The Metropol Parasol, known locally as Las Setas (The Mushrooms), is one of Seville's iconic modern landmarks. Built in 2011 to a design by German architect Jürgen Mayer H, the colossal sunshade is a hypnotic sight with its undulating honeycombed canopy – said to be the world’s largest wooden-framed structure – and massive support trunks. Lifts run up from the basement to the top, where you can enjoy killer views from a winding walkway.
The structure, six years in the making, covers a former dead zone in Seville’s central district once filled by an ugly car park. Roman and Moorish ruins unearthed during excavation of the plaza were cleverly incorporated into the Parasol's foundations and are now on show at the Museo Antiquarium in the basement. The structure also houses the neighbourhood food market, the Mercado de la Encarnación, several cafes and tapas bars, and Plaza Mayor, a space designed to host open-air events and now a popular hangout for local kids.
