Public access to buildings
Università IULM provides public access to buildings, monuments and natural heritage landscapes of cultural significance, ensuring that the campus is not only a place for learning but also a resource for the wider community.
All university buildings are open to the public through guided tours that allow citizens, schools, and visitors to understand the history, architecture, and daily life of the institution. These tours highlight the role of IULM as a hub of culture, communication, and innovation in the city of Milan.
A landmark example is the Silvio Federico Baridon Garden, a 10,000 square meter green space inaugurated and maintained by IULM as part of its long-term commitment to urban regeneration in the Barona district. The park is freely accessible to all and offers: workout equipment, a soccer field, an inclusive playground for children with disabilities, a dog-friendly area, and a social gathering space with benches and tables. This garden, to which the university is strongly committed and which is entirely funded by IULM, is a concrete example of how the university restores urban spaces for public use, promoting social inclusion and well-being.
In addition to the Baridon Garden, the entire IULM campus integrates green oases with trees, benches, and pedestrian zones, designed to be accessible and welcoming to residents and visitors. These areas offer opportunities for relaxation, socialization, and cultural exchange, thus reinforcing IULM’s role as a safe, open, and sustainable urban space.
Another key initiative is TAM TAM – Museo Diffuso della Comunicazione, the first museum of communication in Italy, developed directly within the IULM campus. Unlike a traditional museum, it is a diffused, open-air exhibition space that transforms the university into a living narrative environment, where knowledge and beauty, information and storytelling come together.
The project includes multiple installations such as the work by artist Ugo Nespolo, the Muro del Cinema, and most recently La Linea del Tempo, a pathway composed of 52 stages that retrace the fundamental milestones in the history of human communication – from the mythical Tower of Babel to the masterpieces of the Renaissance. The route is enriched with bilingual captions, evocative images, immersive scenographies, and audio guides. Importantly, the initiative actively involves IULM students, who contributed to video content, translations, and voiceovers, making the museum not only a cultural experience but also an educational and participatory project.
La Linea del Tempo is freely open to individual visitors as well as to school groups through guided tours upon reservation. Supported by the Ministry under the Progetto Inclusione (PNRR, DM 752/2021), it represents a tangible example of how IULM transforms its campus into a public cultural infrastructure, accessible to diverse audiences and inclusive of different communities.
Complementing this, the university has also developed an open-air contemporary art collection, making its campus a true museum at open sky. Significant examples include the bronze sculpture Contatti Tenaglia (1970) by Giò Pomodoro, inaugurated on campus with the presence of the artist’s family, and previously acquired works such as Porta d’oro (2009) by Marco Nereo Rotelli, Monumento all’Inferno (2018) by Emilio Isgrò, and Time without end (2021) by MASBEDO. These artworks are publicly accessible and permanently displayed outdoors, consolidating IULM’s vocation as an artistic and cultural hub open to the city. As underlined during the inauguration, the presence of such works strengthens the bond between the academic community and the neighborhood, and regenerates the urban environment through culture and beauty.
Through these initiatives, Università IULM demonstrates its commitment to public access to cultural heritage, sustainable urban spaces, and inclusive community engagement, directly contributing to fostering sustainable, safe, and accessible public spaces for all.