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The Roman Colosseum.

An architectural wonder far ahead of its time.

And the undisputed champion of sports stadiums for the last 2 ,000 years.

The Colosseum is a grand stage for spectacle. This was a structure the

scale of which Romans had never seen before.

It's the greatest of all time, pound for pound.

the most famous and enduring stadium in history.

Even today, the Colosseum is still the pride of the Romans, and it still draws

quite a crowd, just like it did almost 2 ,000 years ago.

The Colosseum is famously the first and foremost example of what a stadium can

mean to a city.

But after being exposed to the elements for thousands of years, the Colosseum is

showing its age.

It's a ruin, but one of the most important ruins on the planet. So it has

multiple lives.

We want to construct a brand -new, modern -day version of the iconic arena

future generations to enjoy.

Could today's architects use the latest technology to outbuild the ancient

Romans? We can do it, definitely.

Here's the plan. We're rounding up the best mines and newest modern materials

build the next Colosseum. Bigger, better, and... Built to last.

It's Roman ruins versus 21st century super stadiums. When we do a new

we don't go into it thinking, wow, wouldn't this be a cool ruin? Get ready

the main event.

We're on the job site of one of the world's greatest wonders. And we're

wondering, how long would it take?

How much would it cost?

How many workers would we need?

Could we even do it if we built it today?

The ancient Romans ruled their empire for nearly a thousand years.

They were known for their brutal regimes, extravagant lifestyles, and

their bold engineering solutions.

And they proved it with the construction of their massive Colosseum in the year

80 AD.

The Colosseum is essentially an enormous stadium.

It's an amphitheater the size that the Roman world had not seen before.

If you can imagine being a visitor coming to Rome, this would be the

building you had ever seen.

Constructed from 240 ,000 cartloads of stone, The Coliseum stands 15 stories

high and covers six acres, with a playing surface the size of eight

courts or two and a half hockey rinks.

When we enter the Coliseum today, we really see all of the elements of a

stadium for watching spectator sports.

Thousands and thousands of seats, all with a view of the action.

55 ,000 Romans came here, free of charge, to see some of the most violent

sporting events in history.

The gladiator competitions were paid for by the emperor.

If one emperor gave a show that had a certain amount of killing and

bloodthirstiness, then the next emperor had to top that.

And today's sun -baked tourists might never guess, there was an impressive

innovation that hung over this once bloody battlefield.

The Colosseum had a temporary retractable roof that could be used to

the spectators from the elements. Sailing technology that allowed for the

sails to be deployed and retracted as needed to shade the spectators.

Although today there are more than 4 ,000 stadiums across the globe,

the Roman Colosseum still holds the title as the largest amphitheater ever

and the greatest icon of political power.

After all, the Roman Empire was one of the mightiest in history.

It was a chance for Rome to show how important they were, that they really

the center of the world.

Dan Meese is the architect behind the Staples Center in L .A.

and the Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.

And he's taking on the world champion.

It was the center of culture and event for Rome, so it became a place everybody

went to.

Romans knew it as the Amphitheatrum Flavium because it was built during the

Flavian dynasty.

The Colosseum was built as a way of entertaining Romans.

but also impressing upon them the power of the Roman emperor.

The iconic structure was about more than amusing the masses.

It was a huge source of civic pride.

The Colosseum provided a venue for tens of thousands of people to come together

and share the common experience of a live sporting event.

To create something on a scale that had not been seen before.

And to create spectacle that could only happen in Rome.

Inside these walls, gladiators fought to the death. Battled lions, bears, and

rhinos. Many of the original columns are still standing more than a thousand

years later.

Today it's hard for us to imagine building for centuries.

We are often building disposable infrastructure today, infrastructure

to last for a timescale of decades.

If we built solid stone stadiums like the Romans did, they'd last a lot

To build a stadium that would last for thousands of years, is almost

inconceivably expensive for us to do today.

Besides, modern stadiums are designed to make money, not history.

The main driver of building a modern stadium is revenue. When someone's

a new stadium, it's because we're now able to put in the kind of amenities

drive revenues besides just the tickets.

Can we build a coliseum that'll turn a profit and stay upright until the turn

the century?

Our modern mega -developer says we could, and we should.

