Evolution in the design and construction of stadiums

Abstract

Stadiums have carried through time, from ancient to modem, a common identity in the design concept, reflected through similarities in shape, structural elements, materials and methods of construction. The earliest design models appeared with the Greeks starting the eighth century B.C. and were improved by the Romans during the first four centuries A.D. The Colosseum, Roman's most acclaimed amphitheater is regarded as the mother of all modem stadiums, setting the rule for innovative design and construction. It generated the first stadium designs of the modem era and guided the evolution of their successors to the level of beauty and sophistication they actually reflect. This thesis presents the Colosseum as a case study for the identification and analysis of the major aspects of ancient stadiums design and construction methods following the model of Roman Engineering. Moving on towards the last two centuries, the Colosseum will be a guide to trace the evolution in the structural types of stadiums urged by the emergence of new construction materials and techniques in the flow of technological development.