Jürgen Mayer's undulating wooden structure — the world's largest timber construction — hovering over Plaza de la Encarnación. Locals call it Las Setas (the mushrooms). Love it or hate it, it defines modern Sevilla.
Location
Centro, Sevilla
Map
Insider Intel
Pay for the rooftop walkway (Setas Mirador) for 360-degree views of the city. The undulating pathways and circular viewpoints feel like walking on a wooden cloud. Below, the Antiquarium museum displays Roman ruins discovered during construction. The ground-level market has tapas stalls and produce vendors.
Sunset for the best light and views — the city glows orange and the structure itself becomes sculptural. Weekday mornings are quiet. Summer evenings when the rooftop stays open late and locals gather below.
Completed in 2011 after a controversial design competition and construction process. The plaza was a parking lot until Roman ruins were discovered during excavation — the project pivoted to incorporate archaeology below and contemporary architecture above. Cost overruns and aesthetic debates made it Sevilla's most divisive project. Locals eventually embraced it. The structure is bonded timber (no metal fasteners) and provides shade for the market below — a functional parasol. One of Europe's most distinctive 21st-century public structures.