Giant Wooden Mushrooms: The Metropol Parasol of Sevilla

I’m realizing that the vast majority of the posts on this blog discuss my travels to cities other than Sevilla. However, Sevilla is where I lived for a semester and where I spent the majority of my time, so I figured I should write about one of my favorite places in the city: the Metropol Parasol. The Metropol Parasol (popularly called “Las Setas”–“The Mushrooms”–because of its shape), is a giant wooden structure in the middle of downtown Sevilla. The Setas were built in Plaza de la Encarnación between 2005 and 2011, and were designed by German architect Jürgen Mayer-Hermann.

The Plaza historically was the location of various marketplaces, but for many recent decades it was empty. When construction began to create an underground parking structure, Roman ruins were discovered and construction had to be halted. The city asked for design submissions to decide what to do with the space to accompany an antiquarium to exhibit the Roman ruins, and the wooden sculpture design by Mayer-Hermann was selected. The design and wavy structure of the Setas is meant to resemble the ficus trees that are found in Sevilla, as well as the vaulted ceilings of the cathedrals.

The Setas sparked quite a bit of controversy because as they were under construction, Spain entered an economic crisis and many people thought it was a waste of money. (The total cost is estimated to have been about 100 million euros.) The modern design of the structure has also been criticized, as it stands out in the midst of such an old city. Additonally, there is some debate as to how long a wooden structure like this will last, as a similar structure elsewhere in Europe eventually collapsed.

However, the Plaza and the Setas are a lively part of the city center. Many events are held there, and because of the location and proximity to many stores, it is always a busy part of town. The basement level houses the antiquarium that displays the Roman ruins. On the street level there’s a marketplace and several stores and restaurants. Above that is a large plaza space that’s shaded by the “parasols”, and then on top of the Setas themselves there is a rooftop restaurant and bar. People can pay to go up the elevator and enjoy a drink while taking in the great views. This was a space I visited many times with my friends, and I walked underneath the Setas fairly often. I think it’s a unique, interesting place that combines the ancient history of Sevilla with the contemporary style of today.