International ideas competition aimed at acquiring a proposal for the canopy of the Roman amphitheater “Arena di Verona” hereinafter referred to as “Arena”.

What arcHITects proposed
The design and implementation of a roofing of a building with two thousand years of history represents an extremely delicate task: the development of a modern architecture, the aspect of preservation and enhancement of the existing structure and the practical aspect of the management and maintenance of the building must converge in a harmonious solution consistent with the context.

We set lightness as our first goal. Primarily in visual impact: we want the modern visitor to have the same experience of looking at the Arena and “seeing something grand”; this view will not be obstructed. Secondly in the uniform treatment of the different scales that present themselves to the viewer: man, building and the city. These purposes define the architectural solution. The consequence: lightness in the structural solution.

The aerostatic cover
The project’s aerostatic roof remains suspended above the amphitheater, supported by a system of slender steel pillars insisting on the top of it, aligned in plan with the outermost order of pillars and a system of tie rods ties the roof to the ground, connects the 72 pillars to each other, and holds the roof when stressed by the wind.

Reversibility of the roof
The structural lightness that characterizes the design allows for minimal impact on the monument: the only internal support points, needed only to keep the view from the plaza clear, are the support shafts that work solely in compression. Most of the loads requiring structural modifications (e.g., plinth construction) are transferred outside by the tie-rods.

The pattern
The pattern consists of 3 levels. The basic module is an octagon with a diameter equal to the diameter of arch No. 1 of the Arena.
The second level takes up the same pattern but is scaled by 1/(golden section= 1.618) and rotated by 30°.
The third level resumes the second level, again scaled by 1/(golden section= 1.618) and rotated by 30°.

The pillars
The structural elements that will anchor the balloon to the arena will consist of steel pillars connected to each other and anchored to the top of the arena.

Tomaso Piantini / Gianluigi Meneghello / Lucia Rossi / Federica Bottoli / Alessandro Zerbetto / Eugenio Perinelli / Paola Renda / Marta Scarcia / Alessandro Pasini