Italy: Manica–Foster duo to design new stadium for Inter and Milan

11.06.2025 18:31 source: StadiumDB.com; author: Paulina Skóra

Norman Foster, one of the world’s most renowned architects, will design the new stadium for Inter and Milan. The decision has been made, and the contract is now in its final stages. Foster will collaborate with the Manica architecture firm, previously selected by Milan for their San Donato stadium project.

Official announcement coming soon

Foster’s proposal won an international competition featuring top design studios from around the world. Inter and Milan reviewed thirteen submissions and narrowed them down to five finalists. Among them were Populous, Herzog & de Meuron (Switzerland), BDP Pattern together with Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, U.S.-based Aecom with Dan Meis, and the eventual winners — Manica and Foster.

According to Corriere della Sera, the choice has already been made and is expected to be announced officially in the coming days. That will kick off the design phase. So far, the clubs haven’t seen any renderings or drafts — those are expected in the next stage. For now, the biggest talking point is the caliber of the team behind the project and the fact that it will bear the signature of a globally respected architect. While the budget hasn’t been disclosed yet, the price tag is expected to reach into the hundreds of millions.

Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (Stadio San Siro) © Grzegorz Kaliciak

A high-profile architect to shape Milan’s new landmark

Norman Foster, born in Manchester in 1935, is the founder of Foster + Partners and one of the most influential architects alive. His work spans iconic buildings, museums, bridges, airports, and stadiums. Among his most famous designs are Apple Park in Cupertino, the airports in Beijing and Hong Kong, the Great Court at the British Museum, London’s Millennium Bridge, and the renovation of the Reichstag in Berlin. In sports architecture, Foster collaborated with Populous on two major projects: Wembley Stadium, opened in 2007, and Lusail Stadium, which hosted the 2022 World Cup Final in Qatar. In Milan, he also designed the Apple Store on Piazza Liberty, just steps from the Duomo.

In the coming months, Foster, Manica, and the two clubs will present a project proposal to city officials. The goal is to submit a full planning application by mid-2026. Preliminary meetings and design presentations will take place in the meantime, leading to a draft and then a final version of the stadium project.