CEO of Populous Discusses AC Milan and Inter’s New Stadium Project

Populous CEO Christopher Lee spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport via MilanLive.it regarding the Nuovo Stadio Milano project which AC Milan and Inter Milan hope to get off the ground soon.

On the approvals and kick off: “I cannot go into details because we are in the running with another studio and I believe that no decision will be taken before the municipal elections in October. But we are very confident and believe in the innovation and sustainability qualities of our plan.”

On inspiration for the design: “We believe that a successful project must respect the tradition and soul of each place. This is even more true in Milan, Italy. So we thought of citing iconic places in the city, so that it was truly a ‘Milanese’ stadium.

“We wanted it to be immediately recognisable and to become attractive to those who live here as well. In our idea, the sports stadium is important, but it is part of a much more ambitious project. The new San Siro, in our ideas, will be a new district. It will be a place to go to all day for the whole week.”

On renovating the San Siro: “I understand the point of view. The same thing happened in London for old Wembley. We all had a strong bond with that monument. But if you ask the fans what they think of Wembley now you will find that they are all overjoyed. And Milan and Inter fans will also be in Milan. Big football clubs need an innovative stadium. I believe it is a necessity.

“They can’t wait to start. It depends on when we begin. The construction of the stadium takes between 30 and 36 months. And counting all the completion works will take between 4 and 5 years. If the go-ahead is given by next spring it is possible to cross the finish line before the Olympics.”