Leveling programmes
Metropol Parasol integrates the various historical layers and urban functions of the site. The archaeological excavations and ruins may be visited and contemplated beneath street level. The ground floor retains the commercial activities of the market with facilities for shopping. Curving handrails and broad flights of steps leads to a large platform housing cafés but which may first and foremost be appropriated by the citizens for all sorts of activities and events: concerts, public meetings and gatherings, or simply for strolling around, meeting friends, and enjoying a bit of shadow in the midst of the hot Spanish summer. The shading canopy rest on six cylindrical columns or 'trunks'. These, as well as the foundations are made of reinforced concrete. Lifts provide access to the upper amorphously shaped level where one finds a large restaurant and a 250 meter long walkway with breathtaking views of the inner city.