Quite possibly the largest wooden structure in all the world, Metropol Parasol stands proudly in the center of La Encarnación square in Seville, Spain. One part open architecture and one part… well, waffle… the building was erected in 2011 by German architect Jürgen Mayer-Hermann.
The base of the structure is home to an antiquarium with Moorish and Roman remains are on display to the public; above it is a two-tiered central market, and it’s topped off by panoramic observation areas with staggering views of the surrounding city.
At 490 by 230 feet, standing 85 feet tall, it’s known by locals as Las Setas de la Encarnación – or, put plainly, “Encarnación’s mushrooms.”
Regardless of the object(s) responsible for its aesthetic inspiration, Metropol Parasol is a stunning visual display of the crossroads blending wild artistic imagination with structural boldness and an appreciation of the past and the future combined.
Photo credits: official Metropol Parasol website.
