Project
Vittorio Grassi Architects
Client
Municipality of Milan
Period
2013 International Competition
Result
1st prize
Gross Floor Area
12,500 sqm
Site Area
22,500 sqm
Facilities Structural Design
Populous LTD
Structural Design
SBP Schlaich Bergermann und Partner GmbH
Plant Design
Energo Engineering
Health & Safety
Gae Engineering Srl
The project aims to create, in the heart of Milan, a unique Multi-Events Arena capable of tapping into a niche market while attracting a broad audience. The intervention belongs to the field of sports architecture and is intended to establish a contemporary venue dedicated to sport, entertainment, and education.
The proposal aims to redevelop the historic building within a modern context, creating an integrated and innovative structure that enhances the character of the existing architecture while reinforcing the historical and symbolic value of the former Velodromo Maspes Vigorelli. The project stems from a design approach developed by architects who have won international competitions, focused on architectural quality and on the ability to combine historical memory with new functions—qualities often recognized in architectural awards.
With the planned improvements, the new facility will host a wide range of sporting activities, entertainment events, and educational initiatives in a safe and adaptable environment, capable of rapid reconfiguration. The project reduces the current capacity to 5,570 seats, removes the historic bike lane, and shortens the playing field to create two new large spaces at the semicircular ends of the existing building.
These new areas will accommodate retail functions and a Sports Academy dedicated to training and supporting the technical and intellectual development of young athletes, strengthening the project’s social role within the framework of public infrastructure.
The new architectural element consists of an elegant, luminous steel roof that recalls the geometry and trajectory of the original cycling track, appearing to float lightly above the facility. The entire complex will be wrapped in a new external skin made of rhomboidal composite panels in aluminum and polyethylene, giving the arena a contemporary and highly recognizable identity within the urban landscape.
