When designing the exte­rior of the Santa Giulia Arena, renowned David Chip­per­field Archi­tects was inspired by Milan’s past. The building’s ellip­tical shape is remi­nis­cent of the city’s Roman amphithe­ater. Like its histor­ical arche­type, the arena has been designed for multi­func­tional use. During the 2026 Winter Olympics, the ice hockey compe­ti­tions will take place in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. After the Games, fans will then be able to enjoy volley­ball or tennis at the arena. More­over, the venue will be perfect for concerts and other live events. 

Fresh air for every occa­sion

For an event to be successful, the arena must be equipped accord­ingly. With a total space of 77,000 square meters spread over eight floors, the building requires reli­able venti­lation. Gabriele Trec­cani, project manager for Italian Air Handling Units supplier SAMP, says: “Like the arena itself, the venti­lation systems must be adapted indi­vid­u­ally to events.”

They supply fresh air throughout the venue – from the locker rooms and stands to the area used for concerts or sports. Each event has its own require­ments. “During an ice hockey game, it is partic­u­larly impor­tant that the arena temper­a­ture remains constant. This is achieved using an intel­li­gent control system, which reduces air flow. A concert is a very different story, requiring a constant supply of fresh air, i.e. a much higher air flow,” explains Trec­cani.

„Like the arena itself, the venti­lation systems must be adapted indi­vid­u­ally to events.“

Gabriele Trec­cani, Projek­t­man­ager bei SAMP

With redun­dancy the show goes on

To ensure optimum venti­lation of the arena, SAMP is supplying 210 RadiPac 3C fans to the Arena Impianti instal­la­tion team. The impeller in this type of centrifugal fan is made from a high-strength, glass-fiber rein­forced composite. The newly devel­oped blades dras­ti­cally reduce flow losses and cut noise emis­sions signif­i­cantly. Spread across five FanGrids, the centrifugal fans venti­late the arena.

In Treccani’s expe­ri­ence, it is not easy to source the fans for large-scale projects. “To start with, the quan­tity needed for such a large project must be avail­able. However, this was not a problem when collab­o­rating with ebm-papst.” The worst-case scenario would be a lack of fresh air during an event. SAMP found the right solu­tion in the FanGrid. Thanks to its redun­dant design, the neces­sary air flow is main­tained at all times, so there is no obstacle to a successful event.

Effi­ciency ensures optimum perfor­mance

As well as hosting spec­tac­ular events, the Santa Giulia Arena aims to mini­mize its carbon foot­print. Partic­ular atten­tion is being paid to the construc­tion mate­rials and current consump­tion. To this end, 4,000 solar panels will be installed on the arena roof to supply most of the energy needed. The goal is to keep this as low as possible, and the venti­lation system consump­tion will contribute here. Trec­cani says: “In order to satisfy this project’s effi­ciency require­ments, we selected the RadiPac C. In our view, this fan is the best choice thanks to its high level of perfor­mance and minimal energy consump­tion.” These features will ensure a pleasant atmos­phere and effi­cient cooling in the arena’s seating areas.