Unipol Forum

What makes this place different is the light. The arena is covered by a massive jigsaw of screens and lights suspended from a steel truss. In basketball, it is all activity; in hockey, the lights reflect off the ice and the red seats until the court disappears into the glare. The floorboards carry the marks of the sport played there, but the structure itself remains static, waiting for the next conversion. The air inside feels heavy, held by the concrete shell rather than drawn out by opening windows.

The Unipol Forum opened its doors in 1990. Giuseppe Cabassi and his son Luca built it, and it has remained largely unchanged since. It hosts Pallacanestro Olimpia Milano and Vero Volley Milano, though the structure is equally suited to ice. The capacity shifts depending on what is being played: 12,800 for basketball, more for concerts where the floor is covered in temporary seating. It has hosted the EuroLeague Final Four and will host the Winter Olympics figure skating events in 2026. The red seats are the only constant; everything else—the ice, the court, the crowd—flows through the space and leaves.