Metropol Parasol Updated

As most of us may know, the Metropol Parasaol won a Holcim Award in the year 2005. For those who don’t know the project, here is a brief description:

Metropol Parasol is the new icon project for Seville. As read on the project description, “Metropol Parasol pushes the potential of the Plaza de la Encarnacion to become the new urban centre of Seville. Its role as a unique urban space within the dense fabric of the medieval inner city of Seville allows for a great variety of activities such as contemplation, leisure and commerce. A highly developed infrastructure helps to activate the square, making it an attractive destination for tourists and locals alike.”

The project has been critiziced for being inappropriate for its context… what do you think?

The Metropol Parasol scheme, with its large mushroom-like structures, offers an archeological site, a farmers market, an elevated plaza, multiple bars and restaurants underneath and inside the parasols, as well as a panoramic terrace on the very top of the parasols. Built as s a light wood structure, the parasols grow out of the archeological excavation site into a contemporary landmark. The columns become prominent points of access to the museum below as well as to the plaza and panorama deck above, defining a unique relationship between the historical and the contemporary city.

Here are some images of the site under construction, taken by Pedro Pegenaute:

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Metropol Parasol
Redevelopment of Plaza de la Encarnacion, Seville, Spain

J. MAYER H. Architects
Project Team: Juergen Mayer H., Andre Santer, Marta Ramírez Iglesias, Jan-Christoph Stockebrand, Marcus Blum, Ana Alonso de la Varga, Paul Angelier, Hans Schneider, Thorsten Blatter, Wilko Hoffmann, Claudia Marcinowski, Sebastian Finckh, Alessandra Raponi, Olivier Jacques, Nai Huei Wang

International Competition: 1. Prize, 2004
Project: 2005-2007
Completion: 2010