Even if it costs a billion dollars, I think the benefit to society outweighs

cost when it's something that's going to be used and cherished by the whole

community.

Today's stadiums can easily cost between $500 million and $3 billion, and they

often fall apart before their 50th birthday.

Nowadays, it's team owners, not emperors, that make our stadiums

But to get an owner to work with us, we'll need to come prepared with a

foolproof plan.

It's all about the planning. And if you plan it right, you will be on budget and

on time. And I think that's the key in success.

in building any structure around the world.

When the ancient Romans began planning their Colosseum, the empire had just

emerged from a civil war that ended when General Vespasian seized the crown.

He believed that the chariot races and gladiatorial games held in the Colosseum

would bring Romans back together.

This was the new emperor's gift to the people of Rome.

Vespasian built this. He was really building something that was needed in

and something that would have a big impact.

The new emperor wanted to build a monument to the might of the empire, but

today's stadiums are more monuments to money. If you build it, they will come

and hopefully spend money on tickets, food, and souvenirs.

We're getting...

bigger and more expensive and all of that's reflected in creating these giant

palaces of sport today it's pop stars and elite athletes who draw a crowd

and not gladiators but we still crave the unique excitement of being part of a

sea of cheering fans people want to be in a communal experience the stadium

arena it gives the populace a home for that competition

and to demonstrate the power and superiority of their culture.

That was a big idea of the Coliseum, and I think it's true of its stadium today.

After nearly 2 ,000 years, only a third of the

original Coliseum remains.

The retractable awnings, most of the floor, and many of the interior walls

gone. We'd want a coliseum tougher than that, one that will have staying power

and money -making power for thousands of years.

But we've got our work cut out for us.

Building in Rome, there's a reason why they say it wasn't built in a day. It's

not an easy place to build.

Today, we're building for a team owner who's going to want a big financial win.

But if we're really going to upset the champ, our Colosseum's got to be bigger,

better, and longer -lasting than the Romans.

So, where are we going to build it?

What's it going to look like?

What are we going to make it out of?

How long will it take to build?

How many people will we need?

And will it turn a profit?

or lead to financial ruin.

In its prime, this state -of -the -art Roman arena was home to fierce

gladiatorial combat.

But after nearly 2 ,000 years, the Colosseum's crumbling remains are just a

reminder of its glory days.

We want to recreate this architectural legend.

But first, we need to find the perfect location.

When Vespasian took the reins of the Roman Empire in 69 AD, the center of

Rome was the perfect place for his gift to the people.

On site was an artificial lake, fed by the city's famous aqueducts.

The previous emperor Nero used it to host his over -the -top private pool

parties.

At the time the Colosseum was built, life in Rome had been very difficult for

the ordinary population here because there'd been the emperor Nero. The

Nero had been very extravagant.

Building Rome's new stadium on top of Nero's lake may have been a political

on the part of the new emperor Vespasian.

But it had a practical advantage, too.

It was an area that was already dug out. It was also compacted sediments, and

that was a good foundation as well.

The Colosseum took center stage in Rome, next to the Roman Forum, the city's

original public square.

This is really where entertainment and sports began in becoming the kind of

heartbeat of a city.

If we're going to build a stadium to rival the one Vespasian built 2 ,000

ago, we're also going to need some prime real estate.

But in the world of stadium construction, the more recent trend has

build on the outskirts of town, where there's more parking, less traffic

congestion.

And in the case of Rome, no fear of your gigantic new stadium leaving a

footprint on hallowed ground.

One of the great concerns is that wherever you dig, you might find some

important ruin.

An archaeologist's dream is a builder's nightmare.

The smallest relic could shut down construction for up to five years.

That's the reason architect Dan Mies chose to build his latest stadium here,

half -hour drive from Rome's ancient downtown core.

His proposed Stadio della Roma would be the home for the city's biggest soccer

club.

We're building on a site that we think is pretty clean of any kind of ancient

ruins that might slow us down, but we never know until we start digging.

But building in Rome is like building in a graveyard.

With 14 ,000 years of history, both above and below the surface.

So, instead of breaking new ground, maybe we could resurrect the original

Colosseum and return it to its former glory.

