cultural history.
Art and engineering working together
The SunRise Residential tower in Edmonton is now official: Guinness World Records has named it home to the largest solar panel mural in the world. More than 2,000 solar panels stretch over roughly 34,500 square feet, transforming the building’s exterior into a functional work of art. The panels generate approximately 265–267 kW of solar power, sufficient to power much of the building’s shared spaces and reduce roughly 150 tons of CO₂ emissions each year.
Local Indigenous artist Lance Cardinal created the mural “The Land We Share” to honor the area’s history and cultural diversity by incorporating Kreem and Chinese designs and art. Developer Avenue Living opted to retrofit and modernize the 1970s eras tower instead of demolishing it, which included adding energy improvements and an enhanced new identity to the building.
Embedded in the building’s rainscreen system, Mitrex’s eFacade PRO plus BIPV panels deliver clean electricity while maintaining a vivid mural appearance. The design choice met funding requirements for deep decarbonization and paved the way for a four-year ROI through energy savings, estimated at $80,000 annually from the fifth year onward. Tradespeople, from glaziers to electricians to insulation specialists—worked together to install the panels precisely, balancing visual alignment with structural and weather-proofing needs. That teamwork produced a feature that’s as durable and efficient as it is distinctive.
Design, art, and trades unite in Edmonton’s record-breaking retrofit
The Guinness recognition adds weight to what local workers and project leaders already knew—this was more than a renovation. It was an experiment in blending design, technology, and cultural storytelling—one that paid off. For construction professionals, the SunRise building is the perfect example of how collaboration across trades can push projects beyond the ordinary. Carpenters, electricians, ironworkers, and glaziers all played a part in transforming the tower. Mechanical crews installed new high-efficiency boilers and HVAC units. Electrical teams connected the solar array with the building’s grid. Insulation and envelope specialists sealed the structure, improving energy retention and reducing drafts common in older towers.
For architects and engineers, the challenge lay in combining art and performance without compromising on either. The project shows that retrofits can go beyond routine upgrades, transforming an aging tower into a landmark that tells a cultural story. For tradespeople, it showed the level of precision and coordination required when art is literally wired into the building’s systems. Edmonton residents now have a rental building that doubles as a work of public art. Tenants benefit from improved comfort, lower operating costs, and the pride of living in a building recognized on a global stage.
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