Arenas bring together a vast diversity of people, all for a single purpose: to entertain. Arenas attract people of all different cultures, genders, and socioeconomic classes, as well as from various different walks of life. Arenas during the Roman era, as well as today, are gathering places where people of all different backgrounds go to partake in an event. However, modern day sports arenas serve a wider variety of purposes than Roman arenas, and, due to modern technologies, have various features which Roman arenas lacked. While modern sports arenas and ancient Roman arenas are similar in their core purposes and functions, both different incredibly in form.
Roman arenas were made out of stone, brick, cement, and concrete. These massive structures …show more content…
The design process for Roman arenas involved drawing floor plans to scale, three-dimensional models, perspective drawings, and full-size design sketches. Today, a similar process is invoked; however, due to advancements in technology, blueprints can be drawn up on computers, so that drawing elaborate hands by plan is not necessary. Before building an arena, it is essential to have a vast understanding of the land surrounding the area when the arena is to be built. Since the Colosseum was built in a valley where there was previously a lake, its construction had to be carefully planned and executed. Drains had to be built under the Colosseum, because of the streams that flow from the valleys and hills surrounding the area. Huge, complex buildings, like the Colosseum and modern day sports arenas, must be planned out in detail, and research must be conducted before building commences. Just like the Colosseum was created in accordance with a set of architectural principles developed in the construction of other amphitheatres, the different architectural elements of stadiums today are based off of the architectural elements of other …show more content…
They followed the classic model of Greek temples, where there were rectangular rows of columns topped with beams and that had a triangular pediment. Between and above the small rectangular windows there were stone socles, which held the masts that supported the awnings which shaded about a third of the spectators. The exterior was designed to depict the Roman imperial power, and the arches had painted statues of emperors and gods. Today, stadiums are covered with advertisements from various businesses and corporations. Some stadiums are even named after the company which contributed a grand amount of money to having the stadium built, such as Citi-Field for the New York Mets, named after CitiBank. The variety of elaborate arches, passages and stairways for the Colosseum allowed thousand of spectators to get into and watch the games, which is just like today. A unique element of Roman arenas is the trap-doors, designed to let animals leap dramatically into the main area of the arena. The arena was sometimes decorated “with elaborate stage scenery, so that the ritual murder could be varied with theatrical tales”. Today, sports arenas may be transformed not only to serve as locations for different sports teams. Sports fields, for example, can be transformed into concert venues with
Roman arenas were made out of stone, brick, cement, and concrete. These massive structures …show more content…
The design process for Roman arenas involved drawing floor plans to scale, three-dimensional models, perspective drawings, and full-size design sketches. Today, a similar process is invoked; however, due to advancements in technology, blueprints can be drawn up on computers, so that drawing elaborate hands by plan is not necessary. Before building an arena, it is essential to have a vast understanding of the land surrounding the area when the arena is to be built. Since the Colosseum was built in a valley where there was previously a lake, its construction had to be carefully planned and executed. Drains had to be built under the Colosseum, because of the streams that flow from the valleys and hills surrounding the area. Huge, complex buildings, like the Colosseum and modern day sports arenas, must be planned out in detail, and research must be conducted before building commences. Just like the Colosseum was created in accordance with a set of architectural principles developed in the construction of other amphitheatres, the different architectural elements of stadiums today are based off of the architectural elements of other …show more content…
They followed the classic model of Greek temples, where there were rectangular rows of columns topped with beams and that had a triangular pediment. Between and above the small rectangular windows there were stone socles, which held the masts that supported the awnings which shaded about a third of the spectators. The exterior was designed to depict the Roman imperial power, and the arches had painted statues of emperors and gods. Today, stadiums are covered with advertisements from various businesses and corporations. Some stadiums are even named after the company which contributed a grand amount of money to having the stadium built, such as Citi-Field for the New York Mets, named after CitiBank. The variety of elaborate arches, passages and stairways for the Colosseum allowed thousand of spectators to get into and watch the games, which is just like today. A unique element of Roman arenas is the trap-doors, designed to let animals leap dramatically into the main area of the arena. The arena was sometimes decorated “with elaborate stage scenery, so that the ritual murder could be varied with theatrical tales”. Today, sports arenas may be transformed not only to serve as locations for different sports teams. Sports fields, for example, can be transformed into concert venues with