Italian Serie A football club AC Milan has selected renowned firm Manica Architecture as the architect for their new stadium in San Donato. The studio will work with CAA Icon and its founder Tim Romani, who took over as project manager in April.

After local authorities in Lombardy ruled that San Siro, where AC Milan currently play their home matches alongside local rival Inter Milan, could not be demolished, the prospect of building a new facility in its place came to an end. According to press reports, Manica won the contract to design a new venue for the Rossoneri after outbidding 12 other firms. This competition included designs for a new stadium at San Donato, which is located about 10 kilometres south-west of Milan.

© Дмитрий Кошелев

As the Italian media reported back in June, out of a shortlist of three firms, it was Manica who was preffered to win the competition. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the new stadium will have a capacity of 70,000 people and will be suitable for events other than football matches, as well as concerts. At this point, construction is expected to begin by the end of 2025, with the stadium likely to open in 2028 or 2029. 

Manica will work with CAA Icon and its founder Tim Romani, who took over as project manager in April. The parties are also working together on a new arena for the NFL Titans, Tennessee Stadium. They were previously involved in the design of Allegiant Stadium and the Chase Center indoor arena in Las Vegas and San Francisco, respectively.

The specific elements of the project will be decided at a later date, but we already know that the new stadium would have a sizable club shop and a museum of at least 300 square metres. There would also be a sizable square in front of the main entrance with various facilities where fans could gather before and after matches.

© Populous / Nuovo Stadio Milano