San Siro Stadium’s rotating walkways is an optical illusion

While I’m a huge football fan (that’s soccer to Americans), I’m only a casual fan of Italian football. I don’t have a particular club I’m rooting for in their Serie A league and when it comes to international football, I’m not a huge Italian national team fan. But when it comes to my bucket list of football stadiums that I want to visit someday, there is definitely an Italian stadium in the top 5. Someday, I want to watch a match in the San Siro, home to two giants of local football, AC Milan and Inter Milan.

The main reason that I want to visit this stadium, aside from its rich history and passionate atmosphere, is because of a unique architectural feature that has fascinated visitors and viewers alike. It may look like they have a rotating spiral walkway but this is actually an optical illusion that was unintentionally (or maybe intentionally?) created during the renovations in the late ’80s to prepare for the 1990 World Cup that Italy hosted.

Designers: Giancarlo Ragazzi and Enrico Hoffer

As fans exit the stadium after a thrilling match, particularly from the upper tiers, they utilize the stadium’s external spiral walkways. These ramps, a notable design element of the San Siro, wind downwards around the stadium’s perimeter. The sheer number of people moving in a synchronized downward motion along these curved paths creates a powerful visual effect. Our brains think that this coordinated movement is a rotation of the entire building but is actually just the downward flow of people becoming the dominant visual cue.

Whether this rotating effect was intentionally designed by the stadium’s architects is a point of speculation. Regardless, it adds an extra layer of intrigue to the San Siro experience, making it a remarkable sight not just for football enthusiasts, but also for those who appreciate clever architectural design and the fascinating ways our perception can be tricked. This will come to people’s attention again next year as the opening of the 2026 Winter Olympics will be here at the historic and visually appealing San Siro or officially known as the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

While my allegiance in the football world might lie elsewhere, the San Siro’s unique architectural quirk has firmly cemented its place on my must-visit list. The prospect of witnessing this “rotating giant” with my own eyes makes the dream of attending a match or even just an event there even more compelling. It’s a place where football history meets architectural ingenuity, creating an experience that promises to be both thrilling and visually unforgettable.

The post San Siro Stadium’s rotating walkways is an optical illusion first appeared on Yanko Design.