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Architecture 014A

The Roman Colosseum and the LA Memorial Colosseum: A Report by Cameron Wong

Introduction Think of the word “Colosseum,” what comes to your mind first? For many around the world, you

might just think about the legendary Roman Colosseum. For those in LA, you might have

thought about the LA Memorial Coliseum. Whether you chose one or the other, both have played

a significant role in history, not just in their cities, but in the entire world. Both Colosseums were

built and stood for something more. They both had similar purposes as they both have held the

most amazing sporting events that have ever happened in the world and in modern history. From

the chariot and gladiator events in the Roman Colosseum to the thrilling 1984 Olympics in the

LA Colosseum, both have not only held a significant cultural impact on their cities but also

around the world. Many may believe that they are different, but I truly believe they are one in the

same. But to prove that, I must first explain each one and the history that surrounds it. First,

starting with the Roman Colosseum. Built between 70-80 AD by the Romans in Italy, the

structure was considered the largest at the time and was able to seat between 50,000 to 80,000

people. With the purpose of being Rome’s main entertainment building, the Colosseum held

many events ranging from sports, chariot races, and public spectacles for all to watch. With an

area of around 6 acres, it pales in comparison to the LA Memorial Colosseum, but with the

technology at the time, many Colosseums were much smaller than the Roman Colosseum. To the

Romans, the Colosseum stood for the might and strength of the Roman empire as it was built

towards the beginning of the peak of its empire.

Next, we have the LA Memorial Colosseum, Built-in the 1920s, the LA Memorial

Coliseum was constructed to commemorate the fallen soldiers in WW1. The coliseum ended up

doubling as the home to 3 Summer Olympics, that being 1932, 1984, and 2028 (postponed due to

coronavirus). The structure is around 18 Acres with the ability to seat over 100,000 people. The

building stands for LA and its everlasting passion for sports and athletics and is still in

commission today, being USC’s home field for their football games.

Site Context:

But to truly understand each Colosseum’s similarities and unique differences, we have to

dive deeper into the architectural details. Starting with Site context, when looking at the

surroundings of both Colosseums, both are in large prominent cities, Rome and Los Angeles.

The Roman Colosseum is surrounded by a bustling metropolitan area and similarly, the LA

Memorial Colosseum is surrounded by the metropolitan area of Downtown LA. Behind the

construction of these sites lies a rich empire that it has been built on. The Roman Colosseum was

built around the height of the wealth and power of the Roman empire. While likewise, the LA

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Memorial Colosseum was built in the 1920’s the post WW1 golden era of America more

properly known as the “Roaring ’20s.” Both sites were built upon the golden age of its locations,

and it translates to the significance and meaning of those colosseums: a display of power, wealth,

and success.

Cultural Significances:

But within every building, there’s a culture in it. As mentioned before, both buildings

stood and represented the culture of the cities they were in. More specifically, just as LA is the

entertainment capital of the world, the colosseum served the same purpose in its time.

LikeRome, like Los Angeles, Rome was the center of power, money, and entertainment, and both

buildings embodied the entertainment culture of the cities they stand-in. To be more specific,

both Colosseums have held many of the world’s top sporting and entertainment events, the

Roman Colosseum holding chariot races, gladiator fights, and even dramas, plays, and

reenactments. Being built in a more modern era, the LA Colosseum has been the Olympics’

venue for the Olympics, many concerts, and even a few super bowls. When it comes to

entertainment, both sites truly embody the culture of it. But because of its age, the roman

colosseum has a larger cultural significance as it holds a place in history being built by the

greatest empire in world history. But also holding a significant amount of presence in religious

culture, the Colosseum was the place whereof which many Christians were publicly executed

during the Roman Christian era of persecution. But the LA colosseum, only 4/100ths of its

counterpart’s age, has already played such a large significance; only, only time will tell if the LA

Colosseum will ever match up to the Roman Colosseum’s overall cultural importance and

significance to the world.

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Structure and Scale:

But what about the structures themselves? For starters, both colosseums are modeled

after the amphitheater design, which coincidentally was invented by the Romans, who developed

the first amphitheater in the city of Pompeii. Oval in shape, both structures provided a full view

of the middle, no matter where the person may have been seated. When approaching the

structures, we are greeted with a set of domes that decorate the outside exterior, but it leads into

the larger inner dome, which is where the seating begins. In terms of scale, being more modern

and with better technology, the LA Colosseum is 3 times as large in the area at 18 acres versus its

Roman counterpart, which covers 6 acres in area. But in terms of height, the Roman Colosseum,

evenColosseum even at a disadvantage in terms of technology, only falls 2 feet shorter than its

LA counterpart at 157 feet versus LA’s 159 feet. But surprisingly, both structure’s inner

circlecircle’s dimensions are very close, with LA being at 300 ft. x 159 ft. (The size of an

average football field) and The Romans being at 287 ft. x 180 ft. But with LA having a larger

area, the LA Colosseum can fit 100,000 people while the Roman colosseum can only fit half of it

at 50,000. Being very close in scale, they are both similar in structure, taking a more Arcuated

approach. As you can see, both buildings are made of arches. However,, although the Romans

decided to make it the entire style; the, the LA Memorial’s designers decided to go with a more

subtle touch of arches with a mix of trabeated style going for tall structural columns on the sides.

