A group of architects are proposing to rebuild one of the seven Wonders of the Ancient World – and to epic proportions.
Aiming to “put back on the map the island of Rhodes, beginning with the restoration of its historical value”, the team are looking to recreate the famed Colossus of Rhodes.
However, rather than replace the original 30-metre bronze statue, they wish to construct a “reimagining” of the Colossus with a height of 150 metres.
Reminiscent of the initial structure, it will act as a lighthouse and be fitted with a bronze-coloured skin, which will double as solar panels, while the interior will house a library and museum “to bring to light the hundreds of archaeological findings forgotten in the storerooms of the island”, the team said.
What little is known about the aesthetics and site of the 2,200-year-old monument is found in surviving ancient documents, with the Colossus believed to have been a bronze structure of a warrior standing over the entrance to the city’s harbour.
The statue was built in honour of Helios, the Greek god of the sun, for the defeat of an invading army of 40,000 soldiers, but was overturned by an earthquake just 56 years later.
Plans to rebuild the monument have been circulating for years, with an attempt in 2000 falling through due to a lack of financial support.
Though the ambitious project doesn’t have a financial backer, the architects aren’t disheartened in the slightest, hoping to crowdsource the funding online.
Source: news.com.au