Foster + Partners Unveils 71,500-Seat Generali Stadium for Milan

By Priya Raman

Foster + Partners and MANICA have unveiled a 71,500-seat football stadium for Milan's San Siro district, designed as the shared home of AC Milan and FC Internazionale Milano. The design went public on October 29th, 2026. Construction is expected to begin in 2028, with the first match targeted for the 2031/32 season.

The numbers stack up fast. The venue, named Generali Stadium, anchors a 281,000-square-meter redevelopment of the San Siro district. It will rise beside the existing Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, which has hosted both clubs for generations. Plans call for partial demolition of the older structure after the move.

What does this change for match-going fans? Mainly proximity and sound. The architects studied San Siro's steep seating and closeness to the pitch — qualities that have long defined the match-day experience there — and rebuilt them at a larger scale.

How does the facade reference the Duomo?

The exterior is defined by intersecting concrete supports that run from ground-level colonnades to the roof. These X-shaped elements set a repeating geometric rhythm around the oval building, and the pattern references the intricate stonework of Milan's Duomo.

Diamond-shaped openings at the entrances offer views into the stadium. They lead visitors toward naturally ventilated circulation spaces and panoramic concourses overlooking the city.

What sits above the seating bowl?

A double-curved roof follows the changing height of the stands, rising at the two ends of the stadium. Its spoke-wheel structure (a roof built like a bicycle wheel, with radial members around a hub) covers the spectator seating while leaving the pitch open to the sky.

The roof will carry approximately 27,500 square meters of photovoltaic panels. Acoustic design is intended to contain and amplify the sound of supporters inside the arena.

Where do the most intense stands sit?

Inside, the bowl runs continuously for 360 degrees in two tiers. The layout maintains clear sightlines across all 71,500 seats and pulls spectators closer to the field.

Two large supporter sections — the Curvas, as they're known in Italian football — rise steeply behind the goals. Each will host about 11,700 fans, at seating angles reaching 37 degrees. These steep walls concentrate supporters directly behind the goals and preserve the intensity associated with San Siro's existing stands. The roof geometry helps direct crowd noise back toward the field, keeping an intimate relationship between fans and players despite the arena's colossal scale.

What surrounds the stadium?

The wider scheme adds public spaces and landscaped areas around the venue. Leisure and retail facilities aim to draw visitors year-round. The stadium will also host concerts and other major events beyond the football calendar.

The sustainability strategy is specific:

• All-electric operations
• Natural ventilation
• Rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling
• Targets of LEED Gold certification (a green-building rating system) and carbon-neutral operations

The project now advances through further planning and approval stages. If the 2028 construction start holds, Milan's two clubs will share a new home by the 2031/32 season — with the old San Siro partially demolished beside it.