Materials and Technologies:

But being built in 2 eras, the Colosseums were built differently, and both were limited with the

technology of its time. Although being the most advanced civilization in its era, the Romans only

had access to three things to build their colosseum; thousands of slaves for labor, rock, and

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metals. But with these 3 things, the Romans were still able to build a structure close in size to its

contemporary counterpart that was built thousands of years later. The Roman Colosseum was

built on the backs of many slaves, who forged the crude metals and stone to create the structure

that is still standing today. The structure stands by itself, being made entirely of arches that take

and hold the structure up and together. Thousands of years later, its LA counterpart would be

built off paid skill laborers who used machinery and modern technology to construct one of the

largest colosseums in modern times. The LA Colosseum relies less on the arches and more on a

complicated structure of concrete and steel beams placed evenly to hold the structure up and in

place. Because of the advancement in materials and technology, the LA Colosseum has the

privilege of being much larger than its Roman counterpart. But being if the roles were reversed,

and knowing the Roman culture of grandiose, we could possibly see a Roman Colosseum twice

or even triple the size!

The Roman Colosseum Being Built The LA Memorial Colosseum Being Built

Construction and Design:

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The LA Memorial Coliseum was modeled after a sub-Mediterranean style with its arches

and long-standing beams to hold the structure up. The Romans used a slew of architectural styles

to complete the Roman Colosseum; these mixed styles became known in the future just as

Roman styling as the Romans took and developed many stylistic points from each country they

had taken over, making it their own style. Logistically, the Roman Colosseum needed thousands

of workers to complete the project. Although enormous in size, the Colosseum was able to be

built within 8 years with the help of thousands of slaves and unpaid workers and the combination

of skilled artists, mathematicians, and architects. For the LA Memorial Coliseum, the technology

was there to build its size,the structure of its size but it was no easy feat; the, the Coliseum took

almost 2 years to build with a price of $954,000 thousand dollars. Adjusted for inflation would

be around $12,000,000 dollars today. In addition, unlike the Roman Colosseum, the LA

Memorial Colosseum had two main designers: Frank and John Parkinson, who pioneered the

modern techniques to build the massive LA Colosseum. *Because of the modern technology and

build quality, it is still in use today, which is why over the years, the structure has received

several massive structural and exterior upgrades to increase the life and capacity of the structure.

There is no exact number withWith all the combined renovations, there is no exact number, but it

is estimated to have cost millions of dollars.

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A Blueprint of the original Colosseum

The Roman Colosseum’s original shape and floor plan.

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In this image, a detailed drawing of how the Roman Colosseum was to be structured,

allowing an easy flow/access to all three floors of the structure.

Lighting:

With both being open domes, they both heavily rely on the weather when it comes to holding

events within the dome. Although most days, even when cloudy, the natural lighting through the

sun allows spectators to still see the spectacles that would happen inside of it. At night, however,

with access to better technology, the LA Colosseum gains an advantage with state of the art

stadium lights to keep the spectacles inside visible, no matter the time of day. But that didn’t stop

spectacles from happening inside the Roman colosseum either; the colosseum, although dimmer,

was generally well lit with torches and fires to give the audience a little bit of visibility in the

case an event would happen at night.

Surface:

On the surface, besides the arches, both structures differ in terms of detailing and design.

ForThe Roman structure, for example, the Roman structure is full of arches, and within the

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surface of the arches, there are small intricate designs that help to add to the overall beauty. On

the walls, there is a mix of mismatching stones, we clearly see the ridges and gaps, but the stones

are aligned together in the best way possible, as much as the technology then allowed it. But we

also see common Roman architectural ques, the curves, and mini-roman columns that make up

the exterior outside design. Whereas in the LA Colosseum, we actually see more of a smoother

modern 21st-century design. The LA Memorial Colosseum combines Roman arches with a

Mediterranean splash. The front side is important because that’s the face of the structure. On the

front surface, it’s smooth, but similar to the Roman colosseum, it has a bricked exterior, this time

a little more fit, organized, and matching because of the technology when it was built. But the

stones are flush and give a less rigid look. The arches look less crumbled together and more like

a single piece of stone. Although the structures may differ here, the technology and resources

available at the time are what makes the two structures really different in the end.

Conclusion:

Although built at different times, environments, and circumstances, the two structures

stand together very similar, but unique enough to be apart. The Roman Colosseum holds

thousands of years of culture and history, which is why it is one of the seven wonders of the

world. Although the LA Colosseum has a lot to catch up with, within the short time that it has

been built, it has carried a large cultural significance to the city and to the world. Coincidentally,

the LA Colosseum is actually the home of the USC Trojan football team, the term Trojans

coming from the ancient Romans and Greeks. Even thousands of years apart, the two structures

are somehow connected through architecture and even its purpose. *Which is why I truly believe

both structures are one in the same.

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The Roman Colosseum Digitally restored A wide shot of the LA structure today

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