A New Civic Landmark reshaping Milan’s South-east through Culture, Sport, and Public Space

Rising at the heart of the redeveloping Milano Santa Giulia district, Arena Milano is set to become one of the city’s most significant new cultural and sporting venues. Located just a few kilometres from Milan’s historic centre and well connected to high-speed rail and motorway networks, the project forms the centrepiece of a wider urban regeneration effort in the city’s south-east.

View towards the main entrance
© Noshe

Designed through a collaboration between Arup and David Chipperfield Architects, the arena is conceived as a contemporary reinterpretation of the ancient Roman amphitheatre. Its elliptical form references historical precedents while offering a modern setting for collective entertainment. With a capacity of up to 16,000 people, the arena is designed to host major concerts, sports competitions, and festivals, and is scheduled to serve as a venue for the Winter Olympic Games in 2026.

Façade detail with large-scale media integration
© Noshe

The building is positioned on the southern portion of the site and subtly rotated to welcome visitors arriving from the west. A broad ceremonial stair leads up to a raised podium that occupies almost the entire plot, creating a civic platform rather than a closed object. Atop this podium sits a public piazza of more than 10,000 square metres, capable of accommodating outdoor events and informal gatherings. Outside event hours, these generous external spaces are intended to remain accessible, offering new opportunities for social interaction for both local residents and visitors from across Milan.

Sir David Chipperfield, Architect says “The new Arena will be a major contribution to the public infrastructure of the city, and the result of a collaborative process and enthusiasm from all sides. The form of the building is rooted in Milan’s rich cultural heritage. It echoes the elliptical form of the city’s former Roman amphitheatre, giving a contemporary expression to a historic archetype and creating a new place for gathering and collective entertainment. I look forward to seeing it become an anchor for the new neighbourhood of Santa Giulia and enrich the public realm of the city of Milan.”

View over the piazza
© Noshe

Architecturally, the arena is defined by three concentric rings of increasing height that appear to float above the podium. Wrapping around the entire structure, these rings give the building its dynamic silhouette. Their metallic surface is articulated through shimmering aluminium tubes during the day, while integrated LED lighting transforms the façade into a luminous media surface at night. This hard, monumental expression is deliberately softened by landscaped green areas, with trees cascading down the main stair like a gently sloping hillside.

Ice hockey game with space for almost 15,000 visitors
© Noshe

Inside, the arena is organised around a parterre level with two seating tiers above, complemented by an upper level containing lounges and sky boxes. Spacious lobbies provide access to all seating areas, along with catering and service facilities distributed throughout the building. Parking is integrated discreetly within the podium and supported by an additional multi-storey car park to the north of the site.

Sustainability is embedded in both the building’s design and operation. Measures to reduce resource consumption and CO₂ emissions are paired with photovoltaic systems on the roof, designed to cover a significant portion of the arena’s energy needs. Together, these strategies position Arena Milano not only as an event venue, but as a new public landmark that combines architectural presence, urban generosity, and long-term environmental responsibility.