Metropol Parasol is the largest wooden structure in the world. Cultural Complex Metropol Parasol History of creation Metropol Parasol in Seville

The Plaza de la Encarnacion in ancient Seville is adorned with a very remarkable building, and in some respects simply outstanding - Metropol Parasol, a unique building, one of the largest wooden structures in the world.

A masterpiece of modern urban planning, Seville's contemporary Metropol Parasol is hailed as an iconic site in Spain, attracting visitors with its unique archaeological finds and amazing abstract architecture by Jørgen Mayer's creative office.

The structure of the Metropol Parasol is made of wood with a polyurethane coating.

When Juergen Meyer-Hermann completed the design and began building the Metropol Parasol, it caused a near-revolt of the locals in Seville. It was believed that the modern architectural design in the form of futuristic plants does not fit at all with the classical buildings of the old quarters of Seville. Despite the initial buzz, residents and visitors to Seville now consider the Umbrella to be one of the city's most significant landmarks.

Inspired by the vaults of the Cathedral of Seville (la Catedral de Sevilla) and the ficuses growing in the Plaza de Cristo de Burgos (la plaza del Cristo de Burgos), Mayer designed six “mushrooms” with cylindrical “legs” made of concrete blocks and gigantic jagged “ hats" from German and Finnish wood.

The materials used to build the community center, and especially their quantity, led the original building to the Guinness Book of Records, moreover, twice - the Parasol Metropole turned out to be the world's largest structure made of wood, and a huge amount of heavy-duty glue to hold the materials together made it the largest structure on glue. To avoid exposure to high temperatures and the release of harmful fumes, the glued wooden elements of the undulating umbrella roof, which smoothly “grows” from concrete bases, are “wrapped” with a protective layer of high-quality polyurethane coating.

Due to its stunning size - 150 by 70 meters at a height of 26 meters, the "Metropol Umbrella" dominates the landscape of the central part of the city. It is the largest wooden structure in the world made entirely of wood. 8,000 wooden pieces were used (ordinary boards of various sizes and configurations), which were connected to each other with glue and steel fasteners. As a result, the "architectural nightmare" gave a magnificent fabulous result.

The complex began construction in 2006, opened in April 2011 and cost a whopping US$130 million.

Given its considerable size, the Umbrella, also known as the "Mushrooms of Encarnacion", serves a variety of purposes. On the ground floor there is a museum of ancient Roman and Moorish artifacts, on the ground floor there is a lively Central Market. After getting acquainted with ancient weapons and tasting local products in the market, you can go up to the terraces, which are located on two levels, offering stunning views of the city.

The Metropol Parasol, or the Metropol Umbrella, is actually a device for bringing life to the Plaza de la Encarnacion, which has been used as a car park for years and was considered a dead spot against the city's more popular tourist destinations. The structure consists of six beach umbrellas in the shape of giant mushrooms, inspired by elements of the Cathedral of Seville and ficus trees in the nearby Plaza de Cristo de Burgo. The beach umbrella includes a market, shops and a podium for concerts and events. The basement houses the Vault of Antiquities, where Roman and Moorish artifacts are displayed in the museum. There is an open public plaza on the rooftop designed for social gatherings. There are panoramic terraces, including a restaurant that offers one of the best views of the city center.

On the streets of Seville, examples of almost all architectural styles are presented. So, modern design was embodied in the Metropol Parasol art object, whose name can be translated as “metropol umbrella”. According to many experts in the field of architecture, this is the largest structure in the world made of wood. Although, in fact, concrete elements were also used in the construction, which, by the way, gives rise to many discussions - the overspending of public funds spent on the beautification of the adjacent territory of the Plaza de la Encarnación is condemned.

Until 1973, this place was occupied by the market. In the 1970s, it was demolished, after which the square was empty for a long time, until a decision was made to equip underground parking under it, and reorganize the space for trade on the surface. However, soon after the start of construction, ruins from the Middle Ages and even the era of the Roman Empire were discovered, and work was stopped. After 15 years, the Seville authorities decided to return to the issue of improving the Plaza de la Encarnacion and announced a competition for architectural projects.