But what would it take to revitalize a sports stadium that's past its prime?

We may find some answers right here in the Windy City.

Chicago's Coliseum is Wrigley Field, named after the chewing gum magnate.

the legendary home of the Chicago Cubs.

And this house is in need of a major renovation.

Baseball fans love the trademark marquee and the retro manual scoreboard.

But this stadium was constructed in a hurry.

The ballpark, which was built over 100 years ago, was built in six weeks for

just $250 ,000.

And then the city came in a few weeks later and said, guess what, you need to

some parts of it again because you skipped some of the parts of the city

That's the part that we've been dealing with.

The fee for giving this icon a facelift?

$500 million.

More than it would cost to simply replace it.

But fans are willing to pay to hold on to their beloved ballpark.

There's a special connection that Wrigley has with generations of Cub fans

has kept it alive.

Chicagoans love Wrigley Field as much as the Romans loved their Coliseum.

Wrigley Field is part of a neighborhood.

If you tried to build Wrigley Field somewhere else, it would not be the

That's part of its charm. It's part of what makes it special.

Wrigley Field proves that restoration can be more expensive than new

construction. So, it won't save us any money to renovate the crumbling

Especially since this is its restored state.

$30 million was spent stabilizing and refreshing it in the last decade alone.

Plus, People seem to love the Colosseum and its ancient facade.

It's incredibly important to the city of Rome today, even though it's a totally

different use. It's a place to go see. It's a ruin, but one of the most

important ruins on the planet. So it has multiple lives.

It's a massive tourist attraction, drawing in 4 million visitors a year.

Trying to convert a beloved World Heritage Site into a modern sports arena

be like putting a fresh coat of paint on the Mona Lisa.

So, it's settled. We'll build a brand new Coliseum just outside of Rome, and

we'll make ours even bigger.

But we aren't the first ones to take on this challenge.

There are plenty of stadiums bigger than the Coliseum.

Run Grotto Stadium in North Korea is the largest.

It can hold three times as many people as the original Coliseum.

Los Angeles has its own Coliseum that holds 75 ,000 people.

The home of Dallas' football team covers 73 acres, more than 10 times the size

of the Roman Coliseum.

And the distinct arches and columns of the Colosseum are echoed in stadiums in

New York, Boston, and all the way back to Rome, where Dan Meese is designing a

new state -of -the -art stadium that rivals the Colosseum's enduring

architecture and its original jaw -dropping look.

When you first saw it, it would look absolutely magnificent. It would almost

certainly also be the most beautifully decorated building that you would ever

see.

When it was built, the stone facade extended around the entire Colosseum.

Bronze shields glinted from the top tier, and there was a stone statue

every archway.

But when the Roman games ended in the 6th century AD, Romans began pillaging

decorations, precious stone and metal.

And in 1349, an earthquake brought down the southern wall.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

But everyone who beholds the Roman Colosseum agrees that even in ruins,

beauty.

And its look inspires Dan Meese.

The most important thing is we want to do a building that's of its time and

obviously of the future as well, but we wanted to make reference to it. As he's

designing his Stadio della Roma, Dan is giving a nod to the original Colosseum

in the form of a floating stone wall around the stadium exterior.

It will even be made from the same stone as the Colosseum's exterior,

travertine, a form of limestone that has the luxurious look of marble.

It is this idea of a very contemporary, modern, steel and glass stadium, but

wrapped in these traditional materials that everybody's very familiar with in

Rome.

It's a new take on an old classic.

We want to show the world what the Colosseum looked like before it fell

ruin.

So... We're going to reproduce the original exterior, only bigger.

Big enough to hold 100 ,000 spectators.

Twice as many people as the original.

But we don't want our Colosseum to crumble, so we need to build it with

materials that are sure to last for centuries to come.

The obvious choice?

The same material as the Romans, travertine.

The Romans built a 12 and a half mile long road to Tivoli just so it could be

brought back by the cartload to the ancient construction site.

But Travertine alone won't get the job done.

On the interior of the Colosseum, we find brick and concrete vaults that

supported the raked seating.

Okay, so let's also add brick and concrete to our materials list.

But we also want our new Coliseum to outlast the original.

So we may need some more advanced materials that will withstand the test

time.

