Las Setas (The Mushrooms)
We had been wandering through a maze of narrow cobblestone streets lined with buildings from past centuries. Suddenly, we encountered something very large, and very modern: Las Setas de Sevilla. The towering forms did indeed resemble giant mushrooms; somehow, they were both curvy and made from squares. With the bold, innovative Las Setas, the city of Seville seemed to say, “You may know me for my long and storied past, but I am also a city of the future.”
That’s how I felt when I first saw Las Setas, during our first few days in Seville. Steve and I were eager to explore them more with Amy, and returned with her the following week. We were lucky to have some sunshine on an otherwise rainy day. After purchasing our tickets, we rode an elevator to the top, where there was a pedestrian walkway with 360° views of the city. The walkway followed the curves of the mushroom “caps,” up and down and around, with new views at every turn. It was wonderful to see the Cathedral and other church domes from up high. It was a little bit windy, and a lot of fun! After walking the big loop, we saw a short film called Feeling Sevilla on an IMAX-like screen. It was an “immersive” visual experience, and quite beautiful. After our mushroom-top walk, we had tapas in a cafe in the Plaza Encarnación, with a great view of Las Setas.
Las Setas is reportedly the largest wooden structure in the world, measuring over 90 feet tall. The site once housed Seville’s oldest market, and had been a vacant lot for decades when the city sponsored a competition for ideas to develop the space. The winning design was by Jürgen Mayer, a German architect, and Las Setas was constructed from 2005 to 2011.
Our tickets included the “Aurora” light show. We had other plans that evening, so Steve and Amy returned to Las Setas the next night, to see the magic mushrooms from above and below.
Fun Facts
Las Setas is made from micro-laminated Finnish pine wood, coated with polyurethane to withstand the elements.
For every pine tree cut down for Las Setas, three new trees were planted in the same forests.
The design of Las Setas was inspired by the vaulted ceilings of Seville Cathedral and the giant ficus trees in a nearby square.
The project was initially named "Metropol Parasol,” but the locals nicknamed it “Las Setas” because of its shape. When the city learned that the architect had trademarked the name “Metropol Parasol” and would charge for its use, the city officially named the project “Setas de Sevilla.”
Sources: setasdesevilla.com and Wikipedia
