Arup unveils AC Milan ‘sunken stadium’ redevelopment plan

AC Milan and Arup have announced proposals to build a stadium for the football club as part of a wider redevelopment of a site in the centre of the city.   

The 48,000-capacity ground will have a retractable roof, and will be sunk 10m into the ground to minimise its impact on the city’s landscape. 

The venue will host Milan’s home matches and also contain a hotel, sports college, restaurants, a children’s playground, green areas and public spaces. According to Arup, it will "provide a unique experience to the spectators, with particular attention to families, with cutting-edge technologies and facilities".

Design components on the project have been "carefully balanced around the spectator’s experience" allowing for "the best possible view from every location in the stadium". 

Among Arup’s previous designs are the "Bird’s Nest" used for China’s 2008 Summer Olympics and Manchester City’s Etihad stadium. 

AC Milan currently shares the 80,000 San Siro with arch-rival Inter Milan. 

Arup recently won a contract to engineer America’s Beirut embassy. 

Photograph: Arup’s designs for the new AC Milan stadium (Arup)