Since the first people walked through the Coliseum's spectacular stone

nearly 2 ,000 years ago, countless stadiums have been constructed, all

the world.

But not all of them followed the ancient Roman model.

Romans were building for durability.

When we build a stadium today, we build in a much lighter way with materials

that are not as durable.

Today, many builders are opting to use steel, a much more affordable building

material than stone.

But can we build a steel stadium that'll last for centuries?

That's the goal in St. Paul, Minnesota, where crews are working through the

winter to complete a new major league soccer stadium called Allianz Field.

They're building with steel, and lots of it.

The base building material is structural steel. All around the stadium, there's

about 4 ,000 tons of steel.

Steel is one of the most popular building materials for modern stadiums,

there's a good reason for that.

They erected the entire steel frame here in a little under eight months, which

is extremely fast for the project site as a whole.

Structural steel sounds like a good option.

But steel rusts.

Will it hold up to harsh winter weather?

One inherent disadvantage is just that as it's a steel material, it is

susceptible to corrosion.

To keep steel in optimal working condition, it's painted with a zinc

primer.

Zinc protects steel from corrosive forces like moisture, acid rain, and UV

But it can only shield the steel for so long.

It's just a matter of decades before the zinc corrodes, too.

So, let's tally up the scorecards.

Steel or stone?

Steel is cheaper. Stone is more expensive.

Stone lasts longer. Steel needs a coat of paint every 30 years.

Steel is adaptable and flexible.

Stone is stately and reverent.

Steel is fast and easy to build with.

Stone, not so much.

Okay, that's five points for steel and three points for stone. That's a win for

steel, no matter what game you're playing.

To give our new coliseum the same dignified look as the original, we need

lesson in new age materials.

In Minnesota, they used a translucent screen to wrap up their steel stadium.

This is the first project that we're using this PTFE material.

PTFE stands for polytetrafluoroethylene, and it's a fiberglass mesh that's

laminated with a polymer.

Laminate provides that hard protective coating on the stadium shell so that you

get the best of both worlds. You get protection, but you also get

PTFE is more commonly known as Teflon.

And stitching it into a stadium calls for some international collaboration.

It's a lot like a quilt where they make the material in the USA and then they

ship it over to China and the different patches of the quilt are put together in

China. and then they fold it up into a crate and then ship it back to site here

where we install it.

So, that settles it. We're building a colossal plastic coating over a frame of

concrete and steel.

And we can fabricate massive pieces of mesh to mimic the travertine exterior of

the old Coliseum.

While we're keeping one eye on the bottom line, we have to keep another eye

the future.

How are we going to manage the upkeep of all of this concrete, steel, and

plastic?

Remember, our steel skeleton needs to be repainted every 10 years, and that

represents just a fraction of the total maintenance costs.

Any building that you decide to erect with the material you're going to use,

you're going to have a plan for maintenance and upkeep that is a 100

And that should be taken into consideration from day one.

It's all about the planning.

So, let's bump up our budget by 10 % to cover the cost of maintenance over the

next thousand years.

Now we know where we're going to build it.

And what we're going to make it out of.

But, how many people is it going to take?

It takes a huge team of people. We work with the world's greatest engineers who

figure out things that I can only describe. Like, can we make that roof

split apart and move?

And they actually figure out the science behind that. And then a contractor has

to come in and figure out how they take those drawings and build it, and build

it for a certain cost.

But where will we find the right people we'll need to get the job done?

2 ,000 years ago, the Colosseum was built by Rome's enslaved enemies.

One of the major expenses in a building like this is manpower.

Now that wasn't really a problem for somebody like the emperor, because it

slave society.

There was an infinite amount of manpower available.

Today, we have very different ethical standards, and we plan to pay people

wages for their hard work.

Here at Wrigley Field, They're working night and day to squeeze two years'

of work into baseball's six -month off -season.

We all work together, and we work around the clock to get it done.

Jim Wilson is the guy who keeps this team motivated.

There's a lot of pride, I think, that these men and women in the trade state,

they want to be here and get it done on time.

More than 500 people are renovating Wrigley Field.

We'll need just as many people to build our new Coliseum.

