A look at the world’s largest wooden structure

 For all of its old world charm, Seville, Spain also boasts the massive, modern and unruly Metropol Parasol – the world’s largest wooden structure. 

Designed and created by the German firm J. Mayer H. Architects at a cost of approximately $123 million, the Metropol Parasol eclipses all other wooden structures, with four-stories and 136,378 square feet of winding wood.

The architect wanted to create a series of parasol-like canopies to provide shade for the plazas below. “The parasols grow out of the archaeological excavation site into a contemporary landmark, defining a unique relationship between the historical and the contemporary city,” the architectural team said in a statement.

And while the base of the building, which houses a bar, restaurant and museum, is made from concrete, it is, naturally, also coated in wood paneling. [Curbed] –Christopher Cameron