Verona Arena International Design Competition for Roof

The Verona city council has approved a tender for an international design competition to create a protective roof for the Arena di Verona, one of the world's most important monuments and opera theaters. The project aims to shield the ancient structure from weather damage and enable performances during rain. Funded by Sandro Veronesi, patron of the Calzedonia Group, with €100,000, the competition is open to architects, engineers, and multidisciplinary teams. The roof must respect archaeological, architectural, and environmental constraints, be fully reversible, and preferably retractable or invisible. The initiative has sparked debate: architect Mario Botta calls it 'madness to distort the past,' while Italo Rota suggests an inflatable cover. Superintendent Francesco Girondini dreams of a transparent 'winter igloo.' A previous restoration program of €14 million from Unicredit and Fondazione Cariverona via Art Bonus is already underway. Critics question whether the roof is a pretext to extend the opera season and boost revenue, given the Arena Foundation's financial losses. The precedent of the Nîmes Arena roof, abandoned in 2005, is cited as a cautionary tale. The competition aims to balance preservation with modern functionality, with the mayor emphasizing the need for quality projects and potential sponsors.