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Metropol Parasol in Seville. Metropol Parasol is the most original attraction of Seville. Description of the cultural center

Metropol Parasol in Seville (Spain) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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The attraction called Metropol Parasol (which can be roughly translated as “city umbrella”) in Seville is designed for lovers of modern architecture and generally everything unusual, and there are quite a lot of them among tourists. Moreover, this design is truly famous throughout the world.

It is located on the Plaza de la Encarnacion, where the city market was located for a long time. When it was demolished to create an underground parking lot and a new market complex, it was discovered that there were remains of Roman buildings underneath the square. Construction was stopped, and the administration of Seville announced a competition to create a new project preserving the Roman ruins. The competition was won by the famous German architect Jorgen Mayer-Hermann, and construction was completed in 2011. He later received a prestigious European architectural prize for it.

The most interesting thing is that the Parasol is made of wood, and now it is the largest wooden structure in the world.

This building in Seville is often called “Mushrooms” because of its shape. Parasol is a complex of structures in the shape of giant umbrellas (well, or mushrooms, one might say), resting on huge columns, communicating with each other and divided into four levels. It is 26 m high, 150 m long, 70 m wide.

The most interesting thing is that the Parasol is made of wood, and now it is the largest wooden structure in the world. Finnish birch wood was used to build the Parasol. Of course, there are metal elements in it too - without them the building would be too fragile, but there are few of them. It looks strange - futuristic and environmentally friendly at the same time.

The purpose of Parasol is not only entertaining, but also functional. It is divided into four tiers. In the lowest, underground (it is called Antiquarium), Roman and Moorish ruins are open for inspection - this is a museum. At level 0 (this is street level) there is the Seville Central Market (a good place, by the way). On the roof of level 1 there is an open area for events, and levels 2 and 3 have viewing terraces that offer wonderful views of the city.

The viewing terraces of the Parasol are worth the climb. Besides the view of the city, you can see how intricately the whole building is made, how innovative and interesting it is. There are no analogues to it in the world.

Parasol

Practical information

Address: Sevilla, Plaza de la Encarnacion, 18, Metropol Parasol. The most convenient way to get here is by buses No. 27 and 32 (you need to go to the Plaza Encarnacion stop).

Opening hours of the observation decks: Friday and Saturday from 10:30 to 00:45, on other days from 10:30 to 23:45.

Museum opening hours: Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00, on other days from 10:00 to 20:00.

Ticket prices: to the venues - 3 EUR, to the museum - 2 EUR, they must be purchased separately.

Prices on the page are as of November 2018.

The Plaza de la Encarnacion in ancient Seville is decorated with a very remarkable structure and in some respects simply outstanding - the Metropol Parasol, a unique structure, one of the largest wooden structures in the world.

When they decided to build a garage here at the beginning of the new century, no one knew that Plaza de la Encarnacion would house such an umbrella. Conducted preliminary archaeological excavations showed that there had previously been an ancient Roman settlement on this site, and therefore it was decided to radically change the future purpose of this place - they planned to make an archaeological museum, and with it to open a whole complex, including a restaurant, a small market, walking paths on the roof and a terrace from where you can admire views of the city.

The structure of Metropol Parasol is made of wood with a polyurethane coating.

When Jürgen Mayer-Hermann completed the design and began to build the Metropol Parasol, it caused a near-revolt among the local residents in Seville. It was believed that the modern architectural design in the form of futuristic plants does not fit into the classical structures of the old quarters of Seville. Despite the initial uproar, residents and visitors to Seville now consider the Parasol to be one of the city's most significant landmarks.

Inspired by the vaults of the Seville Cathedral (la Catedral de Sevilla) and the ficus trees growing in la plaza del Cristo de Burgos, Maier designed six “mushrooms” with cylindrical “legs” made of concrete blocks and gigantic jagged “ caps" made of German and Finnish wood.

Due to its stunning dimensions - 150 by 70 meters with a height of 26 meters, the Metropole Umbrella dominates the landscape of the central part of the city. It is the largest wooden structure in the world, made entirely of wood. 8,000 pieces of wood (regular boards of various sizes and configurations) were used, which were connected together with glue and steel fasteners. As a result, the “architectural nightmare” gave a magnificent fabulous result.

The complex began construction in 2006, opened in April 2011 and cost a whopping US$130 million.

Given its considerable size, the Umbrella, also known as the "Encarnacion Mushrooms", serves for various purposes. On the ground floor there is a museum of ancient Roman and Moorish artefacts, and on the ground floor there is the lively Central Market. After meeting ancient weapons and after tasting local products at the market, you can go up to the terraces, which are on two levels, offering stunning views of the city.

