San Siro renovation plans outlined

Article posted by Coliseum, February 2^nd, 2024

Image: Arco Associati

Plans for the redevelopment of the San Siro stadium have been presented by authorities in Milan, Italy.

Nova News said the plans involve both the construction of new buildings and infrastructure and the renovation of the existing stadium, with the creation of a “fourth ring” as the highlight of the scheme.

Municipal authorities in the northern Italian city are bidding to keep both Serie A clubs AC Milan and Inter Milan in a renovated stadium.

They are suggesting a new project, developed by the Arco Associati studio, that proposes the renovation of the Meazza at a cost of around €300 million and without the two clubs having to find another place to play during the works.

The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, commonly known as the San Siro, is a football stadium in the San Siro district of Milan, Italy, which is the home of AC Milan and Inter Milan. It has a seating capacity of 80,018, making it one of the largest stadiums in Europe and the largest in Italy.

Architect Julius Fenyves outlined the renovation plans to the four-member council commission on Urban Regeneration, Mobility, Sport, and the Olympics in the presence of the mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala.

Under the plans, the newly revamped San Siro would have 75,000 seats, 5,000 more than the two arenas that the clubs are having designed outside Milan.

Of these, 10,000 would be VIP seats, including sky boxes and other premium offerings. The general design also provides for a fourth ring to be developed, complementing the existing structure.

Access to the stadium would also be improved to become more welcoming with green areas, while there would also be redevelopment of the surrounding district.

The “fourth ring” will be located at the top of the current first ring, just below the cantilevered stands that partially cover it today.

This fourth ring can be quickly reached from the outside via new stairwells and lifts and would be at the ideal height for excellent sightlines to the field of play.

The architect underlined a commitment to the acoustic aspects of the venue. He said, “The current roof can be integrated with sound-absorbing panels which allow us to guarantee the containment of decibels below the thresholds that the legislation allows, both in terms of matches and concerts.”

Nova News further stated that the focus on which both the administration and the study have placed emphasis is the possibility of carrying out the work, in phases, while matches continue to be played.

There was overall bipartisan approval from the representatives of the political forces in the City Council. The League criticized the Council for the delay in taking the proposal into consideration.

Promoter of the meeting Alessandro De Chirico, leader of Forza Italia, said, “I am satisfied, presenting a study which is not yet a project and which can be developed depending on the client is a starting point to prevent the Meazza stadium from being abandoned into oblivion.”

There was also a positive reception of the project by the leader of the Democratic Party, Philip Barberis, who explained to journalists that he believes the idea of renovating the stadium is a way to “relaunch discussions with the teams”.

He said that the authority was against the plans for the two clubs to move to new stadia in the Rozzano and San Donato areas of the city.

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