Italy recently unveiled a $12-million project to install a new retractable floor in Rome’s Colosseum that will restore the amphitheatre to its gladiator-era glory.
In Roman times, the Colosseum hosted savage fights between gladiators as well as condemned criminals, enslaved men, and wild animals. The fighters and animals appeared from a labyrinth of secret tunnels beneath the arena’s floor before battling it out to the death.
"We want to give an idea of how it was, and we are seeking proposals from around the world," Alfonsina Russo, director of the Colosseum, told the Times.
She added that after the renovation, the Colosseum will host concerts and theatre productions on the new floor.
Italian officials reportedly said they hope to complete the renovation by 2023. Meanwhile, architects are welcome to send their designs for the project – the deadline is 1 February.
"[The renovation] will be a major technological intervention that will offer visitors the opportunity to not only see the underground rooms ... but also appreciate the beauty of the Colosseum while standing in the centre of the arena,” Italy's Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said, as quoted by the BBC.