AC Milan and Inter reveal new San Siro design – ‘The Cathedral’ will be the ‘most beautiful stadium in the world’

Goodbye San Siro, hello ‘The Cathedral’ – AC Milan and Internazionale have revealed designs for their new shared home.

One of football’s most historic arenas and the largest stadium in Italy, the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza – commonly known as the San Siro – has been a shared residence of the two Serie A giants since 1947, but will make way for a new sport and leisure district.

‘The Cathedral’ will form the center-piece of a 275,000 square-meter district, and will be developed by Populous – the architectural firm’s design selected by the two clubs.

Populous has worked on several of the sport’s largest venues, including Wembley Stadium, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as well as Sporting Lisbon’s Estadio Da Luz.

The firm also designed the flagship stadiums for the Olympic Games in Sydney 2000 and London 2012, in addition to New York’s Yankee Stadium and Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena in the US.

'The Cathedral' will be designed by Populous' Milan office.

A move-in date is envsiaged for 2027 – with plans in place to host the 2026 Winter Olympic Games opening ceremony at the San Siro – according to Italy’s La Gazetto dello Sport, who added the new stadium would have a 65,000 capacity.

The San Siro currently has a 80,000 capacity.

‘the most beautiful stadium in the world’

The new stadium’s design is “a celebration of the artistic and cultural heritage of Milan”, said the two clubs and draws inspiration from two of the city’s most iconic buildings – the Duomo di Milano (the city’s cathedral) and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a 19th century shopping arcade.

Set to be carbon neutral, the stadium will be surrounded by a 50,000 square-meter green arena, with “most” of the district’s sport and leisure activities to be free of charge or affiliated with the city of Milan.

READ: Tottenham to host world’s first net zero carbon elite football game – but is a carbon-neutral match possible?

The current San Siro (L) and the planned redevelopment (R).

“The new San Siro will be the most beautiful stadium in the world for its strong identity and recognisability,” AC Milan President Paolo Scaroni said in a statement on the club’s website.

“An attractive arena, accessible and sustainable for the city of Milan that will facilitate the growth of the clubs and their global competitiveness.”

Inter Milan’s Corporate CEO Alessandro Antonello added: “The New Stadium of Milan will be in an extra-contemporary green area that can be lived all year round.

“The new district for sport and leisure and its 50,000 sqm park will make San Siro the go-to neighbourhood for sport and entertainment.”