The victory was won by the Berlin bureau Arup, headed by the architect Jürgen Mayer. His idea was to erect a large building that would become an object of contemporary art and a cultural center, and could also accommodate the old market that existed here in order to attract the attention of tourists from all over the world. By the way, for this project, completed in 2011, Jürgen Mayer received several prestigious awards in the field of architecture.

Due to the unusual shape of the Metropol Parasol, it is often referred to as the "Seville Mushrooms". Indeed, the structure is similar to the structure of an umbrella or with several large mushrooms. The smooth curves of the vaults, resting on massive and wide round columns, are made of birch and represent a frame with square niches. They seem to expose the internal structure of the building. In general, Metropol Parasol looks very futuristic and original.

The four floors of the building serve different functions. The basement tier houses an exhibition of archeology, its exposition presents the very ruins found under the square and related to the periods of Roman and Arab rule in Seville. The first floor is dedicated to trade - now it is the main market of the city, where you can find the freshest farm products. One level above there is an open-air space that serves as a venue for various events. Finally, the two upper tiers share a restaurant and viewing platforms, which offer a beautiful view of the central districts of Seville. From here, the contrast between the ultra-modern construction of the Metropol Parasol and the historical buildings of one of the oldest cities in Spain is best seen.

The 28-meter-high object covers an area of ​​150 by 75 meters and claims to be the largest wooden structure in the world. Its occurrence, location, delays and cost overruns in construction have generated a lot of controversy in society.

Description

The design consists of six umbrellas in the form of giant mushrooms (Spanish. Las Setas), the design of which the architect was inspired by the vaults of the Seville Cathedral (as Mayer said - he wanted to create a "cathedral without walls", which should be "democratic"), as well as ficus trees near Plaza de Cristo de Burgos. Metropol Parasol has four floors. The Antiquarium is located on the underground floor (ground floor). (Spanish) Russian (Spanish) Antiquarium), which houses a museum with Roman and Moorish remains discovered during construction.

On the ground floor (outer floor) is the central market. The roof surface of the ground floor is an open-air public space, shaded by wooden umbrellas, specially designed for various events. The second and third floors are two levels of panoramic terraces (including a restaurant), with some of the best views of the city center. The material of the umbrellas is curly LVL panels of the Kerto-Q brand manufactured by Finnforest (now Metsä Wood (English) Russian ) in the amount of 3400 pieces fastened together by 3000 load-bearing connecting nodes .. The dimensions of the panels reach up to 16.5 meters in length, and the width varies from 68 to 311 millimeters. The panels are arranged orthogonally forming a grid with holes one and a half meters by one and a half meters. The panels themselves are produced at the factory in Aichach, . The wooden part of the structure, for protection from the environment, is covered with a waterproof varnish of two-component polyurethane.

Story

Since the 19th century, there has been a market on this square, located in a separate market building. In 1948, in accordance with the plans for the reconstruction of the city, the building was partially demolished. However, the market itself remained until 1973, when the rest of the dilapidated building was finally demolished. The land remained dormant until 1990, when the city decided to build an underground car park with space for a market on the surface. However, in the middle of the construction, ruins from Roman and Andalusian times were discovered and the construction was put on hold, costing 14 million euros by then. In 2004, the city made an attempt to rebuild the site and announced an international competition to complete the construction.

Construction

Work on the plan for the redevelopment of the square began in 2004, when Jürgen Mayer from Berlin won the competition along with engineers from the Berlin office of the Arup design office. (English) Russian . The contractor was the construction company Sacyr Vallehermoso (Spanish) Russian from Madrid (now Sacyr (Spanish) Russian ).

