Populous director: ‘The Cathedral will be like no other stadium’

Populous director Christopher Lee believes that Milan and Inter’s new stadium will be unlike any other in the world.

The Cathedral project has been given the green light, meaning that it’s only a matter of time before the two Milanese clubs leave their historic San Siro home for the new stadium. The project has been in the works for years and now tangible progress can finally start.

Lee, who is the general director of Populous for the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa) discussed the project, telling La Repubblica ‘the project has been partly revised from the initial one presented some time ago.

‘Last November, the council decided to confirm the declaration of public interest for the proposal for the new Milan stadium on the condition that the area would be reconfigured as a sports district with a reduction in volume and an increase in green areas.’

He touched on the details of the project, nothing ‘the new design wants to reflect this change at the masterplan level. The area will be exclusively pedestrianised, will include a 50,000 square metre park, 100,000 square metres of open green spaces, and outdoor and indoor sports and recreational activities.

‘A plan that will be shared with the municipality and will be in line with the Territorial Government Plan.’ He explained.

Lee, who has designed more than 30 stadiums on five different continents, then highlighted a few minor changes that have been made to the plans. ‘The layout of the Cathedral has been refined to place it in the heart of a new green and sustainable sports and leisure district, a new destination for citizens and visitors from all over the world.’

The Populous director discussed the compatibility between the project and the characteristics of the Lombardy capital, saying ‘in the team that has worked on the project since its conception there are both designers with extensive local experience and global expertise.

‘For many years, Populous has been working on projects in Italy, including the Oval Lingotto in Turin built for the 2006 Winter Olympics. Earlier this year, we opened our Italian office right in the heart of Milan.’

Finally, Lee highlighted how the Cathedral will be different from any other stadium in the world. ‘The Cathedral will be like no other stadium in the world. It will offer spectators an unprecedented experience and will be an inclusive, safe and welcoming facility for all visitors both on match day and when there is no match.

‘It will provide a one-of-a-kind matchday experience with a Gallery designed to become a ‘democratic space’ for all, fans and citizens alike.’ He detailed.

#Populous: «La #Cattedrale sarà come nessun altro stadio al mondo» https://t.co/nD0kZTnQVR pic.twitter.com/kXsscT2FBb

— Calcio e Finanza (@CalcioFinanza) December 24, 2021