The Metropol Parasol, or Metropol Umbrella, is actually a device to revitalize the Plaza de la Encarnacion, which was used as a parking lot for many years and was considered a blind spot compared to more popular ones. tourist places destinations in the city. The structure consists of six beach umbrellas in the shape giant mushrooms, whose design is inspired by elements of the Seville Cathedral and the ficus trees in the nearby Plaza de Cristo de Burgo.

The beach umbrella includes a market, shops and a podium for concerts and events. In the basement is the Vault of Antiquities, where Roman and Moorish artifacts are displayed in the museum. The rooftop features an open public plaza designed for social events. There are panoramic terraces, including a restaurant opening one of best views to the city center.

The huge leisure and cultural center "Metropol Parasol" took its place in Encarnación Square (la plaza de la Encarnación), in the historical center of the Andalusian capital, next to Baroque churches and crowded streets.

The colossal “mushroom” is divided into four zones: the Museum of Antiques (el Museo Antiquarium) in the basement, the traditional Food Market (el Mercado de Abastos) on the ground floor, the huge Main Square (la Plaza Mayor) on the top floor and a spacious observation deck on “mushroom hat”, from which you can admire spectacular views of the city and its surroundings.

On the sign at the entrance to the Metropol Parasol you can read that this center was inaugurated with the participation of the Mayor of Seville, Alfredo Sánchez Monteseirín. The entertainment center and especially its incredible size have been repeatedly criticized. But the mayor of the city is sure that this project will give Seville a more modern look.

The historical core of the city found itself under the shadow of exotic architectural “umbrellas” of a multifunctional community center Metropol Parasol or “Umbrella of the Metropolis”, called by the author of the project Jorgen Mayer himself “Cathedral without walls”, and local residents- “Encarnación mushrooms.”

The German architect, whose conceptual basis for his work is the mystery and manifestation of protective patterns and ornaments, and commitment to the idea of integrity and infinity of space, used his research as an architectural metaphor when developing the Metropol Parasol project. The external patterned form of the futuristic building contains filled volumes on four levels.

This historical event is displayed in its entirety in the Antiquarium archaeological museum, located on 4,500 square meters of underground level, through the glass floor of which you can see ancient ruins. The second floor is given over to the food market, which historically settled on this site in the middle of the 19th century. On the third floor of the new shopping and entertainment center, concerts and sports matches, film shows and theatrical performances, fashion shows, exhibitions and others cultural events. The honeycomb structure of the roof in the shape of mushroom caps is covered with winding walkways serving as magnificent observation decks, offering a panoramic view of the Andalusian capital.

The materials used to construct the community center, and especially their quantity, brought the original building into the Guinness Book of Records, twice - the Metropol Parasol turned out to be the world's largest wooden structure, and the huge amount of heavy-duty glue used to hold the materials together made it the largest glue-based structure. To avoid exposure high temperatures and the emission of harmful fumes, the glued wooden elements of the wavy umbrella roof, smoothly “growing” from the concrete bases, are “wrapped” with a protective layer of high-quality polyurethane coating.

A masterpiece of modern urban planning, the modern public and entertainment center in Seville Metropol Parasol is already called a cult place in Spain, attracting visitors not only with a wide range of services and entertainment, but also with unique archaeological finds and the amazing abstract architecture of the creative bureau of Jorgen Mayer.

The streets of Seville offer examples of almost all architectural styles. So, modern design embodied in the art object Metropol Parasol, whose name can be translated as “Metropolitan umbrella”. According to many architectural experts, this is the world's largest structure made of wood. Although, in fact, concrete elements are also used in the design, which, by the way, gives rise to many discussions - the overspending of public funds spent on improving the adjacent territory of Plaza de la Encarnacion is condemned.

Until 1973 this place was occupied by a market. In the 1970s, it was demolished, after which the square was empty for a long time, until a decision was made to equip underground parking underneath it, and again organize space for trade on the surface. However, soon after construction began, ruins from the Middle Ages and even the era of the Roman Empire were discovered, and work was stopped. After 15 years, the Seville authorities decided to return to the issue of improving the Plaza de la Encarnacion and announced a competition for architectural projects.

The victory was won by the Berlin bureau Arup, headed by the architect Jürgen Mayer. His idea was to erect a large building that would become an object contemporary art and cultural center, and could also accommodate the ancient market that existed here to attract the attention of tourists from all over the world. By the way, for this project, completed in 2011, Jürgen Mayer received several prestigious awards in the field of architecture.