Construction began on 26 June 2005 with an estimated cost of €50 million and a project completion date of June 2007. However, the project, unknown to anyone in the community, soon ran into difficulties. By May 2007 informed City officials that the design design was technically unfeasible, stating that a number of design assumptions had not been pre-tested and that technical limitations of certain materials were being violated. The wood used is birch, because of its appropriate quality, it was imported from Finland. A lot of time was spent developing a suitable alternative plan for strengthening the structure, which in turn turned out to be impractical due to the increase in weight. Finally, a suitable project using adhesive to reinforce the structure was only approved at the beginning of 2009. According to some estimates, due to delays, the total cost of construction reached 100 million euros.

The Plaza de la Encarnacion in ancient Seville is adorned with a very remarkable building, and in some respects simply outstanding - Metropol Parasol, a unique building, one of the largest wooden structures in the world.

When at the beginning of the new century they were going to build a garage here, no one knew yet that such an umbrella would be located in the Plaza de la Encarnación. The preliminary archaeological excavations showed that there used to be an ancient Roman settlement on this site, in connection with which it was decided to radically change the future purpose of this place - they decided to make an archaeological museum, and with it to open a whole complex, including a restaurant, a small market, walking paths on the roof and a terrace from where you can admire the views of the city.

The structure of the Metropol Parasol is made of wood with a polyurethane coating.

When Jurgen Meyer-Hermann completed the design and began building the Metropol Parasol, it caused a near-revolt of the locals in Seville. It was believed that the modern architectural design in the form of futuristic plants does not fit at all with the classical buildings of the old quarters of Seville. Despite the initial buzz, residents and visitors to Seville now consider the Umbrella to be one of the city's most significant landmarks.

Inspired by the vaults of the Cathedral of Seville (la Catedral de Sevilla) and the ficuses growing in the Plaza de Cristo de Burgos (la plaza del Cristo de Burgos), Mayer designed six “mushrooms” with cylindrical “legs” made of concrete blocks and gigantic jagged “ hats" from German and Finnish wood.

Due to its stunning size - 150 by 70 meters at a height of 26 meters, the "Metropol Umbrella" dominates the landscape of the central part of the city. It is the largest wooden structure in the world made entirely of wood. 8,000 wooden pieces were used (ordinary boards of various sizes and configurations), which were connected to each other with glue and steel fasteners. As a result, the "architectural nightmare" gave a magnificent fabulous result.

The complex began construction in 2006, opened in April 2011 and cost a whopping US$130 million.

Given its considerable size, the Umbrella, also known as the "Mushrooms of Encarnacion", serves a variety of purposes. On the ground floor there is a museum of ancient Roman and Moorish artifacts, on the ground floor there is a lively Central Market. After getting acquainted with ancient weapons and tasting local products in the market, you can go up to the terraces, which are located on two levels, offering stunning views of the city.

The Metropol Parasol, or the Metropol Umbrella, is actually a device for bringing life to the Plaza de la Encarnacion, which has been used as a car park for years and was considered a dead spot against the city's more popular tourist destinations. The structure consists of six beach umbrellas in the shape of giant mushrooms, inspired by elements of the Cathedral of Seville and ficus trees in the nearby Plaza de Cristo de Burgo. The beach umbrella includes a market, shops and a podium for concerts and events. The basement houses the Vault of Antiquities, where Roman and Moorish artifacts are displayed in the museum. There is an open public plaza on the rooftop designed for social gatherings. There are panoramic terraces, including a restaurant that offers one of the best views of the city center.

The huge center of leisure and culture "Metropol Parasol" took its place on Encarnacion Square ( laplazadelaEncarnació n), in the historic center of the Andalusian capital, next to baroque churches and crowded streets.

The colossal “mushroom” is divided into four zones: Museum of Antiques (el Museoantiquarium) in the basement, traditional Food Market (el MercadodeAbastos) on the ground floor, the huge Main Square (la PlazaMajor) on the top floor and a spacious observation deck on the "mushroom cap" from which you can admire spectacular views of the city and its environs.

On the sign at the entrance to the Metropol Parasol, you can read that this center was inaugurated with the participation of the mayor of the city of Seville, Alfredo Sánchez Monteseirín (Alfredo Sánchez Monteseirín). The entertainment center and especially its incredible size has been repeatedly criticized. But the mayor of the city is confident that this project will give Seville a more modern look.

