In recent years, the city of Milan has launched a major regeneration project for its suburban districts that, up until a short time ago, were not seen as being an important part of the urban fabric, but now play a leading role in it.

This wide-ranging vision includes the futuristic new IULM University building project: the IULM 6. Opened in 2015, this complex includes an auditorium, a second hall, the new seat of the Polytechnic Design School, the IULM University Club and the Contemporary Exhibition Hall, that serves the city of Milan as a multi-purpose space for exhibitions and events.

In 2016, with the renovation and transformation of the Cascina Moncucco farmstead into a second student residence, the IULM University further consolidated its aim of giving the suburban district of Barona a high-level cultural meeting area that enhances the surrounding urban fabric.

The Cariboni Group lighting system in the Barona district in Milan

If the buildings are the stars of this large regeneration project, the outdoor spaces, like the public parks, roads, pedestrian paths and car parks, play an important role too, as in addition to enhancing the architecture, they are also places to walk, meet and enjoy a break in.

In this context, the lighting system had to be both practical and stylish.

Efficiency, innovation, reliability, energy saving, long lamp life and design were just some of the essential characteristics taken into account when choosing which luminaires to install as they had to blend in perfectly with the surrounding environment.

Eventually, a combination of three products designed for urban and residential lighting were chosen, each of them with a wide range of lamp, optic and installation combinations. These were Ypsilon, a pole-top luminaire with a roto-symmetrical optic, Big Link, a pole side luminaire with a street optic and Kalos, a pole-top luminaire. The result was an optimal solution for each of the spaces requiring lighting.