Due to the unusual shape of the Metropol Parasol, it is often called the “Mushroom of Seville”. Indeed, the structure is similar to the structure of an umbrella or several large mushrooms. The smooth curves of the vaults, supported by massive and wide round columns, are made of birch and represent a frame with square niches. They seem to expose the internal structure of the building. In general, Metropol Parasol looks very futuristic and original.

The four floors of the structure serve different functions. On the ground level there is an archeology exhibition; its exposition presents the very ruins discovered under the square and dating back to the periods of Roman and Arab rule in Seville. The ground floor is intended for trade - now it is the main market of the city, where you can find the freshest farm products. On the level above there is space for outdoors, serving for various events. Finally, the two upper tiers share a restaurant and observation decks, which offer beautiful views of the central areas Seville. From here you can best see the contrast between the ultra-modern structure of the Metropol Parasol and the historical buildings of one of the oldest cities in Spain.

When they decided to build a garage here at the beginning of the new century, no one knew that Plaza de la Encarnacion would house such an umbrella. Preliminary archaeological excavations showed that there had previously been an ancient Roman settlement on this site, and therefore it was decided to radically change the future purpose of this place - they planned to make an archaeological museum, and along with it to open a whole complex, including a restaurant, a small market, walking paths on the roof and a terrace from where you can admire views of the city.

The structure of Metropol Parasol is made of wood with a polyurethane coating.

The complex began construction in 2006, opened in April 2011 and cost a whopping US$130 million.

Given its considerable size, the Umbrella, also known as "Encarnacion Mushrooms", serves a variety of purposes. On the ground floor there is a museum of ancient Roman and Moorish artefacts, and on the ground floor there is the lively Central Market. After getting acquainted with ancient weapons and tasting local products at the market, you can go up to the terraces, which are on two levels, offering stunning views of the city.

The Metropol Parasol, or Metropolis Umbrella, is actually a device to revitalize the Plaza de la Encarnacion, which had been used as a parking lot for years and was considered a blind spot among the city's more popular tourist destinations. The structure consists of six beach umbrellas in the shape of giant mushrooms, the design of which is inspired by elements of the Cathedral of Seville and the ficus trees of the nearby Plaza de Cristo de Burgo. The beach umbrella includes a market, shops and a podium for concerts and events. In the basement is the Vault of Antiquities, where Roman and Moorish artifacts are displayed in the museum. The rooftop features an open public plaza designed for community events. There are panoramic terraces, including a restaurant, offering one of the best views of the city center.

The huge leisure and cultural center "Metropol Parasol" took its place in Encarnacion Square ( laplazadelaEncarnació n), in the historical center of the Andalusian capital, next to Baroque churches and crowded streets.

The colossal “mushroom” is divided into four zones: Museum of Antiques (el MuseoAntiquarium) in the basement, traditional food market (el MercadodeAbastos) on the ground floor, the huge Main Square (la PlazaMayor) on the top floor and a spacious observation deck on the “mushroom cap”, from which you can admire spectacular views of the city and its surroundings.

On the sign at the entrance to the Metropol Parasol you can read that this center was inaugurated with the participation of the Mayor of Seville, Alfredo Sánchez Monteseirín. The entertainment center and especially its incredible size have been repeatedly criticized. But the city mayor is confident that this project will give Seville a more modern look.

The historical core of the city found itself under the shadow of the exotic architectural “umbrellas” of the multifunctional public center Metropol Parasol or “Umbrella of the Metropolis”, called by the author of the project Jörgen Mayer the “Cathedral without Walls”, and by local residents - “Mushrooms of Encarnacion”.

This historical event is displayed in its entirety in the Antiquarium archaeological museum, located on 4,500 square meters of underground level, through the glass floor of which you can see ancient ruins. The second floor is given over to the food market, which historically settled on this site in the middle of the 19th century. The third floor of the new shopping and entertainment center hosts concerts and sports matches, film shows and theater performances, fashion shows, exhibitions and other cultural events. The honeycomb structure of the roof, shaped like mushroom caps, is covered with winding walkways that serve as magnificent viewing platforms, offering panoramic views of the Andalusian capital.

The materials used to construct the community center, and especially their quantity, brought the original building into the Guinness Book of Records, twice - the Metropol Parasol turned out to be the world's largest wooden structure, and the huge amount of heavy-duty glue used to hold the materials together made it the largest glue-based structure. To avoid exposure to high temperatures and the release of harmful fumes, the laminated wooden elements of the wavy umbrella roof, which smoothly “grows” from the concrete bases, are “wrapped” with a protective layer of high-quality polyurethane coating.

The undoubted futuristic masterpiece of Spanish Seville, attracting everyone larger number visitors, is the wood-concrete structure Metropol Parasol or, as it is also called, the Mushrooms of Seville.