Most modern stadiums are built in two years or less, so that's how long we'll

plan for as well.

500 people working for two years at today's wages adds up to about $100

We haven't added up the final bill yet, but it's going to be colossal.

To make that money back, we'll have to fill up our arena over and over and

Two thousand years ago, the vicious gladiator competitions consistently

the seats.

It was so brutal and so gruesome. It really goes against everything that we

think today is civilized behavior.

But Rome was a very martial society.

It was a society that was built on military power.

The Roman games weren't just brutal, they were grueling, lasting up to a

days.

As the centuries passed, the Colosseum played host to even more elaborate

spectacles.

Between having the ability of storing animals and bringing them into an event,

or the gladiatorial floor for a fight, or even the idea of flooding it for a

naval battle. It really was seen as a multi -purpose, multi -event kind of

building that added a lot to the flexibility and the true spectacle.

The ancient Coliseum accommodated people and animals below ground and tiers of

spectators above.

Our new Coliseum will have to be adaptable.

to today's spectator sports.

In a modern arena, we might have a basketball game in the afternoon and a

game that night and a concert later that night. So they have to be designed in a

way that all of the support functions, the marshalling areas, the floor

transition from court to ice, for example, all of that has to be super

and super easy.

We're going to need a building that can adapt, not just day to day, but hour to

hour.

The crew at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada, are masters of the fine art of

quick turnaround.

This state -of -the -art arena seats 20 ,000 and averages at least one event

every single day.

As a venue last year, we did about 385 events of various sizes.

It's a 24 -7 operation.

Tonight, a concert. Tomorrow, a hockey game.

And in between... Dozens of people moving with clockwork precision to make

happen.

So we're standing here at 11 at night. We've got the tour loading out behind

In a little over seven hours, we'll need to be turning the ice back over to the

NHL team for practice.

Rogers Place is an example of how we can turn the next Coliseum into an

entertainment center that meets every need.

We wanted a venue that would...

catered to a wide variety of tenants, so whether it's live entertainment, the

concerts, the comedy shows, the hockey side, all of those important things

days. In a modern arena, every event requires unique modifications.

The construction work never ends.

We're quarter to two right now, probably running about 45 minutes to an hour

behind. Not finishing on time isn't an option.

A major push is on to finish before the puck is dropped.

But that's nothing compared to the stress on Roman stage crews.

The games had to be good. They had to wow the people.

And that could be pretty brutal for some of the people who worked there.

We know, for example, that the laborers who were changing the scenery, etc., if

they didn't do it in a way that was quick and efficient and also part of the

entertainment... They could end up themselves being thrown to the animals.

Even today, turnaround is where the game of stadium management is won or lost.

A stadium isn't just a big building. It's big business.

And if we want to stay in business for the next 2 ,000 years, we've got to stay

profitable.

It turns out that building a modern -day coliseum isn't going to be cheap.

But we have a plan to still turn a profit.

Our number one moneymaker?

Ticket sales.

And unlike the ancient Romans, our audiences will pay to get in.

When you went to the amphitheater, the good news is that it was usually free.

was part of the emperor's gift to the people.

But the bad news is that you couldn't choose where you sat.

You had to sit according to your social class.

You can have any seat in our house as long as you're willing to pay.

We're planning more than 90 ,000 seats.

Plus 300 luxury skyboxes to hold another 10 ,000 people.

Max capacity, 100 ,000. Twice as many as the original Coliseum.

Money maker number two, merchandise, snacks, and any other gimmicks we can

up with.

Today, we're designing kids' lands, we're designing restaurants,

souvenir shops.

There's all sorts of different ways to experience the game, because that's what

the fans want.

Being able to control the stadium, the revenues, the parking, the food and

beverage that people buy.

All of that really is a critical part of the business plan to a club.

Moneymaker number three, advertising and naming rights, as relevant today as it

was 2 ,000 years ago.

Giving games at the amphitheater, sponsoring them, being the person who

them, was definitely a very big political advantage.

Instead of bronze shields and statues, Our new Coliseum will be adorned with

advertisements and logos.

Between tickets, amenities, and sponsorships, we think we can command $1

a year.

That's an average of $10 ,000 a seat.

