The red King Kong sculpture that used to climb onto the ledge of an apartment building in the Sants neighborhood is now lying in a corner. The owner has decided to remove it after a new fine from Barcelona City Council, another step in a nine-year path of municipal sanctions.

The chest-thumping red King Kong perched on the ledge of an apartment building next to Sants station has been in the sights of Barcelona's urban planning authorities since 2016, when the property's owner bought it and placed it at the top of the facade. It is a piece by French sculptor Richard Orlinski, who has adapted his version of the work. Wild Kong In different colors and sizes, in resin and metal, he has exhibited his enormous figures all over the world. In Barcelona, however, he has run into municipal sanctions, and after nine years, the owner of the Cosmo Apartments has opted to cover up the gorilla, hoping to win the legal battle with the City Council.