The Italian government finally approved plans to create a remote-controlled, foldable deck at the Colosseum. The project was prepared by Milan Ingegneria. The new area will be located inside the building; interestingly, the original surface was removed in the 19th century to reveal underground structures.
As Alfonsina Russo, the director of the Colosseum Archaeological Park points out, the new arena will allow to recreate the appearance of the building from the inside, and at the same time to protect the elements of the ancient structure.
The project is to be implemented in 2023 and will allow tourists to enter the arena and admire the monumental building from the inside. In addition, the new surface will be durable enough to allow for the organization of cultural events.
Thanks to the complicated system, the arena will be able to be assembled and the rooms underneath will see the light of day. It is worth noting that the arena covered a complicated underground structure called hypogeum (literally “underground”). Not much remains of the original arena to this day, but the hypogeum is still visible. The structure consisted of two levels, interwoven with many tunnels and passages. There were also cages in which gladiators were kept and animals, which were then released into the arena through special exits.
The following video shows the arena that is about to be built.
