Metropol Parasol

The medieval Plaza de la Encarnación, located in the city centre of Seville in the south of Spain, is of particular historic significance. The place used to be the centre of city life and a vibrant market. The fascinating wooden structure of the Metropol Parasol serves as a distinctive icon by highlighting the historic significance of the medieval city centre. This architecture aimed at redefining the place as a new and contemporary urban centre. The organic structures of the Metropol Parasol both convey openness and serve an integrative function, since they allow for a great variety of activities for tourists and locals of the city of Seville alike. Both inside the parasols and underneath its protective structures, the Metropol Parasol houses multiple bars and restaurants, a farmers market as well as the archaeological museum, complemented by a panorama terrace on the very top of the Parasol as an outstanding attraction. The Metropol Parasol is the expression of a highly sophisticated understanding of architecture. Realised as an innovative bonded-timber construction with a polyurethane coating, these parasols seem to grow out of the archaeological excavation site and serve as both an integrative symbol in the city of Seville and a visual landmark. They thus establish a vivid relationship between the historical and the contemporary city.