Created by East Sussex sculptor Hamish Black, Afloat was unveiled in 1998.
Its torus shape is supposed to represent what a black hole might look like.
The 2.2 tonne bronze structure is 5 to 6mm thick and was winched on to the groyne with a crane.
Based on a globe, the points at the north and south poles are pushed together through the sphere, forming a central hole where they meet.
The work was commissioned by then Brighton Borough Council and funded through a National Lottery grant.
Artist Hamish Black, who studied at Eastbourne School of Art, started work in 1995.
Manipulate The artist was inspired by the world of science, in particular particle physics, and was interested in howscientists try to understand the world of ‘matter’.
He sees a relationship between this scientist understanding and the way artists manipulate materials to express ideas.
Viewed from the beach, the sculpture’s aspect is what would have been one of the poles.
The site for Afloat on the end of the small promontory was selected so the viewer could see the horizon through the central hole in the sculpture when looking out to sea.
The blue and green colouring represents the link to the changing colour of the sky and the sea.
The first two concrete groynes to be built in Brighton were the East Street groyne in 1867, followed in 1876 by the Albion groyne which also carries a storm water outfall.
Before its construction Pool Valley shelved gently into the sea and was liable to flooding at spring tides and high tides in stormy weather.
The East Street groyne is a popular spot for thrillseekers to plunge off.
In recent weeks emergency services have been forced to issue warnings about the practice, known as ‘tombstoning’.
A spokesman for the RNLI said: “Jumping from piers and groynes, known as tombstoning, can be incredibly dangerous at any state of the tide for a number of reasons such as submerged rocks and strong currents.”
ON THIS DAY
1492: The Jews are expelled from Spain 1588 The Spanish Armada is spotted off the coast of England.
1703: Writer Daniel Defoe is placed in stocks for seditious libel after publishing a satirical pamphlet but is pelted with flowers.
1932: The Nazi Party wins more than 38% of the vote in German elections.
1956: Cricketer Jim Laker becomes the first man to take ten wickets in a Test match innings.
2012: Swimmer Michael Phelps breaks the record for the greatest number of medals won at the Olympics.
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