J. Mayer H. Architects’ Metropol Parasol opening this Sunday

Mar 2011

By Sebastian J — Filed under: Featured ,Structures , J. Mayer H. Architects, Sevilla, Spain, Wood

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We’ve told you before about “Metropol Parasol”, the Redevelopment of Plaza de la Encarnación in Sevilla, designed by J. MAYER H. Architects. March 27 marks the opening, while the final completion of the project is scheduled for April 2011. More images and complete press release after the break.

Designed by J. MAYER H. architects, this project becomes the new icon for Seville, – a place of identification and to articulate Seville’s role as one of the world´s most fascinating cultural destinations. “Metropol Parasol” explores the potential of the Plaza de la Encarnacion to become the new contemporary urban centre. 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 memory, leisure and commerce. A highly developed infrastructure helps to activate the square, making it an attractive destination for tourists and locals alike.

The “Metropol Parasol” scheme with its impressive timber structures offers an archaeological museum, a farmers market, an elevated plaza, multiple bars and restaurants underneath and inside the parasols, as well as a panorama terrace on the very top of the parasols. Realized as one of the largest and most innovative bonded timber-constructions with a polyurethane coating, the parasols grow out of the archaeological excavation site into a contemporary landmark, defining a unique relationship between the historical and the contemporary city. “Metropol Parasols” mix-used character initiates a dynamic development for culture and commerce in the heart of Seville and beyond.

: © Angel Vilches

: © Fernando Alda

: © Ignacio Ysasi

: © Ignacio Ysasi

: © Ignacio Ysasi

Cite:
Jordana , Sebastian . "J. Mayer H. Architects’ Metropol Parasol opening this Sunday" 25 Mar 2011. ArchDaily. Accessed 23 Feb 2012. <http://www.archdaily.com/122621>

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mago says:

i am sorry but this is not sevilla, no link with the site, out of scale, and much more

# March 25, 2011 at 12:03

Andy says:

This is an urban catastrophe…what a waste of resources.

# March 25, 2011 at 12:46

-1

Josh Mings says:

I would hardly call it a catastrophe. Is it definitely different then its context? Of course, but its a destination building, not a background one. It should be much less about looking like its context and more about creating a dialogue with it, which this does. I like how this creates an inhabitable roof structure for a program which roof is typically 1 layer (such as EMBT’s market in Barcelona) or open air. Its meant to be different then its surroundings, and draw you in with both its architecture and programming. The true test will be if it becomes the busy destination it desires to be.

# March 25, 2011 at 13:13

Wang says:

Things are always seeking the beauty.

# March 25, 2011 at 13:14

Samuel Ludwig says:

I was there in June, it was a disaster then, still looks like a disaster now. I’m sorry but you can’t try to encourage an ‘engaging public space’ if you put it on a plinth 20′ above everything else.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/st_ludwig/5034590121/in/set-72157624465312445/

# March 25, 2011 at 13:24

jg says:

CONTEXT???? in sevilla
the most wonderful of their sites are anticontext…for at one time they were implanted foreign types by the moors (alcazar, etc)….context it is relative and sometimes you need to depart from it to create new ones…..

lets be open and not so closed…

# March 25, 2011 at 16:24

NeverForget says:

3DH! <3 Per

# March 25, 2011 at 19:31

Shane Reiner-Roth says:

what is it made of

# March 25, 2011 at 19:59

Dan says:

try reading

# March 30, 2011 at 01:01

amateur says:

Saw Jurgen speak last year. Most of his work is great, but this project is appalling.
LITERALLY building your lasercut eggcrate model, especially at this scale, seems so naive and narrow-minded.
Any first year grad student could do this with a few cut templates. Is being a mature architect a)having the determination to bring a form like this into being? or b) realizing that there are other transformative parameters -site, context, basic tectonic efficiencies, scale, etc- that are in dialogue with your initial formal study model?
This doesn’t feel resolved, it feels forced. There’s a big difference.

# March 25, 2011 at 22:18

xx says:

I agree.. and architectural disaster.

# March 26, 2011 at 10:02

when architect destroy the city says:

Poor, Sevilla.
This should be the ugliest building in your history!

# March 26, 2011 at 11:49

sara says:

“explores the potential of the Plaza de la Encarnacion to become the new contemporary urban centre”

Why didn’t they just leave it as an open public square? – when has that NOT worked ???

# March 27, 2011 at 02:49

Clotaire Rapaille says:

Well, the competition was ordered by the city the put a new iconic project there, so we can’t blame the architects for participating.

And actually, the strenght of this project is exactly that they leave the public square empty, First by walking on top of the market on an elevated plaza, and then stacking a promenade and coffee on the top of the structure that provide shading for the hot summer market square.

Beyond the shape is one very clever project.

I suggest reading :
Georges Teyssot with Olivier Jacques,
“Inhabiting a Spline: The Making of Metropol Parasol”, Log 19, New York 2010

# March 29, 2011 at 13:54

nulla says:

I wonder what people will think a few years later… how this project will last.

# March 27, 2011 at 12:29

kiko says:

NEO-SUPER-GOTIC!! its an object from the present by its amazing super structure with medieval and moorish roots, that comes from both site, city and archeological place that covers up, emerging from an over exposed plaza that was to aggressive for the people, resolving the lack of infrastructures and shadow, occupying the less floor space possible, with the aim of not destroying the idea of plaza and actually creating an new idea of plaza, imposing it self as a new land mark. Making the dialog between history, Seville, the site it self and what is to come! please don’t judge things that you do not/can’t or don’t want to comprehend just because you are to afraid of the NEW!

# March 27, 2011 at 15:05

zack says:

OBJECT-TECTURE

Where are the details? This is third year studio work….

# March 29, 2011 at 19:36

Alejandro Rico says:

Its just horrible… if it looks horrible in pics, must be hedious in live.

# March 29, 2011 at 21:11

Shadow says:

For sure, all of you who like it, wouldn´t be saying so if you lived in Seville.
If we deal with the question of context…believe me, it matters, you cannot build such a giant building in the middle of the old side of the city expecting to create a beautiful area. It is horrible if you compare it with its surroundings.
However I do not think it itself is horrible, it would be great if It would be placed in the modern part of the city since it would be part of the ocnjunt thogether with others buildings.

# March 31, 2011 at 11:23

Ascari says: