The new life of the Theatre alla Scala

"The Scala is the first theatre in the world, because it is that which gives the maximum enjoyment" (Stendhal, 1816). Unfortunately, after two centuries of glorious service, the historical-monumental parts and the hall of the Theatre clearly needed restoration interventions, while the backstage, subjected to the weary of time, having undergone hapzard additions and continual adaptations over the years, was no longer able to meet the request of a today's theatre. The project of the New Teatro alla Scala was hence composed by two distinctive parts: the project of the refurbishment and of the restoration of the historical-monumental part and the project of buildings for the new scenic plants. This paper presents an overview of the design concepts and of the problems encountered during the design phases and during the restoring and construction works.