The Romans didn't have to figure in fees for players and performers like we do,

but we'll still come out ahead.

A steady cash flow makes today's Colosseum a mega attraction for

Now that we've done the math, our planning phase is almost over.

We'll construct our massive building outside Rome, like architect Dan Mies

to do for his new stadium.

First things first, though, the foundation.

Emperor Vespasian's crew had a head start on us here.

The ground they used had previously been excavated for Nero's private pool.

After draining the lake, what they initially did was build a big donut of

concrete. And this was the foundation upon which this superstructure rests.

To build our foundation, we'll have to start from scratch.

This season, we poured 29 ,000 cubic yards of concrete to date.

That's about a 20 -story building. We've done that in less than three months.

Our concrete foundation will become the new Coliseum's basement, where all the

backstage magic will happen.

So once we get to the point of having that main concourse to build on, the

seating decks come up, and you start to actually see it as the form of a

stadium.

On to phase two.

assembling the structural steel frame and installing the seating bowls.

These brick and concrete vaults are the old Coliseum's main structural elements.

The ancient Coliseum featured more than 70 arched entranceways.

The steel for our new Coliseum will arrive prefabricated, ready to be

with heavy -duty cranes.

The Romans used a treadwheel crane to raise their coliseum.

A brilliant use of leverage mechanics powered by a human hamster wheel.

When the steel skeleton takes its shape, we're on to build phase three.

Time to install the stadium's skin, our plastic recreation of what the original

coliseum may have looked like.

With all that wrapped up, it's time for the fourth and final phase, the interior

work.

There are clubs and private boxes and restaurants that really start to fill in

the shell.

It takes about two and a half to three years to get to that point where it's

ready to turn on the lights and first game.

Once completed, our modern -day Colosseum will rival the ancient Romans.

And though the events held in our stadium will be very different than the

original gladiator games, our two arenas may have more in common than we think.

Emperor Vespasian died before his Colosseum even opened.

His son Titus finally oversaw the inaugural games in the year 80 AD.

We've set our opening date for April 21st, the anniversary of the founding of

Rome.

Imagine a new coliseum.

Bigger, better, grand enough to host Olympics, World Cups, and all the

spectacles you could dream of.

thousands of years into the future.

We did it.

We built our coliseum right outside of Rome.

We made it a concrete and steel skeleton, then dressed it in space -age

to look like the original, but last even longer.

It took a team of 500 people two years working around the clock.

So, What's all that going to cost us?

Well, we've tallied up the price of the materials and labor and even added extra

for design fees and maintenance.

The final price tag?

Two and a half billion dollars for a stadium that will last 2 ,000 years.

Most modern stadiums don't last 100.

Since our dream project will last so long.

we'll have much longer to pay off the bills.

So, what's all that going to cost us?

So, why don't we build sports arenas to last that long anyway?

There's no lack of technology.

It comes down to changing tastes, changing needs, and economics.

If you truly believed

that your sports team were going to be there 300 years from now. Perhaps you

would go back to Roman technology of very durable materials built in a

that was incredibly stable so that it could last for centuries. The question

who pays for this is an open question.

To build our new Colosseum, we had to do things differently than the ancient

Romans. And the results are a little different too.

But if people love it and take care of it, Any stadium can have a long life.

When I think of the Coliseum, I've always said that one of the things

really fascinating to me is that it has evolved far beyond what its original use

was, and yet it's as valuable to the city now as it was then, if not more.

Though the original Coliseum isn't quite what it used to be, it's still bringing

people together after all these years.

Does it make sense to build a future stadium the way the Romans built?

Probably not.

But can we learn some things from the way the Romans built? Absolutely.

The events inside the next Colosseum will be as different from ancient times

plastic is from stone. But the human desire to share the joy of watching a

competition or an extraordinary talent, that's something.

that will last long after today's buildings are crumbled and ruined.

I'm not too hung up on that my buildings stand for 2 ,000 years as much as I

like the idea that I'm playing a role in what makes that event really an

incredible thing to remember.

It's not the building, it's really the stage.

We would need someone of wealth, power, and influence to build a new Coliseum.

But that's not why we build it.

The Coliseum dream is to bring people together.

To experience something truly spectacular.

If we build it today.