Foster + Partners and US studio Manica have unveiled their design for Generali Stadium, a 71,500-seat venue for AC Milan and Inter Milan that is planned to be built alongside the 99-year-old San Siro before the historic stadium is later torn down.

The design was revealed at a gala event at Milan's Castello Sforzesco on Thursday, and The Guardian reports the project is expected to cost the two clubs €1.2 billion (£1bn).

The stadium will be defined by a structural facade of elongated, X-framed low-carbon precast concrete supports rising roughly 60 metres, which will hold the seating bowl and a double-curved roof.

Norman Foster told Dezeen the goal is "to create a new home for two storied football clubs, which captures the unique energy of the city and its distinctive architectural and structural traditions."

The reveal is striking because San Siro's fate has flipped repeatedly for years.

Dezeen recounts that the clubs first explored a replacement in 2019, later chose a Populous design called the Cathedral, only for the Regional Commission for the Cultural Heritage of Lombardy to block it in 2023 because of the existing building's cultural significance.

Demolition became possible only after the stadium's sale to the two rival clubs was approved by Milan's city council in October 2025 following an overnight debate of nearly 12 hours.

According to The Guardian, some Inter fans protested at the unveiling itself, unfurling a banner reading "you will never extinguish the lights at San Siro" and chanting "hands off San Siro."

The architects say the design is built around the fan experience rather than an icon.

Manica founder David Manica told Dezeen that the two opposing curved stands — the 'curvas' behind each goal, rising on a 37-degree pitch to house 11,700 supporters at each end, north for Inter and south for AC Milan — are "unique to Milan and found in no other stadium in the world."

Foster says the bowl geometry is engineered to "amplify the roar of crowds" while reducing acoustic spillover, and Manica said acoustics were "a primary design driver from the very first sketches."

Sustainability targets include 27,500 square metres of photovoltaic roof panels, an all-electric, carbon-neutral operation and a LEED Gold target, according to Dezeen.

Construction Review reports the stadium anchors a $2.56 billion (€2.3 billion) redevelopment of roughly 281,000 square metres in the San Siro district, spanning hotels, offices, commercial space and public areas rather than housing.

The clubs bought the stadium and surrounding land for about €197 million through Stadio San Siro SpA, and the outlet notes the clubs' feasibility report projects a completed development value of about $2.85 billion (€2.565 billion).

The plan also carries a heavy construction footprint: Construction Review says Italian reporting estimates around 1.5 million cubic metres of soil excavation and about 126,000 cubic metres of demolition debris, with Milan's environmental consultation open until November 1, 2026.

According to Construction Review, work is targeted to begin in 2028, with the first match expected during the 2031/32 season — a timeline The Guardian says would let the venue replace San Siro from that season and potentially host games at Euro 2032, co-hosted by Italy and Türkiye.

The two clubs will keep sharing the existing ground until then, and Dezeen reports San Siro is due to be demolished afterwards.

The timetable depends on remaining environmental and planning approvals, and Construction Review notes the 2028 start differs from the earlier ambition of beginning in the second half of 2027.

Foster is simultaneously designing Manchester United's proposed 100,000-seat home, a parallel stadium-led urban regeneration project.