Toluca, Mexico - The first market in Toluca, Mexico closed in 1975, leaving the beautiful "Art Nouveau" style building with no purpose. Local artist Leopoldo Flores couldn’t bear to see it lapse into disrepair and came up with an ingenious plan for revamping it.

Flores spent months petitioning the government for the rights to work the property. The government relented, and Cosmovitral was born. The name derives from the Spanish words vidrio, or glass, and cosmos.

During the next 15 years, Flores and a team of other artists and gardeners transformed the structure into a majestic hideaway. Enormous and intricate stained glass windows were erected throughout the building, slowly replacing each ordinary window with vibrant and emotive designs. The interior became a botanical garden that plays host to upwards of 500 plants from an assortment of countries.

Cosmovitral is very significant to the community — it stands as a symbol of the past and of eternity, representing the roots of the city as well as man’s spiritual importance. Many of the stained glass images depict elements like the heavens, the natural world, and the importance of history. All the stained glass works are centered around a large circular piece entitled Hombre Sol, or Sun Man, supposedly representing the state of Mexico.