Milan’s iconic San Siro, which was due to be replaced by a stadium designed for residents,
was saved from demolition due to its “cultural heritage”.
The stadium, which is shared by Italian football clubs Inter Milan and AC Milan, was saved.
From demolition by the Provincial Committee for the Cultural Heritage of Lombardy due to the cultural importance of its distinctive appearance.
The stadium was originally designed by architect Ulisse Stacchini in the 1920s.
It has been expanded and renovated several times,
with architects Armando Ronca and Ferruccio Calzolari adding the distinctive second floor and ramp stairs in 1955.
The Regional Committee for the Cultural Heritage of Lombardy has expressed a positive opinion about the presence of the cultural heritage of the second tier in the San Siro stadium,
In light of the future verification under Article 12 of Legislative Decree 42/2004″,
the organization said in a joint statement with the sports media platform Tribuna.
“Thus, the committee endorses the oversight board’s proposal,” she added.
It should also be noted that the Archival and Bibliographic Supervision of Lombardy,
during the same session,
She noted the value of the stadium’s West Stand as a “naked archive” of paintings/engravings documenting the national and international successes of Inter and Milan.
Milan teams are separate stadiums
San Siro, which was extensively redesigned by Milan studio Ragazzi and Partners ahead of the 1990 World Cup in Italy,
It was replaced by a stadium designed by Populous architecture studio called The Cathedral.
Instead, Milan and Inter Milan are now reportedly looking at two separate sites for their future stadiums.
It is likely that Populous will work with Inter Milan on the design of his future stadium due to his historical links with the club.
The club is said to be planning to build its new stadium in the Rosano area, south of Milan.
Milan is said to be planning to build a stadium in San Donato Milanese,
where the club has acquired a majority stake in Sportlifecity.
which owns the rights to develop the land in the area, according to The Stadium Business.
The new AC Milan stadium will have a capacity of 60,000-70,000 seats.
San Siro stadium to protect memory
The San Siro news comes after Italy’s undersecretary for culture,
Vittorio Sgarbi, pledged in January not to demolish the stadium.
Sgarbi told the Italian newspaper Il Giorno at the time:
“I am convinced that the stadium should not be demolished,
not so much for its architectural value as for its importance as a symbol and to protect memory.”
“That is why, as for me, I will take all necessary steps to prevent it from being demolished.”
The residential stadium that was to replace the San Siro was informed by two of Milan’s most famous buildings,
the Duomo di Milano and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele shopping arcade.
The area around the stadium will become pedestrian-only, with underground car parks relocated.
The architecture studio was recently selected to design the redevelopment
of a stand at Manchester City Football Club’s Etihad Stadium in the UK,
which will increase capacity with the addition of a museum and hotel.
It also recently unveiled the world’s largest spherical building,
an LED-covered venue in Las Vegas.
There have been other suggested uses for the San Siro in the past.
In 2020, architect Angelo Reina envisioned turning it into a tree-covered coronavirus memorial.