The largest structure of this kind in the world, when visited in person, amazes the imagination of tourists. Metropol Parasol is located in the city center on the Square of the Incarnation, not far from others. This is one of the most original buildings in the range of modern architecture in Spain.

History of the creation of the Metropol Parasol in Seville

It is symbolic that it was the Plaza de la Encarnacion that the Seville authorities decided to undergo reconstruction in the late 90s of the last century. Digging a pit for a future underground parking lot turned into an archaeological excavation of an ancient Roman ruined village with elements of antique mosaics. And in order to preserve the artifact, as well as for the possibility of further visits to the site by tourists, it was announced competition of architectural ideas on international level. Its mandatory conditions included:

reliability of the structure;
its versatility;
symbolism of connecting times;
aesthetics of integration into the image of Seville.

The Metropol Parasol project, presented by German architect Jürgen Hermann Mayer, was selected from 65 competition entries. Six fancy wooden “mushrooms” were approved for execution. Construction began on June 26, 2005 and completion was scheduled for the summer of 2007. But the work did not go according to plan due to technical and material problems that arose during the construction process.

The construction of the futuristic Metropol Parasol building lasted for 6 years and was completed only by the beginning of 2011, while the cost of work has increased 3 times compared to the initial estimate. The final price of the construction, according to some sources, reached 100 million euros, which caused additional public outrage.

In addition, the residents of Seville did not at all appreciate the conceptual appeal of the Metropol Parasol design. It seemed that a huge alien structure would burst into the classical urban architecture and destroy the usual harmony. But as soon as the Umbrellas rose on the Plaza of the Incarnation, the grandiose design of the structure, which became one of the main modern tourist sites in Spain, became clear to everyone. In January 2013, Metropol Parasol entered Top 5 finalists for the Contemporary Architecture Prize, awarded European Union once every two years.

What to see in Metropol Parasol

Metropol Parasol consists of six huge umbrellas that rise above the square at a height of 26 meters. The upper parts of each umbrella are intertwined to form a monolithic roof. The length and width of the impressive building are 150 and 70 meters respectively, covering both the Plaza de la Incarnation and the Plaza Mayor. Due to the design features, the residents of Seville began to call it Las Setas, which means “mushrooms” in Spanish. That is why in 2013 it was decided to rename the building. "Mushrooms" or "Seville mushrooms" became official name attractions.

Many tourists forget about time when going to the Metropol Parasol in Seville. You can spend the whole day here and not notice that it is over. It's all about the fantastic structure, which occupies an area of about 5000 m2. During citywide celebrations, thousands of citizens and guests of Seville come here, exhibitions, thematic fairs, and entertainment events are held. Under the arches of the building there are restaurants and cozy cafes, many shops and a chic farmers market.

Created on the territory of the underground floor Museum of Archeology Antiquarium, which includes important archaeological sites of Seville from the Roman and Andalusian eras. Among the most notable items Ancient Rome It is worth noting the unique mosaics and paintings of the 1st-6th centuries. Among the objects from the Andalusian period of the 12th-13th centuries, the decoration of the Islamic Almohad house stands out. In addition, the museum contains historical information about Seville during the medieval and modern periods.

The height of the Metropol Parasol exceeds 26 meters, and you can reach the top of the “mushroom caps” by high-speed elevator. Almost everything opens up from here city panorama: ancient city quarters, the Guadalquivir river with all the bridges, as well as Cathedral, in the likeness of which the architect, in his words, created his futuristic creation Metropol Parasol. Walking along the winding walking paths at the top of the Mushrooms of Seville is simply an unforgettable experience.

Useful information on Metropol Parasol

Along with its unique architectural form, the cultural complex is distinguished by such features as:

all the “mushroom umbrellas” of the building were assembled from eight thousand wooden panels, none of which duplicates the other in design;

the fastening elements were not the usual bolts and screws, but steel rods and heat-resistant glue, specially developed for the project;

at the farmer's market, located on the second level, there is an abundance of seafood, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and meat products at quite reasonable prices;

nowhere else can you take such stunning photographs as on the viewing terrace of Metropol Parasol;

Local residents recommend touching the mosaics of Hispalis – ancient city, which has now become a museum. They say that a wish you make will definitely come true.

reference Information

The cost of visiting the Antiquarium Museum is 2 euros

The cost of visiting the observation point at the top of the Metropol Parasol is 3 euros.

How to get there:

Bus: lines 27 and 32
Metro: Plaza Nueva (line T1)

"Seville mushrooms" on the map:

“Mushrooms of Seville” on video:

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