The Generali Stadium, AC Milan and FC Internazionale Milano’s future home, is conceived as one of the city’s most important new landmarks.

The 71,500-seat stadium designed by Foster + Partners and MANICA is part of a larger urban development project that will bring new public spaces to the district including, but not limited to, green and landscaped areas as well as shopping, dining, and entertainment spaces.

The idea is to turn the stadium district into a year-round active neighborhood and introduce new places to gather, connect, and celebrate outside of match days.

Foster + Partners said in a statement the future stadium is inspired by Milan’s architectural heritage: A double-curved roof, which is supported through a concrete X-frame structure and inspired by the Duomo, gives the arena a distinctive silhouette.  

The masterplan aims to preserve the atmosphere, emotion, and sense of belonging San Siro evoked. Some fans however are not content with the decision to demolish the historic stadium.

While the response was significantly less hostile than the recent backlash surrounding the winning design for the Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb, the new Generali Stadium proposal, has been met with mixed opinions. 

Per The Guardian, before plans were revealed at Milan’s Castello Sforzesco on October 26, a group of Inter fans walked into the courtyard of the castle, chanting “hands off San Siro”—the protesters unfolded a banner reading, “you will never extinguish the lights at San Siro.”

“Unmistakably Milano”?

Generali Stadium is designed around one principle: bringing supporters closer to the action to maximize the intensity of the match day experience.

Two seating tiers that form a continuous 360-degree bowl have been designed to create an immersive connection between the fans and the pitch. 

This connection will be amplified by seating inclinations of up to 37 degrees for the support sections. (Currently the legal limit of a stand’s incline is 35 degrees.)

The stadium will also feature enhanced accessibility, modern hospitality concepts, and a broad range of seating options.

“This project represents a remarkable opportunity to build upon San Siro’s legacy—channeling its powerful spirit to continue the story of AC Milan and FC Internazionale Milano,” Norman Foster shared in a statement. 

Foster added, “As the centrepiece of a wider urban regeneration scheme, Generali Stadium will be a year-round destination and a state-of-the-art landmark, authentically and unmistakably Milano.”

The entrance is defined by diamond-shaped structures that give visitors a glimpse into the stadium before opening into panoramic concourses with a scenic view of the city.

The two curves allow for photovoltaic technology, acoustic optimization, and other sustainability features to be integrated in the stadium.

As an all-electric stadium with rainwater harvesting and graywater recycling, and locally sourced major building materials, Foster + Partners and MANICA are targeting a LEED Gold and carbon neural operation.

Older, scrapped plans

These are not the first plans for San Siro’s replacement.. In 2021, as reported by AN, AC Milan and FC Internazionale Milano unveiled a 60,000-seat shared home designed by Populous that was to replace the stadium, however, the “The Cathedral” design never broke ground due to years of bureaucratic delays and legal roadblocks.

Just like the Cathedral, the Generali will be at the center of a larger urban regeneration project—this time approximately 3,024,658 square feet—in the San Siro district, a large development that will transform the area into a vibrant district that is active throughout the year and will integrate new public spaces, green areas, leisure, and stores into the framework of the city.

Next, the masterplan by Foster + Partners will  advance through the next stages of design and planning, with construction expected to begin in 2028 and the first match targeted for the 2031–32 season, subject to the necessary approvals.