Italian soccer team AS Roma needs new digs, and architectural practice Woods Bagot has duly risen to the occasion, producing impressive plans for a large stadium that draws inspiration from the ancient Roman Colosseum.
AS Roma currently shares a venue with rivals Lazio, so is long-overdue for a place of its own. The new stadium, dubbed Stadio della Roma, is due for completion in time for the 2016 - 2017 season, and will cost an estimated US$400 million.
The stadium has a capacity of 52,000, and sports a design that's intended to invoke the Colosseum of ancient Rome, with touches like a hydraulic lift that will allow players a dramatic entrance, in a similar fashion to the gladiatorial lifts which were once used in the Colosseum. It's also very flexible and can be configured into multiple stage layouts, including use as a concert stadium, which boosts the capacity to 60,000.
According to Woods Bagot, the stadium will be the first "truly sustainable" major European sports venue, boasting a carbon-neutral energy footprint, recycling capabilities and high-tech renewable energy and conservation programs. We've contacted the firm in a bid to ascertain just how this impressive feat will be achieved, and will let you know as soon as we do.
In the meantime, have a look at the video below for an overview of the project.
Sources: Woods Bagot, Stadio della Roma