The Cathedral: Striking new home of AC Milan and Inter Milan revealed
Italian football giants AC Milan and Inter Milan have revealed plans for their striking new stadium, called The Cathedral, which will replace their iconic current home, the San Siro.
The winning design was drawn up by architects Populous, who also created the new Wembley Stadium, the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The look of The Cathedral is said to be inspired by two Milan landmarks, the Duomo di Milano and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.
“The new San Siro will be the most beautiful stadium in the world for its strong identity and recognisability,” said AC Milan president Paolo Scaroni.
“An attractive arena, accessible and sustainable for the city of Milan that will facilitate the growth of the clubs and their global competitiveness.”
The Cathedral will be built in the same San Siro neighbourhood as the Milan clubs’ current home, which is officially known as the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
“The new stadium of Milan will be in an extra-contemporary green area that can be lived all year round,” said Inter Milan corporate CEO Alessandro Antonello.
“The new district for sport and leisure and its 50,000sqm park will make San Siro the go-to neighbourhood for sport and entertainment.”
Global practise Populous, whose European head office is in London, has worked on more than 3,000 sport projects, including the Yankee Stadium in New York and the main venue for the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
“The Cathedral is set to become one of the most iconic stadiums in the world,” said Christopher Lee, Populous’s managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
“It will be a modern home to legendary clubs AC Milan and FC Internazionale Milano and will become the heart of a new neighbourhood.
“It will celebrate the cultural heritage of Milan and it will be enjoyed by the Milanese population for many generations to come. A stadium of Milan and for Milan.”
Populous is due to refine its plans in 2022 before work on the new stadium can begin. The capacity has not yet been decided.
