The Venue
The Mushrooms of Seville
Metropol Parasol, popularly known as Setas (mushrooms) of Seville, is a structure in the form of a wooden and concrete pergola located in the central Plaza de la Encarnación in the city of Seville. It is 150 metres long, 70 metres wide and approximately 26 metres high. Its base houses a traditional market and restaurants on the ground floor, a square for shows and the Antiquarium archaeological museum. The structure is crowned by a terrace and a belvedere offering a panoramic view of the old town. The building is the work of Berlin architect Jürgen Mayer. With its avant-garde design it has become an icon of the historic centre and the city of Seville. Mainly built of laminated wood, it consists of a large sunshade-shaped grid supported by six pillars that span both the Plaza de la Encarnación and the Plaza Mayor of the city. Each of its ribs forms a spatial distribution in which each rib has its own curvature, giving the whole a sense of undulating movement. Although its design is inspired by the vaults of Seville Cathedral, due to its fungiform profile, it was soon given the name 'Las Setas' (The Mushrooms) by the citizens.