The historical core of the city was under the shadow of exotic architectural "umbrellas" of the multifunctional public center Metropol Parasol or "Metropolis Umbrella", called by the author of the project Jorgen Mayer "Cathedral without walls", and by local residents - "Mushrooms of Encarnacion".

The German architect, whose conceptual basis of creativity is the mystery and manifestation of protective patterns and ornaments, and commitment to the idea of ​​integrity and infinity of space, used his research as an architectural metaphor when developing the Metropol Parasol project. The outer patterned form of the futuristic building contains filled volumes on four levels.

This historical event is fully displayed in the Antiquarium archaeological museum, located on 4500 square meters of the underground level, through the glazed floor of which you can see the ancient ruins. The second floor is given over to the food market, which historically settled on this site in the middle of the 19th century. The third floor of the new shopping and entertainment center hosts concerts and sports matches, film and theater performances, fashion shows, exhibitions and other cultural events. The honeycomb structure of the mushroom cap roof is covered with winding footpaths that serve as magnificent lookouts for panoramic views of the Andalusian capital.

The materials used to build the community center, and especially their quantity, led the original building to the Guinness Book of Records, moreover, twice - the Parasol Metropole turned out to be the world's largest structure made of wood, and a huge amount of heavy-duty glue to hold the materials together made it the largest structure on glue. To avoid exposure to high temperatures and the release of harmful fumes, the glued wooden elements of the undulating umbrella roof, which smoothly “grows” from concrete bases, are “wrapped” with a protective layer of high-quality polyurethane coating.

A masterpiece of modern urban planning, Seville's modern social and entertainment center Metropol Parasol has already been called a cult place in Spain, attracting visitors not only with a wide range of services and entertainment, but also with unique archaeological finds and amazing abstract architecture by Jörgen Mayer's creative office.

“Since it’s easy to combine a wide variety of styles in Seville, why not build THIS ?!”

This is exactly how the architect Jürgen Mayer should have argued when he proposed to install a kind of floating wafer made of glued laminated timber in the historical center of the city. It turned out pretentious and large-scale, so the Parasol Metropolis is an obligatory point on the map of tourist Seville.

Some compare its shape to a honeycomb, others speak of umbrellas, incarnation mushrooms, and the like. For most Mudéjar-weary tourists, it looks like an ornate wooden waffle hanging from five mushroom-like pillars. Or a children's designer like the one in the figure below. The budget, however, is cosmic - under 100 million euros.

In fairness, we note that this is better than it was before construction. Previously, there was a car park at Plaza de la Encarnacion 18, which only spoiled the surroundings of this place. A wooden mushroom with a height of 28 meters and an area for the entire object of more than 11 thousand square meters. m - why not?

Video about how the construction of the Metropol Parasol took place.

How it all works

At the excavation stage, the builders stumbled upon ancient Roman ruins, thanks to which a small Antiquarium Museum appeared at the zero level. For only €2 from 10:00 to 20:00, you can see its small exhibition, consisting mainly of the foundations of old houses, pots and other things. Here you can get one of the themed souvenirs.

The first floor is reserved for the market, the second floor is for a platform for mass events, the third floor has a small restaurant, but the main thing is that from here, for about €3, you can walk along the panoramic ramp of the fourth floor and take some gorgeous photos, for which it was worth visiting this object. Opening hours are flexible, but usually from 10:00 am to midnight.

3 reasons to visit this place

• For spectacular photos. Of interest is both the form of the structure itself and the view from its roof. Grab a wide-angle lens or fisheye - you can get a couple of good shots.
• This is a really cool market. Fresh seafood, meat products, fruits and vegetables on an area of ​​about 2200 sq. m. Plus good cafes and bars.
• Take a break from the heat. And at the same time, you can feel the ideas of local archaeologists in the Metropol Parasol dungeon. Yes, yes, in the very Antiquarium. Cheap, cheerful, but kind of like antiquity.

Location on the map of Seville

More information on the official website: setasdesevilla.com

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