Large wooden curved structure
Architecture,  Art,  Photographing Public Art,  Seville,  Travel galleries

Gallery: Seville’s mushrooms, art or architecture?

In the Plaza de la Encarnación of Seville a strange structure reaches skywards. This is the Metropol Parasol, often referred to by locals as the Mushrooms, Las Setas de la Encarnación. The dramatic forms arch overhead, framing views of the surrounding streets and buildings.

Formed from wood and supported by concrete columns, the parasols are the creation of Berlin architect Jürgen Mayer. There are five levels in total. At the top is a viewing platform; below that within the parasols are spaces for events and a restaurant. Sheltered by them is an elevated square, the Plaza Mayor, from which all but one of my photos were taken. At ground level there is space for a local market and in the basement the Antiquarium, which displays Roman and Moorish archaeological remains discovered when the work was undertaken.

We decided not to pay the five euros per person needed to access the viewing platform, as the weather wasn’t great and we didn’t feel the views would be worth it. However, having since found this Creative Commons image on Wikipedia I am somewhat regretting that decision, as the structure itself looks fascinating from above.

Panorama of city from waving platform
From Wikipedia Creative Commons, by Rubendene

Nevertheless, we enjoyed simply strolling around the Plaza Mayor, photographing the ‘mushrooms’ from various angles. Here are my favourite images from that shoot, shared for the Photographing Public Art challenge.

Large wooden curved structure
Large wooden curved structure
Large wooden curved structure
Large wooden curved structure with steps leading upLarge wooden curved structure with steps leading up

I visited Seville in November 2021

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