A.S. Roma, the storied Italian soccer team, has recently announced plans to build a new, state-of-the-art stadium. Located in the western suburbs of Rome, Stadio della Roma will be built to evoke the Eternal City’s iconic Colosseum. The reportedly $400 million stadium, part of a larger $1.5 billion mixed-use development, is expected to pack 52,500 fans, and will have the ability to expand to 60,000, should more be needed to accommodate a major international competition such as the World Cup or the European Championships. The project will be led by architecture firm MEIS, in collaboration with various consulting firms including SCE, GAE, Thornton Tomasetti, Arup, and others.

"It would be impossible to imagine a new stadium in Rome without considering the amazing historical significance and power of the Colosseum. We have created a state-of-the-art steel-and-glass stadium, wrapped in a floating wall made of travertine quarried from the same region of Italy as the original Colosseum. The effect is a building with the monumentalism and materiality of Rome but also extremely contemporary and dynamic,” says design principal Dan Meis. “The building is designed to become the heart of a 365-day entertainment destination and a new landmark for a city known for some of the world's most famous landmarks.” Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2015, and is expected to be completed in late 2018 in time for the 2018–19 Serie A season.